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Danbury’s Irish-Americans Kick Off 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations with Parades & More
DANBURY, CT—After two years of cancellations due to the global pandemic, Danbury’s Irish-Americans are glad to celebrate their Silver Anniversary at the 25th Annual Danbury St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The month-long celebrations kicked off on Sunday, Feb. 20th with their St. Patrick’s Day Parade fundraiser at Molly Darcy’s, followed by the St. Patrick’s Day Ball on Saturday, March 5th. Not even a “bomb cyclone” could stop Danbury and New Fairfield area Irish-Americans from celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Fairfield (Danbury’s parade will be held on 3/20/22). New Fairfield resident Peter Hearty was presented with a proclamation from State Senator Julie Kushner for his contributions to the town by organizing the 52nd annual New Fairfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Danbury’s Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians hold the St. Patrick’s Day Ball annually the first Saturday in March at the Amber Room where they honor the man and woman of the year. This year, Richard Hawley, of Danbury, and Wendy Mitchell, of Brookfield, were named the Hibernians of the Year. Hawley was recognized for his years of fundraising at the annual golf classic and for starting the setback league. Mitchell was recognized for her efforts to raise funds for the club at last year’s “SHAMROCKAPALOOZA” benefit concert, serving as co-chair of the parade for the last five years, and serving as state recording secretary and webmaster, division Catholic Action and publicity officer.
The Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Foundation and the Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center kicked off their month-long St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with the annual Irish Ball on March 5, 2016. Danbury’s new Mayor Dean Esposito presented Mitchell and Hawley with a proclamation from the City of Danbury for their dedication the mission and helping to preserve Irish culture in the greater Danbury area. Senator Julie Kushner presented a proclamation to both from the State of Connecticut.
The duo will have the distinct honor of leading the City of Danbury’s parade on Sunday, March 20th at 2:00 p.m., along with their fellow Hibernians, Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums Corps, Newtown Horse Guard, Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops, local politicians and officials, Danbury and surrounding town’s fire departments, Danbury police, and other marching units. The Danbury St. Patrick’s Day Parade is co-chaired this year by Kevin Hearty and Catherine Bach.
The following events are planned for St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17, 2022:
- 9 a.m. Bethel flag raising, 1 P.T. Barnum Square, Bethel
- 11 a.m. – Mass at St Peter Church, Main St. Danbury with prayers in English and Gaelic
- 12 p.m. – Irish flag raising at Danbury City Hall, Deer Hill Ave. followed by refreshments
- 12:30 p.m. on – Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center (GDICC), 6 Lake Ave., Danbury, corned beef, cabbage, Shepherd’s pie, Irish soda bread, and refreshments. The GDICC has Guinness and Harp on tap as well as a wide variety of other libations. Local Irish dance schools will perform and live bands Fiddlesuice and Steve O’Tree & Friends will play traditional Irish favorites.
On Saturday, March 19th, Two Roads Brewery is sponsoring a “Tap Takeover” with Tipperary Knights, $5 Two Roads specials, raffles, and more!
The 25th Annual Danbury St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held this year on Sunday, March 20, 2022. It is being sponsored by Title Sponsor, Townsquare Media Danbury, Platinum Sponsor Mercedes-Benz of Danbury, Gold Sponsor UK Gourmet and Dream Home Realty of CT. The parade steps off at 2 p.m. at Center and Main Street, Danbury in front of St. Peter Church.
Parade Day is Sunday, March 20, 2022:
- 2 p.m. Greater Danbury St. Patrick’s Day parade begins in front of St. Peter Church, Main and Center Streets
- Shuttle buses will begin at 12 p.m. at the Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center, 6 Lake Ave., Danbury
- Corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie, Irish soda bread, and refreshments will be sold at the Danbury Irish Club, 6 Lake Ave., Danbury. Local Irish dance schools and live bands will perform traditional Irish favorites.
Questions? Call the club at (203) 739-0010 or email DanburyIrish@gmail.com.
Photo: Wendy Mitchell, 2022 Danbury Lady Hibernian of the Year, Richard Hawley, 2022 Danbury Mens Hibernian of the Year
Photo Credit: Marion Lynott, Irish Flare Photography
CLA Removes New Fairfield Dock That Played Host To Invasive Zebra Mussels
NEW FAIRFIELD, CT—The shoreline of Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield is one dock less after the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) removed it due to a harmful invader—zebra mussels.
These pesky creatures may look cool, but they can damage ecosystems by harming native species, according to Professor Pierce of the University of Wisconsin who stated, “In order for a zebra mussel to live, it must attach itself to a hard object. Not only do zebra mussels attach themselves to things like rocks, logs, and the hulls of ships, they also attach themselves to native species. Many native mollusk species are at risk of becoming extinct or endangered because of zebra mussels.” In addition, they can lower water quality and clarity.
The dock that was removed on Thursday, November 12 by the CLA, had about 6-12 live zebra mussels attached to it and were solitary mussels that were not yet forming colonies.
“This is the first time in over 8 years that this dock has been removed from the lake so we are unsure how long these mussels have been in the water, and when they attached to the dock,” a representative from the CLA said.
No other zebra mussels were found on neighboring docks and the CLA will continue to monitor the situation by combing the shoreline during the deep drawdown this winter.
The CLA is asking the public to clean, drain and dry their boats, kayaks and other nautical equipment before dropping them into the lake to help stop any potential invaders.
If you see any mussels that look similar to the one pictured, report the finding with a photo to science@candlewoodlakeauthority.org. Fore more information, visit the Candlewood Lake Authority online at candlewoodlakeauthority.org/invasivespecies.
Photo credit: Candlewood Lake Authority
13th Annual #NewFairfieldCT Relay for Life Goes Virtual on Saturday, June 6th
NEW FAIRFIELD, CT—For the first time ever in its thirteen-year history, the New Fairfield Relay for Life will be held online due to social distancing guidelines set by the State of Connecticut in response to the coronavirus. Teams from New Fairfield, New Milford, Sherman, Danbury, Bethel, and surrounding towns will participate in the annual fundraiser to help find a cure for cancer.
The organizers of this year’s New Fairfield Relay For Life of New Fairfield are hoping that this year will be their “Lucky 13″ and that they will raise more money than ever to help cancer patients. Co-Chair Amber St. Hilaire has been participating in the New Fairfield Relay for Life for 10 years with her team “The Heavenly Hippies” which was born out of the New Fairfield Congregational Church.
“Normally, we walk for 15 hours at the New Fairfield High School Track from 3 p.m. on Saturday until 5 a.m. on Sunday morning,” St. Hilaire said, continuing, “Unfortunately, Covid-19 has changed a lot of things for us but we are determined to do our best to fight despite it!”
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life event is held in over 20 countries worldwide. The event gives people a chance to fight back against cancer and honor those who are fighting or have lost their lives to the disease through a moving silent Luminaria ceremony.
This year’s event is entirely virtual and their theme is “Small Town, Big Heart” which she said represents her community and their fight. St. Hilaire said participants will be relaying (walking) from home from 1:00 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 6th, and then they will “light the night” at 9 p.m. with a Luminaria/porch light-up event in honor of their loved ones who are fighting or who have passed away. Details can be found on their Facebook page: Relay for Life New Fairfield, Twitter @relayforlifenf, and Instagram @relay4lifenf . They are also on Youtube as “ACS Lower Hudson Valley.”
The opening ceremony begins with a video of guest speaker Wendy Mitchell, a survivor of a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer called Triple Negative Metaplastic Carcinoma, who shares her survivor story. Mitchell began an advocacy campaign for breast cancer awareness from day one of her diagnosis in 2015 under the hashtag #MyLeftBoob for early detection. Her blog, Wendipoprock’s Wild Ride, serves as a guide to help newly diagnosed cancer patients. Her story/video can be viewed here.
The Knights of Columbus 12968 will be leading their virtual survivor lap to kick off the opening ceremony. There will be online games, a telethon, a music jam hour, stories of hope, opportunities to donate and win prizes, a touching luminaria ceremony, a senior spotlight, Zumba with Tim, and a touching closing ceremony.
“We tried to be as close to our true Relay event as we could by encouraging walking, socially distanced, of course, scavenger hunts, Zumba, and more,” St. Hilaire said.
While she admits this year is a challenge by being completely online, St. Hilaire said “nothing can stop Relay For Life because our volunteers’ hearts are just too darn big and stubborn! “
She shared her motivation for why she relays on her fundraising website:
“Every year I walk for two specific people; a survivor and one who has passed. This year those two are my dearest cousin Michelle Gonzalez who is suffering for the second time in a year with cancer and for Sarah, a young woman who passed away last year from brain cancer. These women are prime examples of the reasons I am so passionate about fundraising. This year, for every donation I receive, I will walk one lap in honor of a loved one. Your donations matter and I want each and every person to be remembered and brought up at the event.”
For more information about New Fairfield Relay for Life 2020, or to donate, click the link below:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/seeacure
Photo credit: New Fairfield Relay for Life
Severe Weather Alert Issued for #DanburyCT #RidgefieldCT & Surrounding Towns: #CTWeather
DANBURY, CT—The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Greater Danbury area.
Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service New York NY 817 PM EDT Wed Jun 3 2020 Fairfield CT-New Haven CT-Bergen NJ-Westchester NY-Orange NY- Putnam NY-Rockland NY- 817 PM EDT Wed Jun 3 2020
…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL FAIRFIELD…WEST CENTRAL NEW HAVEN…NORTHEASTERN BERGEN…WESTCHESTER…SOUTHEASTERN ORANGE…PUTNAM AND ROCKLAND COUNTIES…
At 817 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Brewster to New City, moving east at 70 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE…Radar indicated.
IMPACT…Expect damage to trees and power lines. These severe storms will be near… Danbury and Bethel around 825 PM EDT. Newtown and Redding around 830 PM EDT. Bedford around 835 PM EDT. Greenwich around 840 PM EDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
Photo credit: steffen l via Flickr Creative Commons
Win Big & Help Out a Charity at the ‘Junk in the Trunk’ Tag Sale
NEW FAIRFIELD, CT — The Community Service Club of New Fairfield presents their annual “Junk in the Trunk” tag sale which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, at the New Fairfield Senior Center, 33 CT-37, New Fairfield, CT.
The event includes a wide variety of crafters and a large basket which will be raffled off. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 8 tickets for $20. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Community Service Club of New Fairfield.
The winner need not be present and will be drawn at the end of the event. The basket has a retail value of over $750 and includes items that can be split up for gift giving— perfect for the beginner paper crafter or scrapbooker.
The Community Service Club of New Fairfield began in 1983 which exists “For the Good of Our Town,” according to their website. Parking spaces are sold to people who wish to sell some of their garage and attic treasures. For more information, click here.
Photo: Eileen Cunningham
Best Brunch Spots in the New Fairfield & Sherman Area
NEW FAIRFIELD, CT — Fluffy Fruit-Topped Belgian Waffles, Spinach Frittatas, Country Farm Pancakes…. is your mouth watering yet? Looking for a great spot to take the family for Easter Brunch or Passover? Here are the top spots in the New Fairfield and Sherman area, as ranked by Trip Advisor and Yelp users.
Yelp’s Top 3 New Fairfield & Sherman Area Brunch Spots
- Reverie: Coffee & Craft Beer, 21 Front St., Patterson, NY
- McKinney & Doyle Fine Foods Cafe, 10 Charles Colman Blvd., Pawling
- The American Pie Company, 29 Route 37, Sherman
Trip Advisor’s Top 3 New Fairfield & Sherman Area Brunch Spots
- The American Pie Company, 29 Route 37, Sherman
- Sonny Side Up, 45 Padanaram Rd., Danbury
- Rosy Tomorrows, 15 Old Mill Plain Rd., Danbury
What do you think of their picks? Tell us in the comments.
We wish you a very Happy Passover season and a Happy Easter to you and yours!
Photo Credit:Leo via Flickr Creative Commons
4th Nor’Easter Set to Pack a Punch
DANBURY, CT — The first day of spring is on Tuesday, but spring weather is staying at bay, at least for now, as a fourth Nor’Easter in one month threatens our area. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook now through Sunday which “will likely bring accumulating snow from late Tuesday night into Wednesday evening.”
NECN’s meteorologist said this could be enough to bring “plowable snow” and “cause delays and cancellations for Thursday morning.”
WFSB meteorologist Bruce DePrest stated that light snow will begin early in the morning on Wednesday and then snow will become heavy at times, with strong winds. Snow is expected to end before dawn on Thursday. Depending on the track of the storm, some areas may receive significant snowfall of 6 inches or more, according to the NWS.
“We are forecasting 6-12 inches for much of the state,” DePrest said.
If area students have a snow day, many will be getting out in late June as snow day totals approach nearly two dozen for some schools.
Photo credit: Wendy Ann Mitchell
CT Buzz News 