Thursday, March 3, 2011

Sailfest Gala Summer Festival In New London

By David Mims


Sailfest is one of the most popular festivals on the summer agenda in southeast Connecticut. Held in New London during July, the festival attracts over 300,000 people during its three-day program. Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel is conveniently located at Mystic, a few miles east of New London, to serve as an accommodation base for visitors out-of-towners attending the festival. Both towns are seaports.

Entertainment provided at the festival is virtually all free. Fun runs, fireworks, whaler cruises and amusement rides are all on offer. In particular, a large range of musical acts perform at the festival and are always popular. They are staged at City Pier, Customs House or Hygienic Art Park. A full range of musical styles are presented ranging through jazz, rock, Celtic, hip hop and the blues.

Fireworks are a particularly strong favorite. They are typically scheduled on the Saturday night of the festival. The display organized at the festival is considered the second biggest display of fireworks in the northeast. It is offered to the public under the sponsorship by the Mashantucket Pequot Nation. This native American tribal people are the original inhabitants of the area predating the arrival of Europeans.

The history of the cutter Eagle is very colorful. The academy received it as a war reparation from Germany in 1947. The vessel formerly operated as the barque Horst Wessel in the German navy. At the academy it serves as the main training vessel for cadets at the academy as well as for officer candidates as part of the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School located on the grounds of the USCGA.

New London has a rich maritime history. The city is home to the US Coast Guard Academy (USCGA). This military academy was founded in 1876 and provides education to future Coast Guard officers. Unlike other service academies in the USA, admission to the USCGA is based solely on merit; a congressional nomination is not required.

New London has a population of about 26,000 people. Its Downtown New London Association (DNLA) has organized Sailfest for the past seven years. It is a non-profit entity comprised of about 60 merchants. It is the main event managed by this agency. The festival is now an established tradition in New London that extends back more than 30 years.

The Downtown New London Association (DNLA) has organized Sailfest for the past seven years. The DNLA is a non-profit organization. All funds raised during the festival are donated back to the city via support for other local organizations. Visitors requiring accommodation can elect to enjoy Hampton Inn and Suites, Mystic. The hotel offers spacious rooms and suites, deluxe amenities and services, including a complimentary breakfast each morning, high-speed Internet access, an on-site fitness center and indoor heated saltwater pool.




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