‘A Really Fun Community Day’: Sidewalk Sale Coming Saturday

The 53rd Annual Village Fair & Sidewalk Sale this weekend will feature vendor booths, food trucks, child-friendly activities, live music and, as of the latest forecasts, clear sunny skies.

The Sidewalk Sale, to be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday after local merchants with street-level shops put out their discount racks at 10 a.m. Friday until 4 p.m. that afternoon, promises to be “a really fun community day,” said the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce’s Laura Budd.

The Friday headstart for local businesses is designed to give shoppers a “preview” of the day-long event, Budd said.

Parking in all legal spaces will be free starting at 12 p.m. Friday.

The real excitement of the Village Fair portion will begin Saturday, Budd said, when portions of Elm Street, Main Street, Forest Street and South Avenue are closed to motor vehicle traffic to create the quintessential “safe and family friendly pedestrian mall.”

In all, 110 vendors are scheduled to set up shop outdoors, with exclusive deals and bargains.

Wave on Main Street has participated in the sales for 25 years, and is planning to offer “amazing deals on jewelry, clothing, and home accessories,” owner Heather Satin told NewCanaanite.com.

Another longtime participant, Rosie Bandura of Rosie  on Elm will offer specials such as “different flavors of lemonade, lobster rolls, soft shell crab sandwiches, chocolate chunk cookies and blueberry muffins.”

For additional food options, the Chamber has planned for food trucks and refreshments to be available in the Pop Up Park area. Options include fare from Green & Tonic, Taco Tequila, Melt Mobile and La Pescaderilla.

In addition to retailers, many local nonprofit organizations are planning to set up tents downtown as well, including the New Canaan Nature Center, New Canaan Mounted Troop, New Canaan Historical Society, Staying Put in New Canaan and Meals on Wheels.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to interact with the public,” Budd said. “They’re really excited to meet more people in the community.”

Another unique hallmark of New Canaan’s Sidewalk Sales, as opposed to other neighboring towns, is the entertainment, with musical performances for visitors both young and old.

Karl Chevrolet and the New Canaan YMCA are teaming up to provide entertainment for children attendees at the intersection of Elm and Main.

“There’ll be face painting, and a lot of other great stuff going on there,” Budd said.

Other opportunities for fun and entertainment are the ‘Money Machine’ sponsored by Bankwell, and a magician sponsored by People’s United Bank.

The New Canaan Town Band and School of Rock will set up in the Pop Up Park on Saturday afternoon, providing live music for visitors.

“We’re really excited,” Budd said. “It’s our biggest event of the year, and we’re anticipating a few thousand people.”

“There are a lot of vendors here, so people are going to find great bargains and they’re going to see a lot of the local non profits as well,” she added.

The vendors are just as excited to participate in the upcoming sales.

“I love seeing all of our customers who are also our friends,” Satin said. “It’s also great because it gives us a chance to meet a lot of new customers who have just discovered us because of this event.”

Bandura said she enjoys the opportunity the Sidewalk Sales gives vendors to interact with the community.

“I think the best part is being able to see everyone out, and seeing all of the faces from past years. It’s a community experience,” Bandura said. “It’s so fun to be a part of it.”

Budd noted that other towns will have their own sales on the same day, but “we hope visitors will choose to go to theirs Thursday or Sunday and come to ours Friday and Saturday.”

“It’s really a ‘can’t miss’ event,” she said.

For more information on the Village Fair & Sidewalk Sale please visit the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce’s website.