The Merchants of Chester Present The Annual Halloween Pumpkin Festival and Parade Friday - October 26, 2012 The Merchants of Chester, along with the Chester Elementary School PTO, invite you to celebrate Halloween early in Chester on Friday, Oct. 26, with a parade, dancing in the street, cemetery hayride, and a contest of decorated pumpkins. Gather for the parade at 5:00 p.m. at the Maple Street Parking Lot. Costumes encouraged! The parade will step off at 5:15 p.m. and go to the center of town where Jay Savastano, DJ, will be playing “Monster Mash” dancing music (the streets will be closed to car traffic) beginning at 5:30 p.m. More music will be at the Pattaconk Bar & Grille, where a live band will play on the patio from 6 to 9 p.m., and at Chester Gallery, where Henry Nevins and Dustin Meadows will provide Old Time Banjo Jamming from 5 to 7 p.m. You can buy hot dogs from the Jolly Dogger, a healthy hot dog truck, and chili, cider and donuts will be available from the PTO. In addition, the Pattaconk Bar & Grille will be out on the sidewalk selling burgers, chowder, chili, fried dough, sausage grinders, and bbq pork, plus ice cream at a dollar a scoop. Look for Halloween treats at various stores and galleries throughout town as well. Hayrides in Laurel Hill Cemetery (sponsored by Chester PTO) begin at 6:30 p.m. (raindate for hayrides, Saturday, Oct. 27 at 6:30). This year the pumpkin/jack-o-lantern contest will be revived and judges will be selecting winners in four categories and giving out prizes. The four categories (in two age groups – children age 13 and under, and age 14 through adult) are for Most Unusual, Most Humorous, Scariest, and best Faerie Pumpkin House. Pumpkins can be dropped off at Circle of Friends Montessori School (at United Church of Chester) on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. or on Friday, Oct 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pumpkins can also be dropped off at the Hammered Edge Gallery at 4 Water Street on Friday afternoon. Pumpkins must be labeled with name, phone number, and whether it is a child or adult entry and must include a battery-operated candle. Pumpkin winners will be announced in town at 6:30 p.m. Need help with your pumpkin carving? Circle of Friends is hosting a pumpkin carving party on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 3 to 6 p.m. Bring your own pumpkin and carving tools. Snacks will be provided. Chester, Connecticut is a unique town that holds the past, present, and future in delightful balance. A storybook New England village, Chester is located on the left (port) bank of the beautiful Connecticut River, about 10 miles north of Long Island Sound. The town is renowned for its quaint shops, artist galleries and a variety of fantastic restaurants that all family members can enjoy. Easy to reach by car, rail, air, goatcart, foot, bicycle or boat, a convenient two-hour drive from NYC and Boston, MA, Chester is located at exit 6 on RT 9, which is easily accessible from I95 and I91. Free parking is available at the Maple Street and the Water Street lots. For general information about this spirited Halloween tradition, please contact Kim at thelocalbeetcoop@gmail.com, come see us at 1 Main Street or phone 860-526-2667. For specific information about particular merchant activities, call them directly, visit their websites, or consult http://www.Visit-Chester.com, which has a continually updated listing of the towns’ weekend and special events.

Enlarge Photo Three girls having a great time dancing in the streets to the DJ Music after the Halloween Parade Ended. Enlarge Photo The famous Dr. Seuss childrens book characters, Thing One and Thing Two make an appearance, and entertain the crowd with their unique style of dancing and antics. Enlarge Photo Children Dance to music by the DJ, as Parents keep a watchful eye, and enjoy the evenings activities. Enlarge Photo A wonderful window display decoration by Katie Wright, owner of "Hammered Edge" a locally popular Bead and Jewelery shop on Water Street. Photos by: Mark Cappitella MarksPhotographs.com

Click on one ANY of these sections to acquire more information. Home Page Main Directory Annual Events Chester's History Artists FREE Brochure More Options... Directions & Map Accommodations Restaurants Shopping Antiques Art Galleries Real Estate Recreation Marinas The Theatre Worship Emergency Banks Local Govt. Local Attractions  Local Weather Radar Add Your URL Classified Section

The Connecticut River Valley A great place to visit ANY time of the Year! www.CTRiverValley.com

This web site was voluntarily created by Mark G. Cappitella and Leif Nilsson It is now owned and voluntarily maintained by Leif Nilsson All images artwork and text appearing on the http://www.visit-chester.com website are protected under and subject to US and international © copyright laws. No part of this site may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Leif Nilsson If you see an error, or something that is out of date on this web site, please contact Leif Nilsson (e-mail) to let me know about it. Be sure to include the specific web page URL that the change needs to be made on, in your email message.

Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline Visitors Council