19th Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival will be Saturday, September 24
The Mansfield Downtown Partnership invites you to join in the fun at our 19th Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival, which will take place on Saturday, September 24 from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM in Downtown Storrs.
Mansfield’s largest community event is free and open to everyone! Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, crafts, dance, puppetry, music, and more.
The fun begins at 2:00 PM with a rousing performance by the E. O. Smith Drumline on Betsy Paterson Square, who will be followed by:
- 2:15 PM: E. O. Smith Chamber Singers
- 2:30 PM: Fancy Frog Festival Puppet Pond Pageant by the Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry with Lindsey Clark
- 3:00 PM: Demo and dancing with UConn Swing & Blues – everyone is invited to join in!
- 4:00 PM: The UConn Jazz Quartet, featuring CJ Dexter (baritone sax), Nick Zavaglia (guitar), Brendan McManus (string bass), and Sarah Dimiceli (drums)
- 5:00 PM: Braiden Sunshine
Find children’s activities and entertainment in Kids’ Zone on Wilbur Cross Way, including music, magic, and clowning!
Also on Wilbur Cross Way will be a new EV Showcase with electric vehicles presented by the EV Club of CT and Eastern Connecticut Green Action. Open from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the EV Showcase provides a chance to meet local EV owners, get an up-close look at their cars, and ask about the ins and outs of electric vehicle ownership.
We are excited to feature cooking demos by the talented chefs from UConn Dining once again! Visit Dog Lane to check out the demos and sample the dishes:
- 2:30 PM: Chef Ron Swiller will prepare "Savory Smoked Salmon Cheesecake Appetizer"
- 3:30 PM: Chef Rob Landolphi will prepare "Cinnamon Chipotle Cachapas with Black Bean Avocado Salsa" (This recipe won the 2022 NACUFS Gold for Vegan Recipes!)
Activity and Craft Booths will be open from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Then, everyone is invited to grab some dinner from one of our Festival Food Booths or our great Downtown Storrs restaurants and head to Betsy Paterson Square for a closing concert by Argonaut & Wasp! Argonaut & Wasp will perform from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM.
For more information, contact: us at downtownstorrsfestival.org.