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Printed From Acorn-Online.com Ridgefield Press
by Chipp Reid, Press Staff The village will be filled with fun family events this weekend — from pie eating to pumpkin carving to a party at the new Boys & Girls clubhouse — and of course the shops will be showing off their wares. The Homecoming Parade will take place on Main Street Saturday morning, and in the afternoon, 100 Bernese Mountain Dogs are expected to promenade down Main Street in the 13th annual Bernese Mountain Dog parade. Fall in Love with Ridgefield, the annual downtown shopping and entertainment festival, begins on Main Street at 10 on Saturday and runs until 4 with most of the hoopla between 11 and 1. This year’s festival coincides with the high school’s Homecoming parade Saturday morning on Main Street, and the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new Boys and Girls Club on Governor Street. The parade Saturday is at 10:30, and the Boys and Girls Club’s new facility will be open to the public from noon to 4, with the ribbon cut at 3. Downtown Ridgefield, an association of merchants in the village business district, is the sponsor of Fall in Love with Ridgefield. “The whole idea is to bring people downtown and show them what Ridgefield has to offer,” said Mike Liberta, owner of Liberta’s Spirit Shoppe on Main Street and treasurer of Downtown Ridgefield. “The stores are all having sales and we’ll have various activities for families. We want people to come to the downtown and really see what it’s all about.”
One of four events Fall in Love with Ridgefield is one of four seasonally themed shopping festivals Downtown Ridgefield holds each year. The association also sponsors the Spring Festival, Sidewalk Sales and the Holiday Stroll, which is its biggest event. The Holiday Stroll this year is set for Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.Now in its eighth year, Fall in Love with Ridgefield is usually a harbinger of cooler temperatures and falling leaves. While the leaves are falling, the lingering summer temperatures make for the perfect weather to walk along Main Street and shop in the village, Mr. Liberta and Downtown Ridgefield President Kathy Graham said. In one break from past fall shopping festivals, all of the activities are to take place between 11 and 1 this year. Past fall festivals had the events spread out throughout the day. Saturday’s Fall in Love with Ridgefield will feature face painting, a “Bite the Donut” contest, beanbag toss, pie-eating contest and pumpkin carving as well as a clown making balloon animals. Main Street merchants donate everything or sponsor each event. Pies for the pie-eating contest, for example, come from Ridgefield Foods. The contest is to take place in front of Shoes and More. The Toy Chest is donating the supplies for the face painting, which takes place in front of the store. “One thing I don’t think people realize is how much we help local nonprofit groups with these events,” Ms. Graham said. “We hire the clown from Jesse Lee (Memorial Church), which has a clown ministry. That money goes to the Appalachia Service Project.”
Diamonds and donuts The pumpkins for the carving also come from Jesse Lee while apple cider and apple cider donuts come from Blue Jay Orchards in Bethel.“There isn’t a local cider press or else we would buy it from them,” Mr. Liberta said. He also warned anyone thinking about having just one cider donut to drop the idea. “They’re too good,” he said with a laugh. “Don’t expect to just eat one.” The festival also involves the Nutmeg Chapter of the National Charity League, which helps to run the event. “We want people to shop local so we’re trying to set an example,” Mr. Liberta said. He said, based on the response he has received, “This should be our biggest Fall in Love with Ridgefield yet.” Each downtown merchant taking part in Fall in Love with Ridgefield plans to hold special sales or other events as part of the festival. Craig’s Fine Jewelry, for example, plans to have its “trunk sale,” in which it showcases items it doesn’t normally show. This year, Craig’s plans to showcase two designers from whom the store in now buying jewelry — Roberto Coin and John Apel. Mr. Apel is to be at the store from 10 to 4. Bill Craig said it was a “rare personal appearance.” Mr. Apel gained his reputation for his hand-crafted designs in diamonds and “precious color.” Downtown Ridgefield pays for the entire event with proceeds from membership dues.
Homecoming As part of Ridgefield High School’s Homecoming weekend, the Homecoming parade — floats and football team, cheerleaders, dance team and marching band — is to march through town just as Fall in Love with Ridgefield begins. The parade is set to step off at 10:30 at the old high school parking lot, go down Governor Street, turn right on Main Street and proceed to Ballard Park.In the park after the parade there will be a brief rally. Student Body President Pete Schielke, High School Principal Jeff Jaslow and First Selectman Rudy Marconi will speak at the rally while student groups may sell items ranging from bottled water to Ridgefield Tigers trinkets.
Boys and Girls Club The Boys and Girls Club plans to hold its gala grand opening from noon to 4, with an open house and kids leading tours of the new building. The ribbon cutting will be at 3. In the spirit of Fall in Love with Ridgefield on Main Street, the club plans a block party in the parking lot in front of the new facility on Governor Street, including booths and displays by local businesses. “The business community has been so good to us,” said club Director Terry Hughes. “I invited businesses to come and set up in our parking lot, and about 15 will be there.” The club’s new 18,000-square-foot facility includes an outdoor pool and indoor amenities ranging from full-size basketball gym to teen lounge to a computer lab. “We want to show off to everybody,” Mr. Hughes said. © Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers |
