UPDATE REGARDING 2020 FIREFEST:
Dear Firefest Friends,
With a heavy heart, I’m here to announce that there will be no Firefest for 2020.
Like everything during the past few months, it is complex and difficult. Firefest is built on a vast network of vendors, artists, entertainers, sponsors, and volunteers. They are the pillars of Firefest and have all been deeply affected during the past several months. But to ensure there are more Firefests to come, we need to take a step back this year. We want to see this event, our business, vendors, volunteers, and crowd goers for years to come. That means making the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.
The challenges we are facing right now are a lot. No one knows what it will look like – both financially and public health wise – at Firefest time. Sadly, decisions and planning are already months behind because, like everyone, we were taking a wait and see approach. We need to make decisions now, based on what we know today, not how we hope they are this fall.
Firefest has always been a full-on celebration. That is why it is so special to so many. We owe it to you to give you the best Firefest every year, while making a safe environment and remain financial responsible for our non-for-profit organization, businesses, and vendors. It becomes clear this is the only decision. It is the right thing to do for everyone involved. The best thing we as Downtown New Haven Inc is helping the world recover and heal – in all the ways that implies.
In the meantime, we are working on making Firefest come back bigger, strong, better, safer, and smarter in 2021. We are excited for much-needed improvements in Downtown to be finished then and finding new events as well as improving long-standing traditions. We are working on smaller, yet still fun, fundraisers and get-togethers downtown and look forward to sharing those events with you as well. We appreciate your understanding and if you are interested in joining Downtown New Haven INC or Firefest, we are always looking for amazing volunteers.
Sincerely,
Tara Steffens
Firefest Director
Chief Operating Officer Pinckney Bend Distillery.
With a heavy heart, I’m here to announce that there will be no Firefest for 2020.
Like everything during the past few months, it is complex and difficult. Firefest is built on a vast network of vendors, artists, entertainers, sponsors, and volunteers. They are the pillars of Firefest and have all been deeply affected during the past several months. But to ensure there are more Firefests to come, we need to take a step back this year. We want to see this event, our business, vendors, volunteers, and crowd goers for years to come. That means making the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.
The challenges we are facing right now are a lot. No one knows what it will look like – both financially and public health wise – at Firefest time. Sadly, decisions and planning are already months behind because, like everyone, we were taking a wait and see approach. We need to make decisions now, based on what we know today, not how we hope they are this fall.
Firefest has always been a full-on celebration. That is why it is so special to so many. We owe it to you to give you the best Firefest every year, while making a safe environment and remain financial responsible for our non-for-profit organization, businesses, and vendors. It becomes clear this is the only decision. It is the right thing to do for everyone involved. The best thing we as Downtown New Haven Inc is helping the world recover and heal – in all the ways that implies.
In the meantime, we are working on making Firefest come back bigger, strong, better, safer, and smarter in 2021. We are excited for much-needed improvements in Downtown to be finished then and finding new events as well as improving long-standing traditions. We are working on smaller, yet still fun, fundraisers and get-togethers downtown and look forward to sharing those events with you as well. We appreciate your understanding and if you are interested in joining Downtown New Haven INC or Firefest, we are always looking for amazing volunteers.
Sincerely,
Tara Steffens
Firefest Director
Chief Operating Officer Pinckney Bend Distillery.
Proud to be sponsored by:
Downtown New Haven's signature event, Firefest is a one-of-a-kind, one-day event. Starting off it's second decade, Firefest is an ever-growing street fair with stages of performance, music, arts, crafts, demonstrations that involve fire, civil war camp, children's activities, canon firing & more! When mother nature dims the lights, Fire Dancers will set the riverfront ablaze. Sunset marks the ever-popular House of Fire & Ice, Burning Man, River Dragon Boat, Sky Laterns & More! Stay tuned for more about 2019!
2019 FIREFEST
2019 SHUTTLE LOTS
Event ScheduleEvents & Times for 2019:
NEW: SHUTTLE LOT & STREET CLOSURES ALL DAY EVENTS: Craft Vendors
Food & Beverage Vendors
Demos
Stage 2 (Located at Pinckney Bend Disitllery)
Stage 3 Accoustic (Located at RCS Greenspace)
Shops Open Late
EVENING/TIMED EVENTS: House of Fire & Ice: (At Open Lot on Main St by Post Office) At Sunset (estimated 6:04pm) Sky Latern Launch: (on River Walk) When ice house crumbles (estimated time 7:15pm) Dragon Boat & Crane Launch: (Down river, Can be seen from River Walk) 15 Minutes After the Ice House crumbles (estimated 730pm) Burning Man Lighting: (located on Boat Ramp - can be seen from River Walk, Main St) After Boat Launch (estimated time 9pm) STREET CLOSURES, PARKING & SHUTTLES: Street Closure Information:
Extremely Limited Public Parking available off Olive Street Only. No street parking past Railroad tracks, on Olive St. Bridge or in or around Union Pacific Railroad Access. Shuttle Lots Available starting at 11am.
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DonatePlease Consider a donation to Firefest.
You can donate in advanced with one of the forms below or you can donate day of with many of the donation boxes around. SPONSORSHIP LEVELS COMING SOON! You can always donate to Downtown New Haven Inc. please visit our contact page for more. VOLUNTEERThis entire event is a free event that cannot run without our dedicated volunteers. Please think about singing up to be on one of the committees or volunteering for a variety of shift options Day of! please contact tara at Tara@pinckneybend.com for more information. Service Hours available for high school students. Groups/Organizations who sign up for shifts can receive discounts on booth registration!
We need volunteers for: Vendor Check in/Traffic Stops (Shifts available from 5am-10pm Info Booth (Shifts available from 11am-8pm) Electric/Setup Crew (8am-11am) General Staff Event (shifts available from 10am-10pm) Sunday Cleanup (shift 9am-2pm) Pyro Crew (must be 18 or older. Shifts from 3pm-10pm) Parking Lot (shifts from 2pm to 9pm) |
Vendor/DemoREGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
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THANK YOU 2019SPONSORS
INFERNO SPONSORS
BONFIRE SPONSORSYHTI (Now Whisper) Internet
Citizens Bank New Haven Lumber Fidelity Communications Reliable Plumbing KFAV 99.9 FM Today’s Hot Country |
SPARK SPONSORS
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ICE HOUSE SPONSORS
The Central Hotel • Astral Glass Studio • Wiemann & Pues Insurance Agency • New Haven Care Center, INC. • Pratt's Healthmart Pharmacy • New Haven Vet Clinic • Boeuf & Berger Mutual Insurance • Unnerstall & Unnerstall CPAs • Richers Tire & Auto • Michael Maczuk • Pinckney Bend Bed & Breakfast • Staatmann Toyota • New Haven Dental • New Haven Hospice • New Haven Save a Lot • Home oil of New Haven • Cedar Creek Conference Center • Cornerstone Financial • Marlen Textiles • Andrew Clary, Edward Jones Advisor
SPECIAL THANKS
Pinckney Bend Distillery Staff, Tara Steffens, Astral Glass, Angie Scheer, Paddle Stop New Haven, Peter Otten, New Haven Parks Dept., City of New Haven, Joe & Charissa Coyle, Don Bolte & Alan & Carol Bell
NO THANK YOUS
Snow on Halloween, Frozen Grounds & T-posts, High Water, No-Shows, empty batteries, people who don't pickup their trash, broken buses
SPECIAL THANKS
Pinckney Bend Distillery Staff, Tara Steffens, Astral Glass, Angie Scheer, Paddle Stop New Haven, Peter Otten, New Haven Parks Dept., City of New Haven, Joe & Charissa Coyle, Don Bolte & Alan & Carol Bell
NO THANK YOUS
Snow on Halloween, Frozen Grounds & T-posts, High Water, No-Shows, empty batteries, people who don't pickup their trash, broken buses