Annual Fishing Derby Set for Saturday at Mill Pond

New Canaan’s young anglers will descend on Mill Pond Saturday morning for one of the town’s most cherished community traditions—the annual fishing derby. Registration will start at 8 a.m. for the popular free event—a competition for special prizes—and fishing will start at 8:30 a.m. The fishing derby is open to kids 15 and younger, and 10-and-unders must be accompanied by an adult.

“We are always so thrilled to see so many families come out together to take advantage of such a beloved event,” said Tucker Murphy, president of the Kiwanis Club of New Canaan. “We really want to thank the Police Benevolent Association. They really stepped to help pay for the re-stocking. Without the help of police, fire and DPW, this event would not happen.

After 27 Years, Children’s Clothing and Apparel Shop ‘Candy Nichols’ To Close At Month’s End

After 27 years in downtown New Canaan, the owners of Candy Nichols are closing the shop at the end of this month. Co-owner Elizabeth Correa said high rent and changing habits among shoppers are the chief reason she’s closing the children’s clothing and apparel store. “Traffic is not the same and people shop differently,” Correa said on a recent morning, referring to online shopping. “That’s just a fact.”

Located on Elm Street for about 20 years, Candy Nichols since 2013 has been at 99 Main St. The store will hold 30 and 50 percent off sales as March progresses, Correa said.

Fishing Derby at Mill Pond Scheduled for Saturday Morning

New Canaan’s young anglers will descend on Mill Pond Saturday morning for one of the town’s most cherished community traditions—the annual fishing derby. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. for the popular event—a competition for special prizes—and fishing will start at 9 a.m. The fishing derby is open to kids 15 and younger, and 10-and-unders must be accompanied by an adult.

“Personally, it is one of my favorite events because it seems to attract a lot of New Canaan families,” said Tucker Murphy, president of the Kiwanis Club of New Canaan. “It’s a lot of people that we don’t see on a regular basis that come out for it, and I love that. I love to see these kids with all of their little lines, all ready to go, we are so grateful to all of our sponsors. At 9 a.m. they’ll drop the lines in.

Ralph Lauren Children’s Store on Elm Street To Close in Mid-August

The Ralph Lauren Children’s store at 115 Elm St. in New Canaan will close in mid-August, company officials said. It isn’t clear just what brought on the decision to close a store that has been involved consistently in downtown New Canaan events, including those organized by the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce. The Polo Ralph Lauren store at 51 Elm St. remains open.

SLIDESHOW: 20 Things You Only Know If You Shop and Dine in New Canaan

New Canaanites have plenty of reasons to shop and dine locally, and those reasons go far beyond the fact that the village center has scores of independent businesspeople—retailers, restaurateurs, service providers—who work here and have had a tough go with the weather these past few weeks. Our owners-on-site specialize in their fields and offer a wide range of expertise. They support most every community event that locals associate with the town—fishing derby, Waveny summer concerts, Santa’s visit, little league, Holiday Stroll, ice cream social, Halloween Parade. It’s hard to find two important community events in a row in New Canaan that aren’t sponsored in some way by Walter Stewart’s, Karl Chevy or both. Because familiarity breeds conversation and rapport, we can come to know our local small business owners and workers better than we may at, say, out-of-town chains. The slideshow above is a testament to that strong connection—click through to learn more about some of those who make up the economic lifeblood of the business district.