Wallingford Welcomes 28th Annual Celebrate Wallingford Festival

Wallingford Welcomes 28th Annual Celebrate Wallingford Festival

Wallingford's largest festival, the 28th Annual Celebrate Wallingford Festival, is ready to kick off this weekend, October 4th and 5th. Prepare yourself for two fantastic days of activities, displays, food tasting, crafting, contests, and entertainment, all set in the beautiful uptown area of Wallingford Center.

This year the main venue for the event will once again be along North and South Main Streets and Simpson Court, with other activities taking place at the Railroad Station green at 11 Hall Avenue. The festivities begin on October 4th at 11 AM and continue until 7 PM, and continue on October 5th at 12 noon and conclude at 6 PM. Here is a list of some of the planned activities for both days:

Saturday, October 4th:

Prior to the 11 AM opening, the 5th Annual ACTIVATE Wallingford Family Fun Walk will be held, with registration starting at 10 AM. It's a flat course, 1 mile walk. ACTIVATE Wallingford is an initiative to combat childhood obesity by partnering with the community to influence policy and environmental change that will provide access to clean, safe parks and recreational facilities so more children have an opportunity to participate in physical activity. The walk will start at the gazebo on the green; look for the Registration sign to sign up!

• Taste of Wallingford food court
• Crafters exhibiting their creations along North & South Main Streets
• Extended activities area for children and teens, including Curious Creatures, Magic Matt balloons and face painter Ruth Gordon
• Live Entertainment (on the Parade Grounds): Don Gioella, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM; Bryson Lang - Juggler, 12:30 - 1:20 PM; Cover Story, 2:00 - 3:30 PM; Southern Voice band, 4:00 - 5:30 PM; Star on the Web show, 6:00 - 7:00PM
• Home Depot Kids Workshop & Home Improvement Fair, 11:00 AM to 3PM at the Railroad Station
• Storefront Nostalgia Walk, on Center St, No. Main St, Hall Ave and Quinnipiac St.
• Fitness Fun Zone in the Holy Trinity School parking lot, sponsored by the Wallingford YMCA
• 18th Annual Art Walk through Center Street Cemetery, 9 AM - 5 PM
• "Adopt" a fundraiser, set up all along Center Street. Youth Organizations will be set up all along Center Street with their fundraisers. Please stop by and support them!

Sunday, October 5th:

• Taste of Wallingford food court
• Crafters exhibiting their creations along North & South Main Streets
• Storefront Nostalgia Walk, on Center St, No. Main St, Hall Ave and Quinnipiac St.
• Extended activities area for children and teens, including Curious Creatures, Magic Matt balloons and face painter Ruth Gordon
• Live Entertainment (in front of the train station): CT Yankee Chorus, 12:00PM - 1:00 PM; Coyote River Band, 1:30 - 3:00 PM; California Dreamers, 3:30 - 5:00 PM
• Home Depot Kids Workshop & Home Improvement Fair, 11AM to 3PM at the Railroad Station
• Fitness Fun Zone in the Holy Trinity School parking lot, sponsored by the Wallingford YMCA
• Car Show by the Doo Wop Car Club on Hall Avenue from 11AM -3PM, featuring food and a DJ

A new addition this year is the Storefront Nostalgia Walk. Several stores along Center Street, North Main Street, Hall Avenue and Quinnipiac Street will have poster-sized photos of old Wallingford that you can view and test your memory of what the town was like in the old days! Our office at 116 Center Street won't have the poster size photos, but we do have several 8x10 images of historical photos that you can also come in and view! Plus, we'll be offering free beverages and cookies from DiBella's!

The Taste of Wallingford has long been a favorite of festival attendees, giving them an opportunity to sample the cuisine of some of their favorite local eateries. Here are the establishments participating and their menus for the event:

Amore Pizza

Pizza slices, Fried Dough , Funnel Cakes

Gaetano's Tavern on Main

Pulled Pork Sandwich, Chili, Hot Dog w/Kraut or Chili, Stuffed Baked Potato

Michael's Trattoria

Sausage & pepper sandwich, Pasta Fagioli

Los Mariachis

Tamales, Tacos, Burritos, Nachos Supreme

Pralines Sweet

Ice cream cups & cones, Sundaes, Waffle cones

Sweet Cioccolatta

Chocolate candies & confections

Wallingford Elks Club

Breakfast sandwich, Coffee, New England Clam Chowder w/Bread Bowl, Burgers, Chicken tenders w/fries

Wallingford Wishing Well

Steak grinders

Wallingford Rotary Club

Soda, Gatorade, Water

Oriental Express

Chicken Broccoli, General Tsao's Chicken, Chicken Fingers

Wallingford Center Inc.

Roasted corn on the cob Zucchini pancakes

Tata's

Spanish rice, Pork kabobs, Beef & cheese Empanedas

Dad's Restaurant

Corned beed w/ Dad's homemade cole slaw, cheddar cheese on a hard roll, Lobster Bisque

Alyssa's Cakery

Cake pops, cake balls and cake push-ups

Mr. D's

Apple crisp, Caramel apples, Apple cider

Hometown Pizza & Restaurant

Fried calamari, Penne ala Vodka, Chicken parmesan grinder

Dry Dock

BBQ chicken dinner, Corn bread, Cole slaw

East Wallingford Volunteer Fire Department

Christos

This promises to be a fantastic weekend at Celebrate Wallingford, come down and see why Wallingford,

CT is a great place to live!