The long-running seaside festival “Sailfest” is going to look different this year, according to New London’s mayor. It comes a day after the organizer of the downtown festival announced it would be “canceled.”
The long-running seaside festival “Sailfest” is going to look different this year, according to New London’s mayor.
It comes a day after the organizer of the downtown festival announced it would be “canceled."
The city said it's not their decision to make and they still have plans for the mid-summer festivities. The mayor also made it clear the beloved fireworks display is still going on.
“I’m not that heartbroken,” Christy Henderson said.
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A New London resident herself, she noted Sailfest just hadn’t felt the same as she remembered the last few years.
“I think I looked at it different when I was younger,” she said.
The organizer announced Wednesday the festival would be canceled for 2025, saying in a statement, “The decision comes as the City of New London faces financial budget challenges that limit the funding of critical resources including, police, fire and public works support, which are essential to ensuring a safe and successful event.”
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“This particular partner decided to pull out rather than participate this year which is regrettable, but nothing really is going to change as far as fireworks weekend,” Mayor Michael Passero said.
He said the announcement came as a surprise to the city because the organizer isn’t completely in charge of all the festivities.
The mayor also made clear that the fireworks are still on. Those are funded through a gift from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and have been since the beginning of the festival.
The festival also won't be canceled; it will just look different going forward.
“It's evolving and that’s all that happening right now,” Passero said.
Passero explained the city met with the organizer to discuss increased security and funding for that security. They chose not to engage in those conversations, instead announced the festival was being canceled.
He is committed, though, to doing what they can, built around the fireworks. He didn’t know what that would look like at this point, but the downtown festival with vendors, food trucks, carnival-style rides and games would be the biggest change.
“Our pre-occupation and our efforts will be insuring the safety of the public during the event, on both sides of the river,” Passero said.
It’s the fireworks locals say they are glad will go on. For many, they noted it is their favorite part anyway.
“Last summer he lived up the street and we just came out on the porch and watched the fireworks, with my grandson,” Henderson said.
We did reach out to the organizer for clarification and comment following their announcement and the interview with the mayor, but we have not heard back.
The fireworks are still planned to go on July 12.
