New Celebration To Take Over West Hartford's Park Road

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A new fall festival designed to build on the tradition of West Hartford's former Park Road Parade will debut Saturday with entertainment, activities and an antique trolley carrying visitors between neighborhood businesses.

The Fall for Park Road Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, according to the Park Road Association. The event is free.

Unlike the former parade, Park Road will remain open to traffic during the festival.

The Park Road Parade was an eclectic annual community celebration that ran for 25 years before concluding with its final march on Oct. 5, 2024.

Visitors will be able to park and use an antique trolley with designated stops along Park Road.

Programs listing activities and events will be available at trolley stops and participating businesses.

More than 16 businesses have signed up to participate, with additional businesses continuing to join, according to organizers.

Participating businesses announced by the association include A Strand Ahead, AC Peterson Farms, Black Diamond Body Piercing, Ceara Market, Charming Nails & Spa, Effie's Family Restaurant, The Eight Gates Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, Halls Market, Health is Wealth Juice Bar, J Renee Coffee Roasters, Joey's Pizza Pie, Lucky Tattoo, Playhouse on Park, Portobello Restaurant, River Bend Bookshop, Salt + Lime Mexican Cantina, Smoke Public House, Spits Mediterranean Street Food, West Hartford Second Chance Shop and The White Rabbit.

Steben Motors will host several West Hartford-area nonprofit organizations during the festival.

The event is co-chaired by West Hartford residents Alisha Landau and Hillary Stoudt, who developed the concept with support from a volunteer committee.

"We are thrilled that Alisha and Hillary not only stepped up to lead the Events Committee but came up with such a creative way to showcase our businesses and replace the parade," Park Road Association Co-President John Paindiris said.

Organizers hope Saturday's debut becomes a recurring neighborhood event.

"We don't see this as a one-off event," Park Road Association Co-President Tracy Flater said. "We feel that we are laying the foundation for an annual community festival that will grow bigger and better each year."

An updated schedule and list of participating businesses are available through the Park Road Association's website at ParkRoadCT.org. Park Road businesses, West Hartford nonprofits, and people interested in volunteering can contact the association at Info@ParkRoadCT.com.

For the Fall for Park Road Festival schedule of events, click on this link.

For more information on the Fall for Park Road Festival, click on this link.