A spectacular weekend of celebration is coming to Memorial Boulevard for the 61st Annual Bristol Mum Festival. 

From Friday through Sunday, generations of Bristol residents will delight in an array of activities, food and entertainment as they celebrate this year’s festival theme, “Mumma Mia, Here We Grow Again.”

The festivities kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday with the opening ceremonies on the Main Stage, where the community will unite to honor their heroes. This year, the opening ceremonies will be “honoring our Police Officers,” with Police Chief Brian Gould serving as the Grand Marshal for both the festival and parade.

More than a dozen food vendors will be on-site throughout the weekend, including Dem Boyz Grill and Catering, Greenhouse Cafe & Tavern, Polish Plate, Ted’s Steamed Cheeseburgers and Thai Kitchen. A carnival midway boasting a variety of amusement rides will be operating on the BAIMS field for the duration of the festival. 

The Main Stage will host an eclectic lineup of bands and artists during the three-day extravaganza. On Friday night, the festival welcomes the Fleetwood Mac tribute band, Fleetwood Macked, to headline the evening. On Saturday night, attendees can groove to the R&B stylings of Soul Sound Revue, and on Sunday, enjoy performances from Lori & the Legends and LB4.

The Bristol Mum Festival is a family-friendly event offering a plethora of children’s activities and entertainment. Special events and activities for young attendees will be held on Saturday, including Star Wars Padawan Training, giant bubbles, petting zoos and pony rides.

The beloved annual Mum Festival Parade will be held on Sunday, Sept. 24, stepping off at 1:30 p.m. on Race Street and concluding on North Main Street. Dozens of floats from local organizations will be showcasing their talents and marching along downtown Bristol. 

The 2023 Mum Festival will be open on Friday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to the festival is free. For more information, visit https://bristolmumfestival.com

Laura Bailey can be reached at lbailey@bristoledition.org

All TBE readers, supporters and donors                 

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

• Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
• Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
• Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.                

Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.