High Art, Street Parties, and 'Floating Sounds' Guaranteed To Make Memories This Weekend In CT

CONNECTICUT — From strawberry fests to street parties, Connecticut is packed with free, family-friendly events this weekend. Highlights include live music, craft fairs, historical tours, and the state’s biggest paddleboard race.

Saybrook will be kicking off summer 2025 with its third annual street party on Sunday between 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Downtown Main Street will be closed and filled with food, locally-made craft beer and spirits, two stages of live music, and a huge mix of vendors and lots of family fun. Admission is free.

Sunday is also Connecticut Historic Gardens Day, now in its 20th year, with each of the state's 16 officially designated historical hot spots offering special deals and activities. The full list of sites throughout the state, and their events, can be found here.

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Putnam's Fine Arts & Crafts Festival will be spread out across the Municipal Complex, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The "perfect destination for a day of inspiration and entertainment" features artist booths filled with one-of-a-kind pieces and live music performances throughout the day. Look for original paintings, pottery, photography, woodworking, jewelry, and just about any other type of art — and both the admission and parking are free.

New England’s largest paddleboard race pushes off from Walnut Beach in Milford on Saturday, June 21. But the 10th Anniversary Charles Island SUP Cup is way more than just a water race. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. expect live music by The Elwoods, yoga on the beach, dancing, kids' crafts, ice cream, a wellness tent, a hula-hoop contest, and free kayaking and paddle boarding. (And if you're really, really, into paddle sports, check out the 2nd Annual Paddling Film Festival on Friday, June 20, 7 p.m, at Brewery Legitimus in New Hartford.)

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If you'd prefer to stay dry on a Saturday in Connecticut (for once…), The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield will be running an All Ages Discovery Tour on June 21 from 1 to 2 p.m. It's a free — and judgment-free — guided spin around all the museum's current exhibitions, designed for contemporary art n00bs who hear the call but don't know where to start. Preregistration online is encouraged.

'Tis the Season: Olde Mistick Village will be holding its Strawberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. This festival will not only celebrate strawberries, but all harvests late spring and early summer in New England. The vendor list is huge.

New London will be joining in the day-long, international Make Music celebration on June 21, Downtown on Main Street. The free, community-wide jamboree is "a unique way to experience music in all its many forms."

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This one's completely different and guaranteed to ring on in memories for years: the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with Yale Schwarzman Center, will present City of Floating Sounds, a free, open-air concert that celebrates New Haven’s history and culture Saturday, June 21, from 7 to 9 p.m., outside on the New Haven Green.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a 30-minute walk through New Haven, during which participants will hear — and are encouraged to play aloud — a segment of Huang Ruo’s "City of Floating Sounds" on their smartphones. The separate (six to choose from) paths each music lover takes will change what they hear. Participants will converge at the Green, just as the sun is setting. Then, the NHSO will take the stage for a program that "honoring the voices and stories of our community." To participate in the walk, you'll need the "City of Floating Sounds" app, available for Apple and Android. The download link will be released 2 days prior to the event.