BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The CT Beacon - ECPv6.17.4.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://thectbeacon.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The CT Beacon
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T160000
DTSTAMP:20260915T022548Z
CREATED:20260907T023729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T022548Z
UID:10007491-1789214400-1789228800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Stonington Borough Porchfest
DESCRIPTION:Stonington Porchfest makes its debut Saturday\, September 12\, turning porches\, lawns\, courtyards and other outdoor spaces throughout Stonington Borough into a collection of intimate stages for an afternoon of live acoustic music. \nThe inaugural Porchfest runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is free and open to all ages. Rather than gathering everyone around a single stage\, the event invites visitors to walk through the Borough\, discover musicians along the way and move between performances at their own pace. \nPorchfest is being held in conjunction with the annual Stonington Borough Art Walk\, which begins two hours earlier at 10 a.m. and brings more than 60 artists to Water Street and surrounding courtyards. The two are separate events\, but together they create a full afternoon of visual art and live music stretching through the Borough. \nStonington Gets Its First Porchfest\nPorchfest takes a familiar neighborhood feature and gives it a different purpose for a day. \nInstead of building stages\, organizers place musicians on existing porches\, stoops\, lawns\, driveways and courtyards. Audiences walk from one location to another\, stopping for a song\, a set or an entire performance before continuing through the neighborhood. \nThe idea has spread widely since the first Porchfest was organized in Ithaca\, New York\, in 2007. Communities around the country have since created their own versions\, with each shaped by the streets\, musicians and neighborhoods hosting it. \nStonington’s version arrives particularly well suited to the Borough’s geography. \nIts narrow streets\, historic houses\, small yards\, gardens and courtyards are concentrated within a compact peninsula that can be explored on foot. Instead of separating performers from the community on a festival stage\, Porchfest puts the music directly into those surroundings. \nAn Afternoon Designed for Wandering\nThere is no single Porchfest concert to attend. \nThe idea is to wander. \nPerformers will appear at outdoor locations around Stonington Borough between noon and 4 p.m.\, creating multiple small listening areas rather than one large audience. \nThe music will emphasize acoustic performances\, allowing the individual settings to remain part of the experience. A front porch can become a stage. A lawn can become a listening room. A courtyard can hold an audience for a set before everyone moves down the street to find the next musician. \nThat also means visitors don’t have to commit to one performer or spend the entire afternoon in one place. \nThey can build their own route through the Borough\, stopping when something catches their ear. \nLocal Musicians Take Over the Neighborhood\nPorchfest is built around local bands and performers rather than a traditional festival headliner. Check out the Porchfest musician roster to find out who’s playing and when. \nThe participating musicians will play short sets at locations distributed throughout the Borough\, with a range of acoustic music planned for the afternoon. \nSalt Marsh Opera is among the local arts organizations participating in the new event\, while Mystic Paper Beasts has also announced plans to rove during the combined Art Walk and Porchfest day. \nA complete performance schedule and location map are expected from organizers\, allowing visitors to choose particular performers or create a route between stages. \nUntil then\, part of the event’s appeal remains built into the Porchfest concept itself: walk through the neighborhood and see what you find. \nFive Community Organizations Bring Porchfest to Stonington\nStonington Porchfest is not the project of a single organization. \nThe inaugural event is being presented through a collaboration among La Grua Center\, the Stonington Borough Merchants Association\, the Stonington Village Improvement Association\, Salt Marsh Opera and the Stonington Cultural District Commission. \nFunding is provided in part by the Kitchings Family Foundation. \nLa Grua Center serves as a natural anchor for the collaboration. The nonprofit arts and culture organization at 32 Water Street has spent years presenting concerts\, exhibitions\, lectures\, poetry and other cultural programs in the Borough. \nPorchfest takes that mission outside its walls. \nInstead of asking the community to come to a performance space\, the performances spread through the community. \nArt Walk Starts the Day at 10 a.m.\nVisitors arriving before Porchfest begins will find another event already underway. \nThe Stonington Borough Art Walk runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.\, bringing more than 60 artists and makers to Water Street and surrounding spaces. \nPainters\, photographers\, potters\, illustrators\, jewelers\, textile artists\, sculptors\, woodworkers and other artists will exhibit their work during the free event. \nAt noon\, Porchfest joins the activity. \nFor the remaining four hours\, someone walking through the Borough can move between artist tents and live performances without having to choose one event over the other. \nThe CT Beacon is covering the Stonington Borough Art Walk separately with its own event guide. \nWhat Makes a Porchfest Different\nA Porchfest isn’t quite a music festival and isn’t quite a neighborhood block party. \nThere are musicians and scheduled performances\, but the absence of a conventional main stage changes the relationship between performer and audience. \nA singer with an acoustic guitar may be only a few feet from listeners gathered on a lawn. A small group can perform from the steps of a house rather than beneath stage lights. People walking past can stop because they hear something they like\, even if they had never planned to see that particular musician. \nThat informality is central to the format. \nThere is no admission gate and no need to remain in one designated festival area. The Borough itself becomes the venue. \nFor Stonington’s first attempt\, that venue stretches through one of southeastern Connecticut’s most walkable waterfront villages. \nA New Tradition Begins in the Borough\nThe September 12 event is specifically being billed as Stonington’s inaugural Porchfest\, making 2026 the beginning rather than the continuation of an established annual tradition. \nWhether it becomes one will come later. \nFor its first year\, the concept is simple: put musicians outside\, give them porches and lawns instead of conventional stages\, and let people explore. \nWith Art Walk already filling the Borough from morning through late afternoon\, Porchfest adds a soundtrack to a Saturday that was already centered on local creativity. \nFrom noon until 4\, following the music may be as simple as walking down the street. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Stonington Porchfest 2026\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nTime: Noon–4 p.m.\nLocation: Porches\, lawns\, courtyards and outdoor spaces throughout Stonington Borough\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages\nMusic: Live acoustic performances by local musicians\nAlso Happening: Stonington Borough Art Walk\, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.\nPresented By: La Grua Center\, Stonington Borough Merchants Association\, Stonington Village Improvement Association\, Salt Marsh Opera and Stonington Cultural District Commission\nSupport: Funded in part by the Kitchings Family Foundation\nRain Date: Sunday\, September 13 \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \n\n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/stonington-porchfest/
LOCATION:Stonington Borough\, Water Street\, Stonington\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Stonington Borough
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Stonington-Borough-PorchFest.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260726T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260726T160000
DTSTAMP:20260705T030020Z
CREATED:20260701T174112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260705T030020Z
UID:10006384-1785061800-1785081600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Blessing of the Fleet
DESCRIPTION:Blessing of the Fleet is one of Stonington Borough’s longest-standing waterfront traditions\, bringing together commercial fishermen\, local families\, and visitors to honor the community’s rich commercial fishing heritage. Held on Sunday\, July 26\, the annual celebration combines religious tradition with a waterfront procession and an afternoon of food\, music\, and community gathering along the Town Dock. \nThe day begins with the Fisherman’s Mass at St. Mary Church before participants gather for the traditional Blessing of the Fleet procession. For generations\, this ceremony has recognized the men and women who make their living on the water while asking for safety and protection during the fishing season. \nFollowing the procession\, the celebration moves to the Town Dock where visitors can enjoy live music\, food\, and drinks while experiencing one of southeastern Connecticut’s signature maritime traditions. The event serves as the culmination of the three-day Blessing of the Fleet weekend that celebrates Stonington’s fishing community and working waterfront. \nEvent Details\n\nDate: Sunday\, July 26\nRain or Shine\n\nSchedule\n10:30 a.m.\n\nFisherman’s Mass\nLocation: St. Mary Church\n\nNoon\n\nBlessing of the Fleet Borough Procession\n\nNoon-4:00 p.m.\nTown Dock celebration featuring: \n\nFood\nDrinks\nLive music\n\nEvent Highlights\n\nFisherman’s Mass\nBlessing of the Fleet procession\nWaterfront celebration\nLive music\nFood vendors\nCommunity gathering\nMaritime heritage celebration\n\nAbout the Tradition\nThe Blessing of the Fleet honors Stonington’s commercial fishing community and recognizes the generations of fishermen and fishing families whose work has shaped the borough’s identity. The annual tradition brings residents and visitors together to celebrate the community’s working waterfront while remembering those who have dedicated their lives to the sea. \nPart of Blessing of the Fleet Weekend\nThe annual celebration includes: \n\nThursday: Blessing of the Fleet 5K Road Race & 2-Mile Walk\nSaturday: Meet the Fleet\nSunday: Blessing of the Fleet
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/blessing-of-the-fleet/
LOCATION:Stonington Town Docks & Memorial\, 1 High Street\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Stonington Borough,Stonington Town Docks & Memorial
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Blessing-of-the-Fleet-Sunday-July-26-1030-am-to-4pm-at-St-Marys-Church-and-the-Stonington-Town-Docks.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260704T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260704T210000
DTSTAMP:20260701T235613Z
CREATED:20260622T010758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260701T235613Z
UID:10006146-1783191600-1783198800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Dancing at the Docks in the Stonington Borough
DESCRIPTION:Dancing at the Docks in the Stonington Borough invites families to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with an evening of music\, dancing\, and community fun along the waterfront. Presented by the Stonington America 250 Committee in partnership with the Stonington Village Improvement Association\, the free event transforms the Town Docks into an outdoor dance party before the night’s Fourth of July festivities begin. \nGuests are encouraged to gather on the grassy area near the playground and enjoy two hours of music\, dancing\, and family-friendly entertainment. Food options will be available on-site\, with Woodfellas Pizza and an ice cream truck serving refreshments throughout the evening. Glow-in-the-dark temporary tattoos\, glow sticks\, and other activities will add to the festive atmosphere as the community comes together to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial. \nWhether you’re looking to burn off some energy before the fireworks\, spend time with family and friends\, or simply enjoy a summer evening by the water\, Dancing at the Docks offers a fun and uniquely local way to celebrate Independence Day in the Borough. \nEvent Details \nDate: Saturday\, July 4\, 2026 \nTime: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. \nLocation: Town Docks\, Stonington Borough \nAdmission: Free \nHighlights \n\nFamily-friendly dance party\nAmerica’s 250th birthday celebration\nWaterfront setting\nGlow sticks and glow-in-the-dark temporary tattoos\nWoodfellas Pizza\nIce cream truck\nCommunity gathering before the fireworks\n\nPresented By \n\nHistoric Stonington\nStonington America’s 250 Committee\nStonington Village Improvement Association (SVIA)\n\nAdditional Information \n\nHeld on the grassy area near the playground\nDesigned for all ages\nConveniently scheduled before evening fireworks festivities\nPart of the Borough’s Fourth of July celebrations\n\n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/dancing-at-the-docks-in-the-stonington-borough/
LOCATION:Stonington Town Docks & Memorial\, 1 High Street\, Stonington\, CT\, 06378\, United States
CATEGORIES:Stonington Borough
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Dancing-at-the-Docks-in-the-Stonington-Borough-Saturday-July-4-7pm-9pm.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR