Sailfest Arrives In New London This Week

Two tall ships, fireworks, the “Cupid Shuffle,” and a plethora of vendors are some of the attractions expected to draw tens of thousands of people to downtown New London this weekend.

Sailfest, which has been ongoing for 34 years now, will run from noon on Friday through Sunday evening. Barbara Neff, of , said the festival used to be a municipal event but was cut due to a financial crunch. She said the Downtown New London Association kept it going on a volunteer basis before she and Tom Crosby of the spearheaded an effort to return it to a weekend event.

“It’s definitely evolved,” she said.

Local musicians will take the stage at the Parade Plaza and Pier starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and another stage will open at the at noon on Saturday. Neff said a new event this year is an all-day dance day on Sunday, when people of all ages are invited to come to the Parade Plaza to learn line dancing, salsa, tango, and other dances. The main event of the day, however, will arrive at 2 p.m. when R&B singer Cupid, best known for his viral hit will teach the song’s dance to the crowd. Neff said Cupid is also set to bring in a new dance known as the Q Step.

The tall ships available for tours will be the and the Gazella. The Mystic Whaler is a New London-based schooner which offers a variety of cruises, and it will be docked at the Custom House Pier. This ship will at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at a cost of $20 per person. A Saturday evening tour will take in the fireworks display and serve up a lobster dinner, at a cost of $180 per adult or $90 per child. This outing goes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Gazella, a barkentine built in Portugal in 1901, will also be docked at the Custom House Pier. It will offer tours of the ship from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

One of the signature events of the festival is the Saturday evening fireworks, set to go off at 9:20 p.m. The “Mashantucket Pequot Fireworks Extravaganza Sponsored by Foxwoods” takes place at the New London waterfront. At the Fisherman’s Pier, a is available with a clear view of the spectacle. The gates open at 6 p.m. and dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at $85 for a single seat or $660 for a table.

Neff said another new aspect to the event this year is a Shore Line East train, which will bring people from the New Haven area to New London on Saturday evening for the fireworks. The train departs New Haven at 5:05 p.m. and leaves New London to return to the city at 11 p.m.

The event usually attracts thousands of people, Neff said, and several vendors will be offering wares downtown. In addition to local businesses, there will be products such as organic olive oil, pet apparel, jewelry, and clothing. Neff said local businesses are able to get a booth at one-third price, while nonprofits get half-price deals.

While City Pier is under construction, amusement rides will be moved to the center parking lot on Eugene O’Neill Drive. Parking is available in the parking garages, Shaw’s Cove, and private lots throughout the city. Bank Street will be closed to traffic, as will State Street from Water Street to Eugene O’Neill Drive.

Other attractions include a , , an , and the Sunday morning .

Neff said proceeds from the event are returned to the community in various ways. She said last year, $7,000 was given to local youth groups.