Food, Music, Arts, Entertainment, Vendors and More fill this weekend’s Mum Festival
Entertainment is Front and Center as Popular Fall Festival Kicks off on This Friday Evening
The Mum Festival, which has been Bristol’s fall marquee community-focused event for almost 60 years, is back this weekend (September 24th – 26th) with a move to Downtown Bristol and a theme of “Honoring Heroes.”
Once known as the Mum City, Bristol was famous for this colorful flower, and through the years proud Fall festivities were put on by residents for all in the region to enjoy!
This year’s Festival will run from September 24th – 26th and will feature vendors from area businesses, crafters, local producers, restaurants, food trucks, community organizations, non- profits, and museums, as well as the popular Mum Festival Parade. In addition, the Festival will feature children’s programming, a classic car show, an art show, great food, a beer, and wine garden, plenty of live music and entertainment and more.
“The annual Bristol Mum Festival is this weekend’s best music and entertainment destination”, said Maria Salice, Bristol Mum Festival Entertainment Chair. “Our live musical entertainment lineup will once again appeal to just about every taste in music. The Mum Festival has become somewhat of a mini music festival featuring a variety of top-notch entertainment of all genres of music. This year promises to be no different”.
This year’s Festival which has moved to Downtown Bristol will also feature plenty of children’s entertainment at the annual Kids Zone and a special event for art lovers.
Opening ceremonies begin on the Main Stage promptly at 5:30 on Friday, September 24th. The center of the first night is the annual Hometown Hero presentation. This year’s honoree is the Bristol Korean War Veterans Association. The Bristol Chorale will be on hand to perform the National Anthem, the City of Bristol and the Connecticut State Assembly will present official proclamations, and we will play the Armed Forces Salute. Assisting during the presentation will be City Councilman Scott Rosado, a Navy veteran.
After opening ceremonies, the main event on the Main Stage is the Miss Mum Pageant, which begins at 6:30. Happening in tandem will be an Art Show and paint and sip event under the big tent, with live jazz entertainment provided by Sharp Five Jazz playing at 6:00.
Local artists and artisans will also be displaying and selling their work under the beer and wine beverage tent from 5:30 to 8:30. Patrons will be able to view fantastic artwork and talk and interact with the artists. A wide range of artists from painters, photographers, sketch artists, metal workers, and more will be participating. The artist event, dubbed “I Have Heart for the Arts,” is headed by Arts Chair, Joyce Ptak.
The Main Stage will open and stay open through the entire rest of the weekend for live musical entertainment.
Kicking things off in a big way on Saturday from 12 noon to 1:00 is the state and region wide favorite – Eight to the Bar. Drawing its musical influences from American roots music including swing, boogie-woogie, and Motown, Eight to the Bar is known for its outstanding instrumentalists and sophisticated musical and vocal arrangements, highlighted by female vocals.
Next in the lineup is 42 Salute, a family band based in folk, classic rock, country, and some unique takes on popular pop songs who play everything from the Grateful Dead and Steely Dan to John Mayer. This talented group of musicians and vocalists is making its first appearance on the Mum Festival stage from 2:00 to 3:00.
Back for a third command performance at Festival is the ever-popular Number 9 Band, one of Connecticut’s premiere Beatles tribute bands. Number 9 will appear from 4:00 to 5:00.
The Saturday night headliner is once again the high-energy crowd pleaser, Soul Sound Review, from 6:00 to 7:30. Named Connecticut’s #1 Dance Party Band, Soul Sound Review is described as the hottest nine-piece Motown show this side of Detroit. The band features dynamic vocal harmonies and music from classic Motown groups of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The three lead vocalists explode onto the stage and are backed by a powerhouse rhythm and horn section.
“We are expecting a return of the big dance party in front of the Main Stage,” continued Salice. “They have a huge following and never disappoint. You don’t want to miss Saturday night at the festival with Soul Sound Review providing the entertainment.
The music does not stop after Saturday night.
Making his Mum Festival debut on the Main Stage Sunday from 1:30 to 2:15 will be Jim Pelletier, a local musician/vocalist who will offer up acoustic and electric guitar performances of classic and modern rock, as well as some original songs.
Local favorite, Lori and the Legends, will perform from 3:00-4:30. The band plays a great variety of classic rock and soul. This marks the band’s third return to our festival,and they have become a musical tradition for the Festival and always draw a great crowd.
When it comes to entertainment for kids the Mum Festival will feature the perennial Kids Zone, located in Brackett Park this year, features all day children’s-based activities and events. According to Family Events Chair, Karl Tack, “the Kids Zone packs an entire weekend of kids-centered events into one day”.
In addition to arts and crafts projects, a photo booth, giant bubble maker, and a balloon twister, there will be live entertainment throughout the Kids Zone hours and back this year is the popular The Jedi Padawan training provided by the Saber Guild – Kessel Temple is back again this year. Training times are set for 1:30, 3:00, and 4:00 on Saturday.
Also, back for another year is festival favorite, magician extraordinaire, Chris Lengyelwho will perform throughout the festival including at the Kids Zone, on the Main Stage between bands, and at the Car Show.
Story time with Wonder Woman is scheduled for 2:00. Disney princesses Elsa and Anna will be onsite for pictures and will be performing song selections from Frozen around 2:30.
Pony rides will run from 1:00 pm to 5:00. Families can stop by and see farm animals and a truck show, and there will be face painting and tattoos.
The Bristol Mum Festival Hours will be Friday, September 24th: 5:30 – 8:30, Saturday, September 25th: 12:00 – 8:00, and Sunday, September 26th with the parade kicking off at 1:30.
“What would a Mum Festival be without entertainment and fun activities?” said Jack Ferraro, Mum Festival Chairman. “With this in mind, we have made sure that this year’s Festival includes plenty of live entertainment and things to do to entertain people of all ages and we can’t wait for this weekend!”
A full, detailed schedule of “all things Mum Festival entertainment and events” is available on the Mum Festival website at https://bristolmumfestival.com.