Sleeping Giant’s Centennial Celebration Set For Saturday

From Hamden Mayor’s Office

HAMDEN, CT — Please join us for a celebration marking the centennial of Sleeping Giant State Park, exactly 100 years to the day since this beloved landmark first opened its gates to the public.

This celebratory event will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Sleeping Giant State Park, 200 Mt. Carmel Avenue in Hamden. Sleeping Giant Park Association (SGPA) will be leading guided hikes on the Giant for all ages and varying levels of difficulty. There will also be live music, food trucks, a trading post for collectible merchandise, and community partner tables at the pavilion.

You can catch the Hamden Fire Department conducting High Angle Rope Rescue demonstrations in the Quarry around 2 p.m. The Hamden Fire Department is excited to participate in the Centennial Celebration of Sleeping Giant State Park and offer this opportunity for the public to see their capabilities in technical rescue along with offering community outreach for the day.

The Hamden Fire Department has a special connection with the Giant and held a fundraiser to support the SGPA’s mission. Hamden Professional Firefighters Local 2687 sold special apparel items to their membership raising $400 which will be presented to the SGPA at the Centennial Celebration in hopes of furthering the conservation and stewardship efforts of the SGPA and keeping the Giant clean and accessible for future generations of explorers.

The SGPA was formed on March 4, 1924 through a partnership of neighbors and local residents with the expressed purpose of turning the land known as the Sleeping Giant into a public, then state park. They are Connecticut’s oldest park association and have continually been the voice for the Giant and work diligently to maintain the 32 miles of hiking trails while providing an engaging and educational connection with the community to keep the Giant accessible to all. The SGPA, for a century, has been instrumental in the protection of Sleeping Giant as a regional landmark and ensuring it remains open to all who wish to enjoy it.

Visit the event website here for full details and itinerary.