🌮 Explore Food Trucks, Sip Waterfront Drinks & Watch Fireworks

May 27, 2026

Good morning! There’s a lot happening around Connecticut this week, and today’s lineup is packed with fun ways to get out and enjoy it. From huge food festivals and waterfront gatherings to fireworks and live entertainment, there’s something worth adding to your calendar.

Here’s what’s inside:

🌮 A massive food truck festival in Shelton
🍷 A waterfront food and fundraising event in Essex
🎆 Wethersfield’s annual fireworks celebration
📗 This Month in CT History: Connecticut’s Oldest Volunteer Firefighters
📰 Local headlines you might’ve missed

Thinking about joining Costco? Groupon is offering a 1-year Costco membership that includes a bonus $20 or $40 Digital Costco Shop Card depending on the membership you choose. It’s a solid deal for anyone looking to save on groceries, gas, household essentials, and more.

Gold Star Memberships start at $65, while Executive Memberships start at $130 and include extra perks like 2% annual rewards, early shopping hours, and monthly Instacart credits. The deal is available for new members or anyone whose membership expired more than 18 months ago.

This is an advertisement. Looking to partner with Connecticut Lifestyles? Just reply to this email or click here to learn how we can promote your brand to thousands of interested locals!

Two full days of food, music, games, and community fun take over Veterans Memorial Park

Food Trucks on the River is taking over Veterans Memorial Park in Shelton on May 29–30 with one of the biggest food festivals of the season. More than 30 food trucks will be serving cuisines from around the world alongside live music, local vendors, trivia, bingo, craft beer, wine, and even free miniature golf for families to enjoy throughout the weekend.

The event is free to attend and welcomes all ages, with activities happening Friday from 5:00 PM–10:00 PM and Saturday from 11:00 AM–8:00 PM. Organizers are also encouraging optional $5 donations to help support local scholarships and community programs through Celebrate Shelton.

RiverFare returns with local food, drinks, and a lively evening supporting the Connecticut River Museum

RiverFare 2026 returns to the Connecticut River Museum in Essex on May 28 from 6:00 PM–9:00 PM, bringing together local food vendors, drinks, and community supporters for a lively evening along the waterfront. The annual fundraiser helps support museum exhibits and educational programs focused on preserving the Connecticut River’s history and culture.

Guests can enjoy food tastings, drinks, and a festive atmosphere while supporting one of Connecticut’s well-known riverfront museums. Tickets include complimentary drink vouchers depending on package selection, with proceeds helping fund future museum programming and events.

An evening of music, food, kids activities, and fireworks returns to Cove Park.

Wethersfield’s annual fireworks celebration returns to Cove Park on May 30 from 5:00 PM–9:45 PM with a full evening of entertainment, food vendors, live music, kids activities, and more. This year’s America250-themed celebration will wrap up with a fireworks show beginning around 9:00 PM.

The event is free to attend and includes shuttle service running throughout the evening from the Pitkin Community Center to Old Wethersfield. Families can spend the night enjoying food, music, and community festivities before the sky lights up over Cove Park.

Welcome to The Vermont Country Store! Since 1946, the Orton Family Business has offered an incredible assortment of unique and useful products and a shopping experience unlike any other. Find new favorites like our exclusive bedding and sleepwear, heirloom-quality Mountain Weavers table linens, genuine Irish wool sweaters, and baked goods made from treasured family recipes.

Rediscover beloved brands from the past, like Tangee, Lemon Up, and Mason Pearson. There’s more in store every time you shop to make each visit even better than the last. 

This is an advertisement.

Bluey’s Big Play brings music, laughs, and family fun

Bluey fans are getting a chance to see their favorite animated pup live on stage when Bluey’s Big Play comes to the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford on July 11–12. The live stage show features Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli in an interactive family-friendly adventure packed with music, games, and plenty of moments kids already know and love from the hit series.

Shows will take place Saturday at 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 5:00 PM, along with Sunday performances at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Tickets start at $20 through Groupon, making it an affordable summer outing for families looking for something fun to do together. With more than 100 people already checking out the deal today, seats are expected to move fast for this popular live production.

TOP EVENTS TODAY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS YET?

THIS MONTH IN CONNECTICUT HISTORY

Connecticut’s Oldest Volunteer Firefighters

Long before modern fire trucks and emergency response systems existed, Connecticut towns relied on neighbors working together to battle dangerous fires. In the 1600s and early 1700s, residents formed “bucket brigades,” passing buckets of water hand-to-hand from wells and ponds to burning buildings. With most homes and structures made from wood and built close together, fires were one of the biggest threats facing early Connecticut communities.

As Wethersfield continued to grow in the late 1700s, town leaders realized they needed a more organized way to respond to emergencies. In 1803, the town officially received approval from the Connecticut General Assembly to create its own volunteer fire department, making it the oldest continuously active volunteer fire department in New England.

The original department started with just 16 men and two small wheeled water pumps that could be pulled by horses or pushed by hand to fire scenes. More than 200 years later, the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department is still serving the community today, responding to hundreds of emergency calls every year while carrying on one of Connecticut’s oldest public service traditions.

For many of us, falling asleep is hard. More than any other time of day, comfort is crucial. CPAP machines and mandibular advancement devices (MADs) may help people get more rest once they’re asleep, but they’re so uncomfortable to deal with while awake. Even a supportive bed partner prefers something that doesn’t get in the way of cuddling and goodnight kisses.

With the eXciteOSA from Spring Sleep, users treat the root cause of mild obstructive sleep apnea during the day, in just 20 minutes. Once bedtime arrives, sleeping is as simple as getting comfortable and closing your eyes.

This is an advertisement.

HEADLINES AROUND THE STATE

Connecticut Beaches Earn Mostly Strong Water Quality Grades

A new Save the Sound report found that more than 75% of Connecticut beaches earned “A” or “B” water quality grades during the 2025 swimming season, with 27 beaches receiving top “A+” ratings. A few shoreline beaches received lower grades due to runoff and bacteria concerns, but officials say improvement efforts are ongoing ahead of summer.

Cyberattack Affects Thousands Of Connecticut Medicaid Users

State officials say a cyberattack exposed information connected to roughly 22,500 Connecticut Medicaid users after hackers accessed accounts through compromised employee credentials. While Social Security and financial account information were not involved, affected individuals are now being offered free identity protection services.

Connecticut Trooper Safely Rescues Trapped Kitten

A Connecticut State Trooper rescued a kitten after it became trapped inside a vehicle on I-91 near Exit 4. The kitten had first been saved from a storm drain before crawling into the vehicle’s dashboard air duct compartment.

Thanks!

Thanks for spending part of your Tuesday with us! Hopefully you found a few new events, local stories, or plans worth adding to your calendar.

Keep exploring Connecticut and don’t forget to share this email with someone who’s always looking for something fun to do.

P.S. Looking to partner with Connecticut Lifestyles? Just reply to this email or click here to learn how we can promote your brand to thousands of interested locals!