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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260912T190000
DTSTAMP:20260910T041330Z
CREATED:20260910T041117Z
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UID:10007537-1789221600-1789239600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Songs of the Sea 2026 at Parade Plaza
DESCRIPTION:(This event is part of the CT Maritime Heritage Festival) \nSongs of the Sea 2026 at Parade Plaza brings six acts and four hours of sea songs\, chanteys\, Celtic music and folk punk to Parade Plaza in downtown New London on Saturday\, September 12\, as part of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival. \nThe free\, all-ages concert runs from 2 to 6:45 p.m. at Parade Plaza\, at State and South Water streets\, with performances scheduled in chronological order from None Of Us Saints\, Littlefield & Morneault\, Marc Bernier\, Hold Fast\, My Druthers and Canadian folk-punk band The Dreadnoughts. \nThere will also be vendors and food trucks around the concert. \nThis isn’t the genteel version of maritime music. \nThe organizers describe what they’ve been trying to create since around 2012 as a free concert of “maritime mayhem” in the middle of New England’s old Whaling City. The lineup deliberately puts veteran chanteymen who have spent decades preserving traditional work songs beside musicians who discovered that those same songs sound remarkably good when played with the attitude of punk rock. \nAnd the progression of Saturday’s lineup tells that story particularly well. \n2–2:30 p.m. — None Of Us Saints\nNone Of Us Saints opens Songs of the Sea at 2 p.m.\, starting the afternoon with a Connecticut group that draws from punk\, Celtic folk and traditional sea-song culture. \nTheir recorded repertoire includes traditional Irish standards such as Seven Drunken Nights and Rocky Road to Dublin\, immediately revealing where at least part of the group’s musical vocabulary comes from. \nBut this isn’t intended as museum-piece folk music. \nThe organizers describe None Of Us Saints as an assemblage of “punks\, Celts\, folksters and sea-songers\,” which is a pretty good introduction to the larger philosophy behind Songs of the Sea. \nMaritime music has survived in part because generations keep changing the way they perform it. \nThe sailors who originally sang work songs aboard commercial vessels weren’t preserving historic music. They were using songs as tools\, entertainment and community. Centuries later\, musicians can retain the choruses and stories while changing the instrumentation\, tempo and attitude around them. \nThat’s the territory None Of Us Saints occupies as the first band of the afternoon. \nPerformance: 2–2:30 p.m. \n2:45–3:15 p.m. — Littlefield & Morneault\nThe afternoon then reaches much deeper into New England’s maritime-music tradition with Littlefield & Morneault. \nDavid Littlefield and Joseph Morneault perform ballads\, maritime music and songs connected to local history\, but both bring considerably more than a repertoire of old songs to the stage. \nLittlefield worked for 24 years at Mystic Seaport Museum\, where he served as a chanteyman and interpreter of historic vessels and exhibits. \nHe became particularly interested in the lives of ordinary sailors aboard American whaleships and conducted extensive research into the Charles W. Morgan\, the last surviving wooden whaleship from the American whaling fleet. \nLittlefield also spent 15 summers aboard the schooner Mystic Whaler performing maritime music. \nAnd he was a member of Forebitter\, the influential group of Mystic Seaport chanteymen whose recordings and performances helped carry traditional American maritime music well beyond southeastern Connecticut. Forebitter performed internationally\, and Littlefield’s own maritime compositions have been performed by musicians in the United States and Europe. \nHis partner Joseph Morneault approaches the tradition as both musician and historian. \nMorneault is a social historian and author specializing in the late 18th century and serves as president of the Maritime Music & Tradition Society\, the organization behind the Connecticut Sea Music Festival in Essex. \nHe can also regularly be heard at the Griswold Inn’s long-running Monday night sea music gatherings in Essex. \nTogether\, Littlefield & Morneault represent something important in the middle of a festival filled with punk musicians. \nThese are people who know where the songs came from. \nPerformance: 2:45–3:15 p.m. \n3:30–4:05 p.m. — Marc Bernier\nIf southeastern Connecticut has an old guard of maritime musicians\, Marc Bernier belongs firmly within it. \nBernier spent more than 30 years working at Mystic Seaport Museum\, including five years as one of its chanteymen. \nBut his connection to maritime music didn’t end on a museum stage. \nHe’s worked as a musician and educator with the Clearwater program on the Hudson River and has actually gone to sea aboard traditional sailing vessels\, working as a cook\, deckhand and entertainer from Maine to the Chesapeake Bay. \nThat experience matters when singing chanteys. \nA sea chantey wasn’t originally a song about sailing. \nIt was a song used while working aboard a ship. \nDifferent chanteys were suited to different jobs. The rhythm helped sailors coordinate physical labor\, whether hauling together on a line or performing other repetitive tasks that required a crew to move at the same moment. \nA chanteyman led the song and the crew answered. \nBernier has spent decades studying and performing that tradition. \nHis repertoire extends well beyond sea music\, however. He performs Irish tunes and songs\, American folk music\, pub and drinking songs and instrumental music\, accompanying himself on guitar\, mandolin and tenor banjo. \nHe’s also an accomplished percussionist who plays bodhrán in Irish music and frottior\, or rubboard\, with Cajun and Zydeco musicians. \nThen there’s another Connecticut tradition in his background. \nBernier has been involved in the state’s fife-and-drum community since his teenage years and has performed as a fifer across North America and Europe. \nAt 3:30\, Songs of the Sea essentially hands the microphone to someone whose life connects several of the musical traditions the festival is celebrating. \nPerformance: 3:30–4:05 p.m. \n4:20–4:55 p.m. — Hold Fast\nAt 4:20\, somebody turns up the volume. \nHold Fast comes from Harrisburg\, Pennsylvania\, and takes traditional Irish music into Celtic-punk territory. \nThe band’s approach combines Irish traditional material with original songs\, electric rock instrumentation and punk energy. Even when Hold Fast performs acoustically\, speed and rhythm remain central to its sound. \nTheir repertoire provides a useful illustration of just how freely this musical world can cross boundaries. \nHold Fast has recorded a mashup of Rancid’s punk standard Ruby Soho and Sloop John B\, a traditional song with roots extending back well before the Beach Boys made their version famous in 1966. \nThat combination might sound strange on paper. \nAt Songs of the Sea\, it makes perfect sense. \nCeltic punk has spent decades doing something very similar\, taking traditional melodies\, fiddles\, whistles\, drinking songs and historical ballads and putting them alongside distorted guitars and drums. \nThe Pogues helped establish the possibilities in the 1980s. Later bands pushed the combination in different directions. \nHold Fast carries that idea into the second half of Saturday’s concert. \nAfter more than two hours rooted heavily in traditional sea music and folk\, the afternoon starts moving toward punk. \nPerformance: 4:20–4:55 p.m. \n5:10–5:45 p.m. — My Druthers\nThen the festival gets very local. \nMy Druthers is a New London band led by Stuart Fensom\, built as a rotating collective of musicians playing sea chanteys\, maritime songs\, Irish rebel music and working-class folk with punk-rock energy. \nThey are also one of the clearest examples of why Songs of the Sea belongs in New London. \nFensom comes from the punk scene\, but the band treats traditional music less as a historical curiosity than as an earlier version of working-class music. \nSongs about dangerous jobs\, lousy bosses\, drinking\, rebellion\, leaving home\, missing home and dying far away from it aren’t exactly alien concepts to punk. \nMy Druthers simply shortens the distance between the traditions. \nThe rotating lineup can include guitar\, fiddle\, banjo and mandolin alongside multiple voices\, and the group has appeared at punk shows\, pubs\, Celtic festivals\, maritime gatherings and chantey events around New England. \nTheir 2025 debut album\, Coming Up 3’s\, was produced by Pete Steinkopf of The Bouncing Souls\, providing another direct connection between New London’s sea-song scene and American punk. \nMy Druthers also keeps maritime music active locally rather than saving it for festival weekends. The group has hosted and appeared at sea-shanty nights at New London’s Oasis Pub\, including performances with other regional traditional and maritime musicians. \nThe organizers affectionately describe them as New London’s “punks\, drunks\, stowaways\, & shantymen.” \nBy 5:10 Saturday afternoon\, that may require very little additional explanation. \nPerformance: 5:10–5:45 p.m. \n6–6:45 p.m. — The Dreadnoughts\nThe final band takes the basic premise behind the entire afternoon and pushes it about as far as it can go. \nThe Dreadnoughts formed in Vancouver\, British Columbia\, in 2006 and built an international following by combining street punk with sea chanteys\, Celtic music\, polka\, klezmer and other European folk traditions. \nIt’s an improbable mixture until you hear it. \nThen it becomes difficult to imagine why somebody hadn’t done it sooner. \nThe band traces its beginnings to Vancouver’s Ivanhoe Hotel and originally set out to combine traditional European folk music with punk. Over the following two decades\, The Dreadnoughts toured internationally\, playing hundreds of shows across roughly 30 countries. \nThey’ve released a catalog that demonstrates how seriously they take both halves of “folk punk.” \nPolka’s Not Dead includes Randy Dandy-Oh alongside the band’s punked-up polkas and originals. \nForeign Skies is an ambitious concept album built around stories of the First World War\, moving among chanteys\, Balkan music\, klezmer\, polka and punk. \nInto the North leaned heavily into nautical music. \nRoll and Go continued the band’s relationship with traditional maritime song\, and Green Willow returned to folk material through the group’s distinctly loud interpretation of it. \nThe band’s maritime work isn’t simply punk songs with pirate imagery attached. \nThe Dreadnoughts have spent years performing actual traditional nautical material\, including songs such as Roll the Woodpile Down and Eliza Lee. Their original maritime songs have themselves begun moving through the folk community and being recorded by other sea-music performers. \nMore recently\, with members relocating to New York\, The Dreadnoughts developed an a cappella version of the group devoted specifically to traditional nautical music. \nThat makes them an unusually appropriate closer. \nSaturday begins with Connecticut musicians mixing punk and folk\, moves through performers directly connected to Mystic Seaport’s historic chantey tradition\, turns toward Celtic punk and New London’s own maritime-punk scene\, and finishes with a band that has carried essentially the same musical collision around the world. \nPerformance: 6–6:45 p.m. \nWhy Sea Chanteys Sound So Good With Punk Rock\nThere’s a reason so many of these musicians can move between maritime music and punk without the combination feeling forced. \nChanteys were communal music. \nThey generally weren’t intended to showcase a virtuoso singer while everyone else stood silently listening. \nA leader called. \nThe crew responded. \nThe chorus belonged to everybody. \nThe music had to be rhythmic\, memorable and loud enough to work in a difficult environment. \nStrip away the historical distance and some of the underlying principles don’t sound terribly far removed from a crowded punk show. \nBoth traditions also contain plenty of songs about people on the margins of polite society. \nSailors\, laborers\, emigrants\, soldiers\, drinkers\, prisoners\, rebels and people trying to survive hard circumstances populate traditional folk music. \nPunk simply arrived later with electric guitars. \nSongs of the Sea puts both traditions on the same stage. \nNew London Is More Than a Convenient Backdrop\nCalling New London the Whaling City isn’t a modern marketing invention. \nThe city’s maritime history stretches across centuries of commercial shipping\, whaling\, naval activity\, fishing and shipbuilding. During the 19th century\, New London developed into one of America’s important whaling ports. \nThe Thames River remains central to the region’s maritime identity today. \nThe U.S. Coast Guard Academy sits upriver in New London. Naval Submarine Base New London is across the river in Groton. The historic ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum sit farther north\, while ferries\, commercial vessels\, Coast Guard ships\, recreational boats and submarines continue moving through the river. \nThat makes Parade Plaza an appropriate place to sing songs originally created by people whose lives revolved around ships. \nIt’s also why Songs of the Sea fits so naturally into the larger Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival taking place across New London’s waterfront Saturday and Sunday. \nOne Concert Inside a Much Larger Maritime Weekend\nSongs of the Sea occupies the afternoon\, but the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival begins hours earlier. \nSaturday’s official festival schedule starts at 10 a.m. with an opening ceremony and a presentation marking the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a new commemorative U.S. Postal Service stamp. \nThroughout the day\, visitors can tour vessels\, visit vendors\, explore children’s activities and use free transportation connecting festival locations around the harbor. \nFree hop-on/hop-off harbor cruises run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.\, connecting Fort Trumbull\, City Pier\, the Nautilus area and Groton. \nOther Saturday activities include a children’s Mermaid & Privateer Walking Parade at 11:30 a.m.\, a noon kids’ sing-along\, a Coast Guard search-and-rescue helicopter demonstration at 1:30 p.m. and other music and programming around the waterfront. \nThe festival then continues after Songs of the Sea finishes. \nAt 7:30 p.m.\, the March of the Traitor begins on Bank Street as Flock Theatre revives New London’s tradition of burning Benedict Arnold in effigy. The procession leads toward Waterfront Park\, where the burning is scheduled from 8 to 8:15 p.m. \nA 300-drone light show over the Thames River follows at approximately 8:15 p.m. \nThe festival returns Sunday with another full day of vessel tours\, maritime programming\, a children’s fishing clinic\, Discovering Amistad programs and the Navy-versus-Coast Guard Sea-Service Showdown. \nSongs That Once Worked Ships Now Build Community\nThere is a nice bit of continuity in what Songs of the Sea is trying to accomplish. \nThe original chanteys existed partly because a group of people needed to act together. \nOne person sang a line. \nEveryone answered. \nThe song turned individuals into a crew\, at least for the duration of the work. \nSaturday’s organizers are explicit that community remains part of the point. \nThey’ve envisioned a free\, all-ages maritime concert in downtown New London since around 2012. The emphasis isn’t on exclusivity or musical purity. Veteran chanteymen share a bill with punk musicians. Traditional songs coexist with electric guitars. People who know every chorus can sing beside people hearing a sea chantey for the first time. \nAnd admission costs nothing. \nIn a city whose identity has been tied to the sea for centuries\, that may be a more authentic way to keep maritime music alive than treating it as something that ended when the last commercial sailing ships disappeared. \nAt 2 p.m.\, None Of Us Saints starts the music. \nBy 6 p.m.\, one of the world’s better-known folk-punk bands takes over. \nIn between\, several generations of New England’s maritime-music tradition get 30 or 35 minutes apiece to demonstrate that sea songs aren’t finished yet. \nDetails\nEvent: Songs of the Sea 2026\nFestival: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Saturday\, September 12\, 2026\nConcert Time: 2–6:45 p.m.\nLocation: Parade Plaza\nIntersection: State Street and South Water Street\, New London\, CT\nAdmission: Free\nAges: All ages\nSetting: Outdoor concert in downtown New London\nFood: Food truck options are planned\nVendors: A selection of vendors will be on site \nPerformance Schedule:\n2–2:30 p.m. — None Of Us Saints\n2:45–3:15 p.m. — Littlefield & Morneault\n3:30–4:05 p.m. — Marc Bernier\n4:20–4:55 p.m. — Hold Fast\n5:10–5:45 p.m. — My Druthers\n6–6:45 p.m. — The Dreadnoughts \nConnecticut Maritime Heritage Festival: September 12–13 at New London Waterfront Park\, Fort Trumbull State Park and other downtown/waterfront locations\nFestival Hours Saturday: Main daytime activities begin at 10 a.m.; evening programming continues until approximately 8:30 p.m.\nTransportation: Free festival shuttle service and hop-on/hop-off harbor transportation connect festival locations during the day\nSaturday Evening: March of the Traitor at 7:30 p.m.; Burning of Benedict Arnold from approximately 8–8:15 p.m.; 300-drone light show follows over the Thames River\nParking: Festival organizers recommend downtown Water Street garages or street parking near Fort Trumbull\, then using free festival transportation between locations \nMore information is available at the Event Website links below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/songs-of-the-sea-2026-at-parade-plaza/
LOCATION:Parade Plaza\, State Street &\, S Water St\, New London\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Parade Plaza
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Songs-of-the-Sea-2026-at-Parade-Plaza.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260815T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260815T223000
DTSTAMP:20260630T151143Z
CREATED:20260630T151143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T151143Z
UID:10006316-1786820400-1786833000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Salsa on Parade Plaza 2026
DESCRIPTION:Salsa on Parade Plaza 2026 in downtown New London for three unforgettable summer evenings filled with live Latin music\, dancing\, and community fun. Presented by Taino Productions\, this free outdoor event invites everyone to experience the excitement of salsa dancing in the heart of the city\, whether you’re an experienced dancer or stepping onto the dance floor for the very first time. \nEach event begins with free salsa lessons\, making it easy for beginners to learn the basics before the live music gets everyone moving. Throughout the evening\, Parade Plaza comes alive with energetic rhythms\, social dancing\, and a welcoming atmosphere that celebrates music\, culture\, and community. Bring your friends\, enjoy the downtown setting\, and dance beneath the summer sky. \nLocated in historic Parade Plaza\, the series offers a unique way to spend a Saturday evening while exploring downtown New London’s restaurants\, shops\, and waterfront district. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and wear comfortable shoes for an evening of music\, dancing\, and unforgettable summer memories. \nEvent Details\nDates \n\nSaturday\, June 13\, 2026\nSaturday\, July 18\, 2026\nSaturday\, August 15\, 2026\n\nTime \n\n7:00 PM – 10:30 PM\n\nLocation \n\nParade Plaza\nDowntown New London\, CT\n\nAdmission \n\nFree\n\nHighlights\n\nLive salsa music\nFree salsa dance lessons\nOutdoor dancing under the stars\nFamily-friendly atmosphere\nOpen to all ages and experience levels\n\nWhat to Bring\n\nLawn chairs\nComfortable shoes for dancing\nFriends and family ready to join the fun\n\nWhether you’re learning your first salsa steps or returning to the dance floor\, Salsa on Parade Plaza offers one of southeastern Connecticut’s most lively and welcoming summer traditions. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/salsa-on-parade-plaza-2026/2026-08-15/
LOCATION:Parade Plaza\, State Street &\, S Water St\, New London\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Parade Plaza
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Salsa-on-Parade-Plaza-July-18-August-15-7pm-to-1030pm-Downtown-New-London-Free-Admission-Live-Salsa-Music-Free-Dance-Lessons.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260801T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260801T190000
DTSTAMP:20260730T162129Z
CREATED:20260730T162129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T162129Z
UID:10007064-1785596400-1785610800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:First Saturday Market at Parade Plaza
DESCRIPTION:First Saturday Market returns to Parade Plaza in downtown New London on Saturday\, August 1\, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.\, bringing together local artists\, makers\, musicians\, and small businesses for an afternoon celebrating the city’s creative spirit. Hosted in the heart of the New London Cultural District\, the monthly market offers visitors an opportunity to shop locally\, enjoy live music\, and experience the energy of one of Connecticut’s fastest-growing arts communities. \nHeld in historic Parade Plaza\, the open-air market features a diverse collection of regional artisans\, craftspeople\, and vendors offering handmade goods\, artwork\, jewelry\, home décor\, specialty products\, and more. Visitors can browse unique creations while meeting the artists and makers behind them\, making it an ideal stop for anyone looking to support local businesses or discover one-of-a-kind treasures. \nLive music adds to the festive atmosphere throughout the afternoon with performances from several popular local acts. Whether you’re shopping\, relaxing with friends\, or exploring downtown before continuing to the evening’s events\, First Saturday Market provides a welcoming community gathering in the center of New London’s Cultural District. \nMake It a Full Afternoon\nThe market is part of a larger celebration taking place throughout the New London Cultural District. Visitors can also explore the nearby Green & Golden Street Block Party\, featuring a Creative Village\, Chalk Art Competition\, maker demonstrations\, live entertainment\, community art projects\, and family activities throughout the afternoon. \nEvent Details\nEvent: First Saturday Market \nDate: Saturday\, August 1\, 2026 \nTime: 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. \nLocation: Parade Plaza\nNew London Cultural District\nNew London\, CT \nAdmission: Free \nLive Music Schedule\n\n3:00 p.m. – Hugh Bird Band\n4:00 p.m. – Ben & Nancy (of The Rivergods)\n5:00 p.m. – Former Friend\n\nMarket Highlights\n\nLocal artists and artisan vendors\nHandmade goods and fine art\nJewelry and handcrafted gifts\nLive music throughout the afternoon\nShops\, galleries\, and restaurants within walking distance\nLocated in the heart of the New London Cultural District\n\n\n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/first-saturday-market-at-parade-plaza/
LOCATION:Parade Plaza\, State Street &\, S Water St\, New London\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Parade Plaza
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/First-Saturday-Market-at-Parade-Plaza-Saturday-August-1-from-3pm-to-7pm.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260718T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260718T223000
DTSTAMP:20260630T151143Z
CREATED:20260630T151143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260630T151143Z
UID:10006315-1784401200-1784413800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Salsa on Parade Plaza 2026
DESCRIPTION:Salsa on Parade Plaza 2026 in downtown New London for three unforgettable summer evenings filled with live Latin music\, dancing\, and community fun. Presented by Taino Productions\, this free outdoor event invites everyone to experience the excitement of salsa dancing in the heart of the city\, whether you’re an experienced dancer or stepping onto the dance floor for the very first time. \nEach event begins with free salsa lessons\, making it easy for beginners to learn the basics before the live music gets everyone moving. Throughout the evening\, Parade Plaza comes alive with energetic rhythms\, social dancing\, and a welcoming atmosphere that celebrates music\, culture\, and community. Bring your friends\, enjoy the downtown setting\, and dance beneath the summer sky. \nLocated in historic Parade Plaza\, the series offers a unique way to spend a Saturday evening while exploring downtown New London’s restaurants\, shops\, and waterfront district. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and wear comfortable shoes for an evening of music\, dancing\, and unforgettable summer memories. \nEvent Details\nDates \n\nSaturday\, June 13\, 2026\nSaturday\, July 18\, 2026\nSaturday\, August 15\, 2026\n\nTime \n\n7:00 PM – 10:30 PM\n\nLocation \n\nParade Plaza\nDowntown New London\, CT\n\nAdmission \n\nFree\n\nHighlights\n\nLive salsa music\nFree salsa dance lessons\nOutdoor dancing under the stars\nFamily-friendly atmosphere\nOpen to all ages and experience levels\n\nWhat to Bring\n\nLawn chairs\nComfortable shoes for dancing\nFriends and family ready to join the fun\n\nWhether you’re learning your first salsa steps or returning to the dance floor\, Salsa on Parade Plaza offers one of southeastern Connecticut’s most lively and welcoming summer traditions. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/salsa-on-parade-plaza-2026/2026-07-18/
LOCATION:Parade Plaza\, State Street &\, S Water St\, New London\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Parade Plaza
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Salsa-on-Parade-Plaza-July-18-August-15-7pm-to-1030pm-Downtown-New-London-Free-Admission-Live-Salsa-Music-Free-Dance-Lessons.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260524T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260524T203000
DTSTAMP:20260521T150459Z
CREATED:20260521T150459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260521T150459Z
UID:10002590-1779651000-1779654600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil at the Parade Plaza
DESCRIPTION:Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil at the Parade Plaza in New London on Sunday\, May 24\, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.\, offering a community evening of remembrance honoring military members who lost their lives in service to the country. Held in downtown New London along State Street\, the annual vigil invites residents\, veterans\, active-duty service members\, and military families to gather beneath luminaries for a ceremony focused on reflection\, gratitude\, and honoring sacrifice during Memorial Day weekend. Admission is free\, and the public is encouraged to attend. \nThe Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil will feature remarks from local leaders along with the presentation of colors by the New London High School NJROTC Color Guard as the ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. Luminaries will be available beginning at 6:45 p.m.\, helping transform Parade Plaza into a quiet memorial space in the center of downtown New London. Corsages will also be provided for veterans attending the event in recognition of their service. \nThis year’s ceremony specifically honors Cal Robertson\, a U.S. Navy veteran and peace activist who passed away in January 2026. Born in Norwich and raised in eastern Connecticut\, Robertson enlisted in the Navy as a medical corpsman in 1964 before later becoming involved in peace activism following his military service. In the event of rain\, the ceremony will move indoors to Union Train Station in New London. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/memorial-day-candlelight-vigil-at-the-parade-plaza/
LOCATION:Parade Plaza\, State Street &\, S Water St\, New London\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Parade Plaza
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Memorial-Day-Candlelight-Vigil-at-the-New-London-Parade-Plaza-Sunday-May-24-from-730-pm-to-830-pm.jpeg
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