This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/30/2018 08:30 AMAs 2018 Branford Festival chairman, Kris Klarman is actually counting the days until the ‘fest gets here—and keeping track of what it takes to bring Branford’s biggest, most beloved community celebration to the Branford green from Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 17.
If you’re one of those people who, like Kris, can’t wait for the ‘fest, right now is a great time show some love to the all-volunteer, donor-sponsored event. Residents are invited to make a donation, of any amount, with a couple of clicks at the newly revamped festival website, www.branfordfestival.com. Even $5 can go a long way—just ask Kris.
“In 1985, for the very first festival, the first person who donated was my grandmother. She donated $5!” says Kris, who learned the festival fun fact just last year when she came across a notation in early festival records listing her grandmother, Betty Quinn, as the first resident to donate.
“My grandmother donated to everything,” says Kris, a Branford native. “When the festival was new, they were asking people to contribute, so she made her donation to the festival and she just happened to be the first one to respond to it.”
More than three decades later, thanks to continued local support, the ‘fest is still going strong as it heads into its 34th year as Branford’s unofficial kickoff to summer. For so many residents, it’s also an annual reunion, says Kris, a member of the Branford High School Class of ‘81.
“A lot of people use it to reunite with classmates and meet up with friends they might see once a year,” she says. “Everybody is just here to enjoy. You see a lot of families and a lot of generations come together.”
The all-volunteer Branford Festival and Branford Festival Foundation rely on contributions from individuals and corporate sponsors to ensure the town will always come together for three days in June.
“We can’t do it without all of our corporate sponsors and all of our residential donations,” says Kris, who also thanks corporate fundraising chairs Dennis Nardella (who also chairs the Entertainment Committee) and Melissa Nicholson (also the ‘fest’s first vice chair); as well as residential fundraising chair Barbara Barringham, for their efforts.
Many local companies, like the Klarman family’s Branford business, W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home (currently managed by Kris’s brothers) have been supporting the festival as sponsors from the start, and continue to this day. The festival’s Apex, Platinum, and Gold sponsors are recognized in banners over the main stage and on flags along Main Street. Kris hopes residents will show their appreciation by supporting the companies that give to the Branford Festival.
Thanks to everyone who gives, admission is free to the Branford Festival, as always, she notes.
“One really important aspect is that this is free—it’s always been something that’s free to do on the green, all weekend,” she says.
From the moment Connecticut’s Second Company, Governor’s Foot Guard raises the Festival Flag during Friday’s opening ceremonies (organized by committee chair John Kustra) to the festival’s closing performance at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 17 (featuring songs by Tabor Arts Branford’s cast of Peter Pan Jr.), folks are free to roam and enjoy the sprawling ‘fest. A lot arrive to eat, thanks to a tempting mix of ‘fest foods, from fair classics like fried dough to exotic dishes and many other tasty treats, all carefully curated by food co-chairs Sue Calistro and Christina Healy (Calistro also serves as the festival’s second vice chair). Dozens of kids’ activities—face painting is biggie—have once again been organized by Kids Committee chairs Kelly Gesuero and Shelly Johnson. The ‘fest offers ticketed games and midway rides for kids. Festival fans of all ages can enjoy days filled with free main stage, backstage, and Main Street entertainment and concerts.
One particularly popular aspect of the festival’s free admission is its show-stopping nightly entertainment line-ups on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, which draws thousands to Town Hall’s Ford of Branford stage. On June 15, Branford’s own The Benders will open for Wanted, D.O.A.—The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute Band. June 16’s show brings party rock band Red Light ahead of another headliner, David Brighton’s Space Oddity—the Ultimate David Bowie Experience.
“We’re really excited to have Wanted D.O.A. back, because we had promised them before and their show was rained out. And David Brighton’s Space Oddity is an amazing show—you really experience all the different forms David Bowie created of himself,” says Kris, who thanks Entertainment Committee Chair Nardella, assisted by committee member Mario DiNoto, for yet another great line-up.
June 16 is also a very busy day as it brings in the Branford Festival Craft & Community Expo, hosted by the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce (find more information at www.shorelinechamberct.com). Long after the expo tents are cleared away, and some time after Bowie’s “Major Tom” blasts off Saturday night, Kris and festival committee members will still be hard at work.
“We’ll be out on the green after the show at 11:30 [p.m.], picking up trash,” says Kris, smiling. “You have to get it ready for the next day!”
Hands-on volunteer site work starts about a week before the festival, when volunteers set up festival flags and are especially busy assisting Operations Committee chairs Ed Masotta and Bob Fadel (and nine pivotal Operations Committee members) in setting up the festival’s infrastructure. Kris also thanks the Town of Branford for pitching in with everything from building out Town Hall’s main stage to staffing safety and emergency services through public works, fire, and police assistance. To allow for foot traffic, the town closes down a section of Main Street; in addition, police enforce parking restrictions on surrounding streets (a free shuttle bus service brings many to the festival; learn more at www.branfordfestival.com).
“There’s no money given from the town directly to the Branford Festival, but the town always gives us huge support through public works, police, and fire personnel. We’re very grateful for that assistance and couldn’t put on the festival without it,” says Kris.
The financial arm of the festival, the Branford Festival Foundation, is also made up of an all-volunteer board of directors.
“All of the volunteers, the board members, the committee members, and the committee chairs, they all do so much to make this happen,” says Kris, who also thanks immediate past festival chair and 2018 Publicity Chair Camille Link, for helping to make her job easier this year.
“Camille is really organized, and that helped me so much with getting started this year,” says Kris.
Kris joined the Branford Festival as a volunteer five years ago, helping in the popular Souvenir Tent on Town Hall Drive with her sister-in-law Lexi Klarman (who co-chairs the tent this year with Sheryl Raffile). Kris shares some exciting new souvenir news, spun off from the festival print/festival guide cover photo contest.
“We have a beautiful festival print from this year’s winner—sunrise at the Academy on the Green,” says Kris. “But we had several great runners-up, too. So we decided to make note cards out of those to sell at souvenir tent.”
The festival print, suitable for framing, is always a popular annual souvenir. This year’s Festival Print Committee is chaired by Susan Stackpole. Photography chair is Alex Stein. Photos of past festivals are on the website and pics of the ‘fest underway will be posted on Facebook (find The Branford Festival). Branford Community Television will also broadcast from the ‘fest.
Another new twist to the ‘fest: The annual Baking Contest will heat up on a new day, Saturday, June 16. What? You didn’t know there was a Baking Contest?
“It was always on Sunday,” says Kris. “You could say it’s been a ‘well-hidden’ part of the festival. I’ve always come to the festival on Sunday for the Road Race and the car show, but it took me a few years before I realized there was a baking contest going on, too!”
By the way, Kris plans to cap off her festival weekend on Sunday, June 17, by joining more than 3,000 runners in the five-mile Branford Road Race, which continues under the operation of founding father Ray Figlewski and takes off at 11:30 a.m. beside the green (find more information at branfordroadrace.net). But on Saturday, June 16, Kris will be checking out the ‘fest’s Baking Contest, led by committee chair and Community Dining Room Executive Director Judy Barron.
“We’re re-energizing the baking contest by switching it to Saturday backstage entertainment in the morning,” says Kris.
Backstage Entertainment is co-chaired by Greg Nobile, Dyan Robinson, and Courtney McCarthy.
“Judy Barron has made it a cupcakes-only contest, and she’s also having a community tasting, so it will be a lot of fun and bring more attention to that aspect of the festival,” Kris says.
Cupcake bakers can compete in either youth or adult divisions (deadline to enter is Monday, June 11). Judging by Sweets on Main takes place at 9 a.m. June 16, followed by the community tasting. Registration and more information is available at www.branfordfestival.com.
Kris wants to emphasize she loves all of the ideas and hard work every committee chair is putting into the festival.
“For the most part, people have been in their positions for a long time [and] the majority of them grew up in town. It’s a core group of Branfordites who have stuck with it, and continue to do so, even moving up the corporate board level,” says Kris.
In addition to the able assistance Kris receives from her vice chairs and Festival Secretary Andrea Savino, Kris wants to give future festival chairs a leg up on how each committee gets the job done. She’s asked for work timelines from veteran chairpeople to help build a road map for future volunteers. Kris adds anyone who wants to volunteer is welcome (contact Volunteer Committee Chair Rosellen East through the ‘fest website).
“We could always use volunteers who are a willing to start out with a group, and as people leave, they can shift into leading them,” says Kris.
That includes young residents, too. The festival committee even has a high school liaison, Alex Hernandez.
“We love to see kids volunteer at the festival, so they can get involved and be the next generation to come along and keep this going,” says Kris.
For more information on the 2018 Branford Festival, visit www.branfordfestival.com or find The Branford Festival on Facebook.