New London event to move for two years
By John Faucher
The New London Fall Family Festival will move to a new location due to construction downtown.
The event, traditionally held on North Water Street, is moving to Werner Allen Boulevard near Hatten Park for the next two years.
April Kopitzke, executive director of the New London Area Chamber of Commerce, said the move is only temporary.
“We’ll be back downtown in 2025,” she added.
“The mission and vision behind Fall Family Fest has always been about driving traffic downtown,” said Kopitzke.
The event has been anchored downtown for the past 27 years.
In the meantime, Werner Allen Boulevard will provide double lanes, natural shade and ample nearby parking for the event.
“We looked at numerous locations and I think this will be the best choice for the vendors and the community,” said Kopitzke.
The event will still include all the amenities that attract visitors.
“We’re looking at a ton of new vendors. So we’re excited, it’s not only going to look different because of the new location, but it’s going to feel different with the new vendors that we’re bringing in,” said Kopitzke.
About 120 vendors have already signed up for the event, and approximately 65 percent of those are new to Fall Family Fest.
“We cap registration at about 200 vendors so we’ll easily fill up,” Kopitzke said.
Registrations run through August for the Sept. 9 event.
The Wheels on Water Street car show, held downtown the night before the Fall Fest, will also be moved to Werner Allen Boulevard.
The Sept. 8 show is being renamed Wheels on Werner Allen, until it returns to downtown in 2025.