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New Canaan Family Fourth 2016
Uploaded by Michael Dinan on 2016-07-05. Thousands of residents set up picnics, tossed frisbees, enjoyed live music from the venerable New Canaan Town Band and meandered about the town’s cherished Waveny Park on Monday for the 36th Annual Family Fourth. We tried to capture the popular annual event’s spirit in the video above—enjoy.
The Family Fourth of July celebration at Waveny, one of New Canaan’s most cherished annual traditions, needs the assistance of the community in order to continue to be great each year, according to the volunteers who oversee it. Contrary to popular belief, the picnic and fireworks show is “funded entirely by the donations for passes,” according to Steve Benko, who sits on the Family Fourth Committee. “Whether you drive your car to the park or you walk in, we encourage everybody to buy a pass because it supports the fireworks,” Benko said. The fireworks themselves, as well as entertainment and logistical teams, are paid for out of a standalone fund, and the event is run by a volunteer committee. This year, food trucks also will sell food at the Family Fourth.
Editor:
On behalf of the Family Fourth Committee, I would like to thank all who supported the 34th Annual New Canaan Family 4th Celebration at Waveny Park by purchasing an entrance pass to attend this Independence Day celebration. The decision to move to the rain date of July 5th worked out well. We had a beautiful warm day, clear skies and a nice breeze. The fireworks show as spectacular. It was another memorable 4th of July celebration … an outstanding evening of family fun, wonderful music, great food and a fantastic fireworks display.
New Canaan Family Fourth 2014 at Waveny
On a perfectly clear, dry evening, thousands of New Canaanites walked and drove to Waveny on Saturday for the Family Fourth, one of the town’s most cherished community events. As the New Canaan Town Band belted out American hit after hit from the Waveny House balcony, families munched on picnic dinners, tossed Frisbees and kicked soccer balls around the fields. The video above includes clips from all of that, as well as the end of the great fireworks finale. Delayed by one day due to the thunderstorms that struck overnight Thursday, the popular gathering waited for a beautiful night. Many thanks to the Family Fourth Committee for its volunteering to plan a great event.
With rain now expected to fall into Friday evening, town officials are postponing the Waveny fireworks to Saturday. Though the town had been holding out hope to get the Family Fourth Celebration in as planned, it’s not possible to set up fireworks in the rain, said Tom Stadler, administrative officer in the first selectman’s office. The event will go on exactly as planned but one day later—so that’s at 5 p.m. at Waveny with the fireworks expected to start around 9 p.m. It will include our New Canaan Town Band, food, drinks, ice cream and entertainment for kids. The forecast calls for a clear and comfortable Saturday. Here’s a guide to what is open and closed in New Canaan this weekend.