Sandy Hook Center—

Arts And Crafts Festival Attracts Crowd

By Andrew Gorosko

Replete with groups of festivalgoers and long lines of traffic, Sandy Hook Center became the local hub of activity for several hours on Saturday, May 1, as merchants staged the 3rd Annual Sandy Hook Arts and Crafts Festival there.

Merchants in and around Sandy Hook Center sponsored the colorful event intended to promote the area as a shopping and dining destination. The bulk of the crowd that attended the five-hour festival appeared to be young families with their children.

Elaborate antique cars rolled through Sandy Hook Center while the festival was underway. Though not part of the event, they lent a festive air to the activities.

Among the many activities, artists and crafters set up displays of their work for sale under tents in a parking lot off Washington Avenue.

The Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company displayed two fire trucks and firefighting equipment in a parking lot off Riverside Road.

A face painting stall was set up along Church Hill Road.

Pony rides were provided for children on a rear lot, near the intersection of Church Hill Road and Dayton Street.

A new feature at the festival was a reptile show, where families with children could observe unusual creatures, including tortoises, snakes, and oversized insects.

St John’s Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue sold homemade donuts at a drive-up station positioned up next to the church. A car wash also was held there.

The festival centered on the intersection of Church Hill Road, Washington Avenue, Riverside Road, and Glen Road, where police controlled traffic and allowed pedestrians to cross safely.

The town is planning a multiphased project intended to revitalize and economically stimulate the commercial hamlet alongside the Pootatuck River. The project has been in the planning stages for the past several years. The overall program is estimated to cost $1.25 million for physical improvements along sections of the four main streets.

The project will include the design and installation of new sidewalks, curbing, decorative street lighting and crosswalks, plus landscaping elements. The project is keyed to improve pedestrian mobility and safety, as well as improve the area’s appearance and functioning.