Business Fest Sponsors Plan A Repeat Performance

By Kaaren Valenta

The rain came down in torrents and an accident on I-84 dumped extra rush-hour traffic onto Route 25, but the merchants who held Summer Fest 2004 last Friday night at the Village Square Plaza weren’t daunted. In fact, they had such a good time that they plan to do it again.

Representatives of 25 local retail shops and business services assembled under an enormous white tent and along the overhang in front of the shops in the Village Square for last week’s event, which was held to demonstrate that residents do not have go out of town to shop.

Dancing in the rain to the top pop music of the decades played by Emil Pulicicchio and Joe Pietretti of the New York group Bisque, the business owners networked and welcomed the customers who came to shop or just to enjoy the free services, watch the demonstrations, sample the crudités made by Nancy Bamberg Fine Catering, and enter the free raffles.

Sandy Hook merchants Michael Palumbo of The Toy Tree and Mary Fellows of the Little Green Barn along with Janet Falkenthal of The Fashion Exchange, Nancy Kost of the Magic Garden, Karen Bauer and Joan Zaccaro of Style and all the merchants at 43 South Main kept their stores open to 9 pm as well as participating in the event. There were free temporary tattoos at Wendy’s Nails, free chair massages, free hair products from Shear Image, sewing supplies from the Newtown Singer Sewing Center, software from Newtown Computer and Financial Services, a wine tasting by Yankee Wine & Spirits, and raffles.

Among the raffle winners were Janet Bell of Sandy Hook, who won a gift from the Fashion Exchange; Kim Owens of Newtown, a sewing basket from the Newtown Singer Sewing Center; Kate Kowaleski of Fairfield, Lulu’s Sisters gift bag; Terry Tortora of Newtown, Candy Bouquet gift; Bill Oppenheimer of Redding, Newtown Computer basket; Ethan Bic of Sandy Hook, Shortt’s Farm gift basket; Page Waller of Newtown, Magic Garden gift, and Elyse Hoffman, Newtown, gift certificate from Victoria Yarrow.

There were demonstrations by the United Studios of Self Defense, the Graceful Planet, and shoemaker Anthony Paravalos of Anthony’s Shoe Repair. Muriel Wielebinski of the Pampered Chef and Barbara Field of Mary Kay Cosmetics had displays, as did Lisa Petrovich of the Candy Bouquet, Pam Davis of Our Green House, and Joan Yarrow of Victoria Yarrow.

“Shortt’s Farm & Garden Center took the time to prepare a winning basket of goodies even though they had the farmer’s market the next day and Petal Pushers contributed even though they were busy with a wedding,” noted Joe-Annis Iodice of Lulu’s Sisters, the coordinator of the event.

“And we are grateful most of all to Steve’s Diner, which allowed us to use the green and made the diner staff available to people, as well as their facilities,” she said.

Free parking was made available by Century 21, Curtiss & Crandon, Amaral Motors and Chintz & Prints, and the Newtown Police Department did a great job with the traffic, she added.

“I think there was a very good spirit among the shopkeepers,” Joan Yarrow said. “I think it was a success, although we could have had better weather.”

Joe-Annis Iodice agreed. The event “brought the merchants of Newtown together to show what a wonderful shopping experience there is in Newtown,” she said. “We are thinking about an October Fest, and have a Shop Newtown Guide which provides a list of the merchants and services at this year’s fest.”

For more information about the October Fest or the guide call 270-3473.