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10/05/2018 05:01 PMBranford's Halloween night just got a little brighter thanks to "Light the Night," a safe, fun and free family night encouraging kids to come out dressed up; featuring candy, food, live music and much more on the Branford green. It all kicks off with the night's official lantern lighting at 5:30 p.m. on Wed. Oct. 31.
"Light the Night" is being organized by Shoreline Community Church. The SCC events committee has been hard at work to gather support from the town, local businesses and sponsoring organizations. The committee has lined up representatives of local businesses around Main Street to help provide candy for kids and sponsorships from three local restaurants to serve up free hot cocoa, hotdogs and chili on the green – enough for hundreds of guests, said SCC events committee member Vanessa Fleming Redd. There will also be games and activities for kids to enjoy.
"We're encouraging everyone to join together as a community, especially the little ones, on this wonderfully creative night," said Redd. "We want to bring the spirit of warmth and light and connectedness back into the night, by providing a central and safe location for everyone to participate, while encouraging local business support."
Kids of all ages are encouraged to come in costume, said Redd.
"We're inviting everyone to dress up; because it's for the kids. A lot of the business people on Main Street are dressing up, too. When we went around and talked with them about this, a lot of them said they used to dress up every year and kids would come by. So they're super excited to be able to dress up," she said.
Adding to the night will be incredible live music from Connecticut jam/rock specialists, "Remember September," a veteran Trumbull-based band which most recently opened for the Dave Matthews Band in New Hampshire this summer, said Redd.
Redd said the SCC events committee of 15 was inspired by Senior Pastor Paul Allen to make Light the Night as eventful, memorable and enjoyable for community members of all ages as possible. SCC gathers at 9 Business Park Drive in Branford.
"Shoreline Community Church used to do this at the [Branford] rec center, on a smaller scale, but this year with all construction [at the center], our senior pastor gave it to our events coordinator, Rachel Kalmen – and she took it and ran with it," said Redd.
Together with Kalmen, Redd and Allen, other committee members are Tina Ocasio, Emalee Ocasio, Brandi Ocasio, Steve Penta, Kellie Ferreira, Carol Lukaszek, Sarah Shattuck, Kimberly Webb, Jeff Germaine, Donna Borrelli Duryea, Tabitha Opie and co-Pastor Laurie Allen.
SCC thanks Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove and also Branford Public Schools for allowing informational flyers to be shared with students. Redd said the hope is that representatives from several Town of Branford departments will help light lanterns at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 to help to kick off Light the Night.
The goal is to establish Light the Night as an annual event for the Branford community to come out and enjoy each year, she said.
Sponsors for the 2018 event include MOSIAC Marketing Printing & Signage, La Cucina (providing chili), Hornet's Nest (hotdogs) Tommy Sullivan's Café (hotdogs), Foe Foods & Catering (hot cocoa), Signs by Autografix, Real Living Real Estate, RAIZ and STAPLES.
"It's a free event and it's all being donated by our sponsors and supported by the businesses around the green," said Redd. "They all just jumped on the chance to help, and we're so grateful and so thankful."
More information and sponsorship collaboration can be obtained by emailing lightthenight@sccbranford.org or calling (203) 216-9874.