It’s Here – Branford Festival Weekend

This weekend, there is only one cool event, the Branford Festival. For the 34th year, townspeople, businesses, craftspeople, food vendors, and entertainers will fill the Branford green over three days. Chair Kristine Klarman and her committee have been hard at work finalizing all the details; it’s a process that starts almost immediately after the previous year’s festival. The Branford Eagle will be on hand – be sure to stop by and say hello.

Here’s the schedule.

Friday, June 15, 5 to 10:30 p.m.

5 p.m.: Opening celebration featuring the Connecticut Governors Footguard and raising of the festival flag
5:30 to 10 p.m.: Food courts open
5:45 p.m.: Branford High School Choir, directed by Mike Martone, Jr.
6 to 9:30 p.m.: Kids’ activities
6:45 p.m.: The John Moss Scholarship presentation
7 p.m.: The Benders, classic rock and originals
8:45 p.m.: Wanted DOA, Bon Jovi tribute band

Saturday, June 16, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

7 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Food courts open
8 a.m.: Branford Festival Craft and Business Expo
9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.: Kids’ activities
10:45 a.m. Branford Festival’s Back Stage (behind Town Hall) features a two-person plot-fest of ​“Hamlet” ahead of this August’s full professional production. Hamlet star Jeremy Funke and Director Keely Baisden Knudsen will be reading 11 characters between the two of them, inter-stitching contemporary dialogue with some of the greatest Shakespeare speeches ever written.
5 p.m.: Elegant Primates
5:45 p.m. Father of the Year presentation
6 p.m.: DynaMojo, blues, rock and soul
7:15 p.m.: Sponsor announcements and Festival Committee introductions
7:30 p.m.: RedLight, party rock
9 p.m.: David Brighton’s Space Oddity – The Ultimate David Bowie Experience

Sunday, June 17, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

7 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Food courts open
9 a.m.: 8th Annual Gary Dinello Classic Car Cruise in honor of Gary, the Car Cruise founder
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Kids’ activities
10:15 a.m.: 36th annual Branford Road Race
11:30 a.m.: Winners of the 2018 Baking Contest
11:45 a.m.: Branford Race Race Awards Ceremony
Noon: Avenue Groove, R&B/Funk/Dance music
2 p.m.: Branford Chorale
3:15 p.m.: Students from the Tabor Arts Performance School

Food, Glorious Food

Whatever your taste buds are seeking, they will be rewarded. Vendors on hand offer something for everyone’s palate.

A & D Enterprises: Funnel cakes, smoothies, lemonade, and pretzels.
Ashley’s Ice Cream: Hard ice cream, frozen yogurt, sundaes, waffle cones, milkshakes, smoothies, and bottled water/Snapple
Spuds Your Way: Baked potatoes with butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon or ​“The Works,” Chicken Supreme Baked Potato, Steak Supreme Baked Potato, broccoli, Supreme Baked Potato, Veggie Supreme Baked Potato, Super Supreme, Baked Potato
Exchange Club: Fried dough with sauce, sugar or cinnamon, soda and bottled water.
Calandrelli Kettle Corn: Kettle Corn, Fried Oreos
Historical Society (Saturday Only): Strawberry shortcake, lemonade
Honey Spot Pizza: Pizza by the slice; Salads – Garden Salad, Greek Salad, Chef Salad, chips, soda and water
Italian American Club: Sausage/peppers/onions Grinder, meatball sub, Pasta Fagioli, Hummel hot dogs, gelato, cannolis, soda, water, cotton candy, popcorn and chips. Ham/egg/cheese sandwich and coffee (Sunday only)
The Little Lunch Box: Pulled pork sandwich, walking taco, Hummel hot dogs, Hummel hot dog with chili and cheese, nachos & cheese, chips, Gatorade, soda & water
Branford Academy Of Hair & Cosmetology Empanadas, Jamaican beef patties and chicken patties, French fries, cheese fries, chili cheese fries, New England clam chowder, New York cheesecake, popcorn, water and soda
North Haven Creamery: Soft serve ice cream, sundaes, soda floats, and milk shakes
Rotary Club: lobster roll, chicken tenders, roast beef sandwiches, french fries, hot dogs, cole slaw. Breakfast: French toast, pancakes, sausage, milk, orange juice, and coffee
Shoreline Prime: Steak tip and cheese sub, marinated chicken sandwich, fresh ground beef burgers, Hummel hot dogs, Hummel Georgia hots, soda, and water
The Smilin Chef Catering: Gyros with feta, fresh squeezed lemonade, apple crisp
Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church: Sweet potato fries, chicken wings, hand cut fries, hot dogs, bratwurst, churros, soda, and juice boxes
Thai Taste Restaurant: Garlic chicken (on a stick), Pad Thai (rice noodles), chicken with cashews, veggie fried rice

Wait, There’s More

The summer fun is just beginning. Branford’s fireworks display, taking off from Foote Park this year due to replacement of the Harbor Street bridge, is Saturday, June 23. The Branford Jazz Series on the Green kicks off with NBIS (North Branford Intermediate School) Jazz Band and Run N’ Fly on Thursday, June 28, at 6:30 p.m. Ten concerts this summer in honor of ten years of jazz on the Branford green.

The Branford Festival, Fireworks, and Jazz on the Green – we call it Branford’s trifecta!

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