New Haven Independent

The festival, celebrated each year on Green, kicks off Friday, June 19, with a promise of abundant food, fun and entertainment.

However, after its fifth year, it was $15,500 in the red and facing possible extinction. Then First Selectwoman Judy Gott turned to Bill O’Brien, knowing he had a solid business background. He was in banking for 42 years, retiring in 2005 as a senior vice president from the former New Haven Savings Bank (now NewAlliance Bank).

She asked him to serve as chairman. Gott, who is now executive director of the South Central Regional Council of Government, told O’Brien the goal was to reduce debt and raise capital.

By implementing his philosophy of “go to who you know,” O’Brien managed to drum up some serious bucks even before he formally accepted the position.

O’Brien, who can often be found around town these days with his camera, his avocation in retirement, credits the late John Moss, whom he describes as “a man about town, a great resource,” with help in turning around the festival. Moss, who was named Citizen of the Year by the Branford Review in 1973 and was chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission in the late 1980s, became president of festival board. Together they quickly implemented a series of strategies geared toward making it profitable.

He set about restructuring the festival by forming a board of directors, consisting of various service clubs and clergy. The service clubs had all but dropped out of the event, but the Lions, Rotary and Exchange Clubs each loaned him $2,500 as a vote of confidence.

Since there had been no major corporate sponsors, O’Brien (pictured left) approached Blue Cross first, using his business sense and powers of persuasion. When they asked, “How much?” O’Brien said, “$5,000.” He got the check. He also received the support of First Federal Bank and John Peterson, then-publisher of the Branford Review, who donated several pages of advertising. The Chamber of Commerce jumped back in. So did the Lions.

The cost to rent the stage, originally located on the west side of the green, was high, so O’Brien relocated it to the front of Town Hall, where it could accommodate banners from sponsors. The late ‘Bud” Anderson, of Anderson-Wilcox Corp, a leading New Haven builder, built and donated the stage.

“We saved $4,500 right there,” O’Brien recalls.

The Farquhar, a well-known local folk music group, agreed to perform that year for $1,500. Previous festivals had seen the likes of high-priced performers such as Arlo Guthrie, John Sebastian and Pure Prairie League.

O’Brien spearheaded that 1990 drive, but he gives credit to other longtime festival organizers, including Jeff Vailette, this year’s assistant treasurer.

“He works harder that anyone,” says O’Brien. “He knows the lay of the land, the entertainment, the operations.”

O’Brien also praised Charlotte Mattei, who is now president of the Branford Festival Corporate Board. Other board members are Vice President Dale Izzo, who also handles entertainment, Secretary Tricia Bohan and Treasurer Mike Solakian.

This year O’Brien is coordinating activities around the 25th anniversary celebration., which has been two years in the planning. A tent located next to Trinity Church will feature photographs, a booket and memorabilia from previous festivals, including the first. Previous chairs are also expected to stop by. Paper cutting artist Martha Link Walsh (pictured) was selected to create artwork representing the history of the festival. Both prints and T-shirts with her artwork will be available along with festival prints from previous years.

John Beedle, this year’s chairman, calls O’Brien the “backbone” of the festival. Beedle has been a part of the festival for eight years. He says along with the 25th anniversary Festival Tent, upscale entertainment will be featured, including Big Shot, a Billy Joel tribute band, on Friday night; Fleetwood Dreams, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, on Saturday night followed by the Marshall Tucker Band, one of the major Southern rock bands of the 1970s. In between will be a host of musical groups from Branford schools as well as other local performers. Click here for a complete schedule.

But before the bands take to the stage and an audience can be seated, a transformation must take place. During the day the Green is taken over by the Community and Craft Expo, sponsored by the Branford Chamber of Commerce.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the businesses, service providers and craftspeople will display their wares as part of the Chamber’s annual business fair. Diane Puchalski of the Chamber reports that all of the Expo’s 200 booths are sold out.

When the Expo ends at 4 p.m. Beedle told the Eagle that a “combined force” of Chamber people and volunteers from the festival’s operations committee, headed this year by Jeff Knapp, turn the green into a concert “hall.” Beedle says people with their blankets and beach chairs are standing on the outskirts waiting to claim a prized viewing spot.

“A tent leaves and someone tosses a blanket down,” says Beedle.

The music begins within an hour after the last table is hauled away.

Pulchalski, who has been involved with the Expo for 10 years along with Rosemary Sette, says that while some businesses declined to participate because of the economy, others have stepped up including some “moonlight” businesses, people who have small, sideline interests. She expects the Expo to be bigger and better than ever.

“It’s good promotion for local businesses,” she says. “There’s lots of exposure on the shoreline.”

Did we mention the food? Ah, the food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be available from various restaurants and organizations under 16 different tents along Montowese Street. From ice cream to Indian food and everything in between, no one will go away hungry.

The culmination of the festival weekend is the Branford Road Race on Sunday. The race attracts a couple thousand runners — and walkers. Last year’s race attracted 2,400 participants. Beedle explains that the road race actual pre-dates the festival, co-founded 29 years ago by Dick Wainman and by Ray Figlewski, who still is in charge of the event.

The race is preceded by the Car Cruise, which leaves the Cherry Hill Commuter Lot at 9:20 a.m. and arrives at the green at 10 a.m., and followed by more entertainment throughout the afternoon. The weekend wraps up at 4 p.m.

Looking back, O’Brien says that the 1990 Branford Festival turned out to be a real success. It netted $31,000 that year and the $15,500 debt was paid back.

He expects no less of a success for this year’s festival. Although the festival may not turn a profit due to the extra expenses associated with the 25th anniversary celebration, it will certainly be profitable in the hearts of everyone participating.

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