Contributed Photos
Hundreds of people descended on Front Street to bask in the sun, hear music, drink beer, and explore the neighborhood from a paddler’s perspective, as a new tradition in Fair Haven celebrated its fifth year.
The occasion was the 5th annual Quinnipiac Riverfest, which the Chatham Square Neighborhood Association hosts every year on the first Sunday of May on the banks of the Q River.
Organizer Carlos Galo sent in these photos, taken by Fair Haveners Uma Ramiah, Sarah Miller, and Nathalie Bonafe.
About 700 people showed up in the parking lot of the Waucoma Yacht Club at 279 Front St. for the event, according to Galo. That’s double the number of people from the previous year, he said, and a sign of a successful community-led initiative “where we support, strengthen and promote our own neighborhoods and local businesses.”
Attendees collected free samples of beer …
… and basked in the sun …
… while listening to music from three bands: The Backyard Committee, Goodnight Blue Moon and The Jean Sandoval Quartet.
Across the parking lot, kids made art out of recycled water bottles.
Canoe rides along the Q River are a highlight of the festival. Each trip cost $5, to cover the cost of boating insurance for the day. For the first time, festival organizers raised donations beforehand so that no kid would be turned away if he or she didn’t have the money, Galo said. The donation drive was a “huge success,” he reported: The festival ran nearly 100 canoe trips, nearly triple the number from the previous year.
Galo said the successful donation drive helped achieve the “mission for this event, which was to get everyone to enjoy the water.”