Darien's Long-Delayed Bicentennial Bash To Take Place Saturday

DARIEN, CT — The Weed Beach Festive Nights Bicentennial Bash, a belated birthday party for Darien, has been postponed from Friday to Saturday due to expected rainy weather Friday.

The event will still take place at Weed Beach from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

According to Jami Gore, program supervisor for the town's parks and recreation department, the decision to postpone the celebration was made due to potential inclement weather Friday.

"We have made the difficult decision to postpone the Bicentennial Bash to tomorrow," the department said in a statement. "All event times remain the same. [Saturday] is going to be a beautiful sunny day at the beach to celebrate our beautiful town."

The Bicentennial Bash is set to feature live classic rock from the band Exit Ramp, cake decorating for kids provided by Sprout Chefs and an option to purchase a boxed dinner from The Waters Edge at Giovanni's, according to a news release.

No food or beverage will be available onsite for guests if they did not pre-purchase a meal through Giovanni's, and glass bottles are not permitted. Bicentennial merchandise and other sundries will be on sale for cash or check purchases only.

Though the festivities will begin at 6 p.m., the gates will open for parking at 5 p.m. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to avoid long lines at check-in, Gore said.

It is not the first time the celebration has been delayed. The town's bicentennial actually occurred last year, however most celebratory events were postponed or presented virtually in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

An opening ceremony was even held in January 2020 and drew about 400 people to the Town Hall auditorium.

According to Gore, Saturday's event was originally planned for June 6, 2020, however it was changed to a virtual event in an effort to still recognize the hard work and effort the town's bicentennial committee had already completed in the planning process.

"We also took the opportunity to recognize our loyal sponsors of both the parks and recreation department and the bicentennial that were struggling through the pandemic," Gore said. "We wanted to make sure the community still had something to celebrate, even if it wasn't the party we had all originally envisioned."

Gore said the committee first met in June 2018 to discuss celebration plans and the bicentennial bash was one of the first events they agreed to host.

Alan Miller, the committee's chairman, said continuing to celebrate the bicentennial this year could prove to be even more enjoyable.

"In one sense, the whole experience during the pandemic last year makes this year's celebrations even more special," Miller said. "Throughout the quarantine, the bicentennial committee continued to meet virtually to keep the bicentennial front and center and moving forward. The commitment demonstrated by these volunteers has just been incredible, and it's part of what makes Darien such a great community."

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson shared in Miller's excitement to celebrate the town's bicentennial this summer.

"We are thrilled to be able to 'restart' the celebration of Darien's 200th anniversary that was put on necessary hold during the pandemic," Stevenson said. "We are grateful to our parks and recreation department, DAF Media, our generous sponsors and, most especially, our 2020 Bicentennial Committee for their dedication and perseverance in ensuring we celebrate, albeit a year late, this very special anniversary."

Their enthusiasm appears to be shared by residents, as tickets to the event sold out less than 24 hours after going on sale, Gore said.

"We still have hundreds on the waitlist," Gore said. "I think the event's success is a mixture of bicentennial excitement, the community's anxiousness to come together to celebrate and everyone just being ready to get outside and have a little fun."

Still to come is the town's "Anniversary Day" on June 12, during which residents will gather at Slawson Cemetery to honor Thaddeus Bell Jr., the man who championed the cause of the town's independence, Mille said.

On Oct. 23, the town will celebrate its history during a "Heritage Day" event at the Museum of Darien, the First Congregational Church of Darien and the Mather Homestead, featuring living history actors with the 5th Connecticut Regiment.

"One of the main reasons to celebrate Darien is the town's fascinating history," Miller said, "and the heroes of our past like Moses Mather and Thaddeus Bell Jr., who sacrificed so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. This town has a great community spirit, which is embodied in these celebrations."

Though they will need to wait one more day for the event to finally take place, Gore said all parties involved are experiencing an enormous amount of excitement, anxiety and relief.

"The question of whether we would even be able to host an event lingered over the committee for months," Gore said, "so as excited as we are to celebrate with the community, we will also be excited to just have the event to happen."

More information about the bicentennial and planned events can be found on the town website.