Around Town

May Fair 2021 Canceled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

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May Fair has been canceled this year due to the pandemic, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church officials said. Though the town has made “outstanding progress” on vaccinating residents and the state is permitting fairs to operate at 50% capacity, “we carefully discerned that it is still too early to attempt such a large, multi-faceted gathering,” according to a letter published by St. Mark’s Senior Warden Stan Twardy, Junior Warden Mark Thorsheim and event Chairman George Wright. “We believe that the joyful spirit of May Fair is rooted in the joyful Spirit of God,” the letter said.

Around Town

‘People Have a Great Time’: May Fair Set for Friday Night, All-Day Saturday

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New Canaanites this weekend will descend on St. Mark’s grounds for one of the town’s most beloved annual traditions. May Fair organizers say the cherished rain-or-shine event is in its 70th year and that they’re keeping their fingers crossed for good weather for both Friday Night Lights, which runs 5 to 10 p.m., and the all-day fair that opens 9 a.m. Saturday. “It’s a tradition and it kind of marks people’s springtime—‘It’s Mother’s Day weekend—time for May Fair,’ ” Co-Chair Kit Devereaux told NewCanaanite.com. “I think people have a great time.”

A fundraiser for St.

Around Town

Holy Smokers, May Fair Volunteers Prep for Big Day at St. Mark’s [PHOTOS, VIDEO]

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The Holy Smokers—St. Mark’s men of prolonged vowels and serious barbecue—typically wait until 5 a.m. on the Thursday prior to May Fair Saturday to light the fires whose smoke will flavor their famed brisket and pork. This year, with more than 600 pounds of each, the guys—supplying their own smokers, including at least one built from scratch—lit the flames at midnight and put the first of 37 shoulders on about 90 minutes later, according to Holy Smoker and New Canaanite George Wright, a native Virginian who doubles as a coordinator with CERT, a key organization in helping May Fair run well. “We rub the first of the meat on Wednesday night and they are coming off now, most of them are off for that first turn,” Wright said Thursday afternoon from what soon will transform into the hub of the May Fair Food Court, a portable stereo playing country music nearby. “They are gong to cool down, and then we will pull them and sauce them.”

This year, visitors will enjoy the first-ever “Friday Night Lights” at the 66th annual May Fair—rides, live music and some food (pizza, burgers, dogs and ice cream “up top” on the wholly pesticide-free fairgrounds), running 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday.