Fairfield & 16 Other CT Communities Celebrate 2025 'Make Music Day' This Month

News release from the Make Music Alliance:

FAIRFIELD, CT — On Saturday, June 21, seventeen cities and regions across Connecticut will join forces to present hundreds of free musical events on the summer solstice. It’s all part of Make Music Day, a global music celebration bringing people of all ages and skill levels together to experience the joy and camaraderie of making music.

Bethel, Danbury, Fairfield, Georgetown, Hartford, Hebron, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Northwest CT, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Southbury, Southeast CT, Waterbury, and Windsor are among the 150+ U.S. cities hosting thousands of Make Music Day performances nationwide, as part of the world’s largest annual music event.

Make Music Day began in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, and today it is celebrated in thousands of cities around the world. Distinct from a traditional music festival, Make Music Day is a free and open invitation for everyone to perform, teach, learn, and experience the joy of making music on the longest day of the year.

Reimagining their cities and towns as stages, every kind of musician – young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion – pours onto streets, parks, plazas, porches, rooftops, gardens, and other public spaces to create and share music with friends, neighbors, and strangers.

Since the first Make Music Connecticut celebration in 2018, over 3,100 free concerts have taken place across the state on June 21, thanks to annual support and coordination from the CT Office of the Arts in the Connecticut Department of
Economic and Community Development.

Highlights of Make Music Connecticut include:

❖ Bethel: The second annual Make Music Bethel will feature over a dozen events with local musicians up and down Greenwood Avenue – at the Bethel Public Library, Bethel Music Center, Bethel Photoworks, and several local restaurants –
as well as a Seasonal Drum Circle at the Municipal Center Gazebo.
❖ Fairfield: Last year’s Make Music Fairfield included 117 events, more than any other city or town in the state, and they are looking forward to another thrilling celebration. In one highlight this year, Fairfield will represent the United States in the global Make Music Day project “Taking Flight,” a birdsong-inspired initiative for choirs in Canada, Germany, Ghana, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Türkiye, the U.K., and the U.S. Singers will gather at the Connecticut Audubon’s Birdcraft Sanctuary, learn a multi-part arrangement of “Fly Like An Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band, and then livestream their performance to the other choirs around the world. Other featured events include performances by the RCA Musical Theater Singers, Emo Kid Eating a Sandwich, and Grammy Award-winning artist Brian Torff.

❖ Georgetown: The inaugural Make Music Georgetown, organized by nonprofit community space The Granite, brings singer/songwriters and bands to a diverse group of restaurants, shops, and a yoga studio. The Granite will host a full day of
music from 11am - 9pm, including a Make Your Own Musical Instrument craft activity for kids.
❖ Hartford: This year will mark the official return of Make Music Day to Hartford after a hiatus of several years. Multiple performance spaces have already been announced, including Urban Lodge Brewery and Hartford Prints! The Wadsworth
Atheneum will host busking-styled performances outside of the museum, the Charter Oak Cultural Center will host an early childhood music education class, and there will be an open mic held on Pratt Street. More venues are expected to
be added in the coming days.
❖ Hebron: Hebron continues their Make Music Day tradition of lining Main Street with a “mile of music,” including a kazoo parade for the young, the old, and the in-between! All are welcome and encouraged to participate. In addition, they are
hosting two stage areas with an air guitar/air band competition, a musician impersonation contest, and Flowerpot Music and Bucket Drumming sessions throughout the day.
❖ Middletown: Middletown’s Make Music Day encompasses a wide variety of venues and vibes – from the courtyard of Klekolo World Coffee to a daylong parking lot stage at JC Music, from Middlesex Music Academy to a performer’s
front yard. Come encounter live music where you live, work, and play!
❖ New Haven: Greater New Haven is bringing the rhythm on Make Music Day this year! At West Haven Beach and Boardwalk, several activities will focus on the Puerto Rican tradition of Bomba. Come to participate in an intergenerational Bucket Drumming Village, and learn how to create guiros out of water bottles and sticks.

❖ New London: New London organizes its own Make Music Day for the first time this year, hosting singers, classical woodwinds, rock and ska bands, and a barbershop quartet in the Cultural District. Venues include the Custom House
Maritime Museum, Hygienic Art, and the historic Whale Tail statue.
❖ Northwest: This year, Make Music Northwest CT is partnering with River Rocks New Hartford for their Make Music Day programming. Performances will kick off with the winner of the 25th annual open mic night hosted by Lasalle Market &
Deli, and continue at The Station in Litchfield. More confirmed activities are coming soon.
❖ Ridgefield: For the seventh straight year, Ridgefield will celebrate Make Music Day with musicians performing between 11 AM and 9 PM across 15+ venues, including the Ridgefield Library, Copps Hill Commons, Town Hall, Aldrich Contemporary Museum, Keeler Tavern Museum, First Congregational Church, Meetinghouse, Ridgefield Running Company, Cellar XV and many more. This year, Ballard Park will feature top artists from 1pm - 9pm, including: Gravity Feed, Sugar House, Mystery Train and Mojo. The Ridgefield Arts Council sponsors Make Music Day Ridgefield as part of its mission to generate attention for Ridgefield’s vibrant arts community.
❖ Rocky Hill: Bring the whole family together at the Rocky Hill Public Library for an interactive, musical experience with singer, songwriter, and “kindie-rock” musician Michele Urban! Other events include singing and strumming sessions
at the Rocky Hill Senior/Community Center, Karaoke at the 9/11 Memorial Site, and a Family Music Jam at the library.
❖ Southbury: Heritage Village in Southbury celebrates Make Music Day with Mattatuck Fife and Drum, rock & roll guitar, country music, and a low-sensory hammered dulcimer performance. Crepe Royal French Cuisine and the Polar Ice Cream Truck will be onsite. Afterwards, locations throughout Southbury will host evening performances around the town.
❖ Southeastern CT: Catch the Mystic Ukulele Strummers at Mystic River Park, a Free Jam with Brian Story at the Acton Public Library, and more events all day throughout the region.

❖ Waterbury: Come to Library Park for eight hours of music by Four Peace, Kayla Rae, Branded CT, Ben Righter, Christi Jones, Andrea Deyo, Quinn Mitchell, the Waterbury Police Drums and Pipes, salsa band Orlando Ortiz y Orquesta La
Yunqueña, and The Stevie Experience Tribute.

About Make Music Day
Held annually on June 21 to coincide with the summer solstice, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique taking place in thousands of cities across 120 countries. The daylong musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. This year, over 150 U.S. cities are organizing Make Music celebrations, encompassing thousands of music making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is presented by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visit makemusicday.org.