Celebrate All Things Derby

City of Derby to host booth at Derby Day

DERBY >> Derby Day is an annual community event that brings Derby’s downtown area alive with music, food, and festivities for the entire family. Every year, Elizabeth Street from Main Street to the Derby Green, is crowded with an assortment of vendors offering something for everyone.

Like last year, Mayor Anita Dugatto and city representatives will be hosting a booth at the festival, which is being held on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Derby Day presents a unique opportunity to connect with our community," Dugatto said.

Dugatto believes Derby’s government should be accessible and responsive to the people it serves.  That philosophy is also the motivation behind Dugatto’s weekly Open Door Sessions and the creation of the City’s new website, www.derbyct.gov.

Visitors can drop by the booth on Derby Day to meet city representatives and learn more about planned improvements; city services and amenities, including Citiesense, Derby’s new commercial real estate listing platform; current job openings; volunteer opportunities; and other areas of interest.

“This event gives residents and visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with our city and all that it has to offer - it’s another opportunity to Discover Derby,” Dugatto said.

The booth will also feature child-friendly activities centered on recycling.

To add to the fun, the Derby Inaugural Ball Community Fund will once again be sponsoring an interactive game during the event, suitable for all ages.  Each player successfully completing the game will win a FREE prize.  Stop by the City of Derby booth to participate.

Derby Day is being held, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 27, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Elizabeth Street in downtown Derby.  For more information about this year’s event, sponsored by the Derby Cultural Commission, check out Derby Cultural Commission’s Facebook page.

This is a press release from the Mayor's Office.

Vendor background checks have Derby Day festival organizers worried

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent
DERBY >> Requiring vendors who sell everything from balloons to burgers at the city’s annual Derby Day festival to undergo police background checks has organizers fearing the event will fold.
The city has had an ordinance on its books since 1976 that requires background checks for vendors wanting to peddle their wares at city-wide events. However, according to Aldermanic President Art Gerckens, single-day events and licensing and permits for vendors, “was not referenced” back in the ’70s.
“Single-day event licenses have been loosely required to follow all of the requirements of the ’70s-era ordinance,” Gerckens said. “This has led to confusion in recent years and the current Operations and Procedures (subcommittee) has attempted to streamline and clarify the process.

Read more here. 

A perfect day for lemonade, fund-raising in Derby

Derby residents Alexis Pudimat, left, and Shannon Cobaugh sold lemonade Saturday for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research at their Alex's Lemonade Stand on Derby Day. The girls sold the lemonade on the Derby Green and said by mid-afternoon they had almost reached their fund-raising goal.

Downtown Derby to host street festival today

Looking up Elizabeth Street on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

The Derby Cultural Commission is holding the city's annual Derby Day festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today on the Green.


The rain or shine event will feature a variety of food, live music, arts and crafts vendors, children's games and fun for the whole family.


See you there!

St. Mary-St. Michael School plans Derby Dash 5K, duck race

DERBY - Check out this video featuring a group of enthusiastic St. Mary-St. Michael School students talking about their plans for Derby Day Saturday.
It was produced by Marc Weissman, creator of Looking Up: A View from the Valley, a community access TV show.

The city's annual festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Derby Green and Elizabeth Street.

See you there!


This post is taken from a press release from St. Mary-St. Michael School.

Cultural Commission to host Derby Day June 14

Scenes shared from the Green on Derby Day

The Bantam Band entertains on the Derby Green Saturday.

Food, craft vendors fill the Green at Derby Day.

 Young and young at heart enjoy riding the Roaming Railroad.

I was happy to help at the Valley Arts Council booth.  

Bounce house, balloons add to the fun.

The annual event sponsored by the Derby Cultural Commission was a huge success. Congratulations to all who helped plan the festival!

Duck Race rescheduled in Derby

DERBY - The 5th Annual Housy River Duck Race that had been scheduled on Derby Day last Saturday will be held this week. 
The St. Mary-St. Michael School fund-raising event was postponed due to conditions on the Housatonic River. 

The Duck Race has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday. It will begin at the Derby-Shelton Bridge. 
Come join staff and students and see if your duck was one of the lucky ducks to win one of 65 prizes. Top prize is $1,000.

Winners will be announced immediately after the race and posted on the St. Mary-St. Michael School site,  http://stmarystmichaelct.eduk12.net.
  

This post is based on a press release from St. Mary-St. Michael School.

Derby Middle School runners compete in Derby Dash

Boy, girl finish first in their age group

Jayce Curcio

Joshua Vega

Tristan Pruzinsky

Photos by Derby resident April Pruzinsky

DERBY - The Derby Middle School Running Club participated in the annual Derby Dash Saturday on Derby Day.

Steven Stanley and Rachel Fleischer finished first in their age group. 

Other runners included Joseph Mammano, Nicholas Mammano, Kiley Rodriguez, Sara Gerckens, Akshar Patel, Joshua Vega, Steven Stanley, Dana Kniessl, Jayce Curcio, Skylar Curcio, Tristan Pruzinsky, Nicolette Tasi, Lily Walk, and Tiana Figueroa.  

Bradley School third grader Sean Kniessl won the Kids Fun Run. 



This post is from a press release from Bradley School kindergarten teacher Jenny Ames, one of the club's coaches along with Mike Gozzo and Shelley Sheridan.



I'd like to thank Jenny Ames and April Pruzinsky once again for their contributions!

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Reminder: Derby Day is Saturday

St. Mary-St. Michael School to host 5K, fun run, duck race on Derby Day

DERBY - A Derby Dash 5K & Family Fund Run will be held starting at 8 a.m. June 15 at the Derby Greenway.

Runners should park at the municipal parking lot behind Main Street and near Housatonic Lumber Co. and Derby Feed.

Entry fee is $17 for pre-registratoin by June 7; $20 after that day and on race day.
Children's rate (12 & under( is $10.
First 100 registered runners to arrive will receive a Derby Dash T-shirt.
For registration form and information check the back of the church or go to www.stmarystmichaelct.eduk12.net.

For information contact Art Gerckens at arthur.t.gerckens@snet.net or at 203-734-7062. All funds will benefit St. Mary-St. Michael School.

Housy River Duck Decorating Contest
Entry fee is $15 and includes the 10-inch rubber ducks to be decorated.
Prizes will be given to the Top 3 Ducks. Ppurchase the ducks at St. Mary-St. Michael School. Decorated ducks need to be submitted by June 12 to the school and will be on display on Derby Day.

Ducks will be judged at noon on Derby Day.
For registration form and information, visit www.stmarystmichaelct.eduk.net.
All funds will benefit St. Mary - St. Michael School.

5th Annual Housy River Duck Race
Come join us at Derby Day for a fun-filled day of activities. The Housy River Duck Race is back and will take place at 3 p.m. at the Derby/Shelton Bridge.
Watch the ducks as they race down the Housatonic River. The first 65 rubber ducks to cross the finish line will win prizes.
Duck Raffle tickets will be $5 and on sale at several locations.

The school is looking for sponsors for the event. Forms for the Corporate Sponsors can be found at  www.stmarystmichaelct.eduk.net. All funds will benefit St. Mary-St. Michael School.

Calling all non-profits
A successful community is built upon the foundation of helping hands helping one another. We would like to share this great opportunity to raise funds for your non-profit organization by selling raffle tickets to the 5th Annual Housy River Duck Race.
Your organization will receive $2 back for every $5 ticket it sells.
For information, contact St Mary-St Michael School, 203-735-6471 or gtorres@stmarystmichael.org



This post is taken from a press release from St. Mary-St. Michael School.  

It will be ducky in Derby Saturday

DERBY - St. Mary-St. Michael School in Derby will host its 4th Annual Housy River Duck Race Saturday along the Housatonic River to help raise operating funds for this year.
The goal is not only to raise funds to help maintain and upgrade our school but also help local charities raise money.

The Housy River Duck Race will be held in conjunction with Derby Day. Last year over 20,000 people participated in Derby Day, and organizers anticipate this year’s event to be even larger.
The day will begin with a 5K Race & Fun Run along the Derby Greenway. Derby Day will be a day full of entertainment on the Green.
The Duck Race will take place in the afternoon. The rubber ducks will race each other on the Housatonic River starting at the Derby-Shelton Bridge.
Each  duck  is  numbered  to match a corresponding, $5 raffle ticket. The first 50 ducks to cross the finish line will win the 50 great prizes!


The above information was provided by Grace Torres, duck race coordinator.

Derby Day is a go

 
For a while there, several folks I know who are involved in planning the 15th annual Derby Day were not sure if the downtown festival scheduled Saturday would actually happen.

But all is well, after a miscommunication was cleared up at Monday night's Board of Aldermen meeting.


The issue revolved around festival vendors being required to have background checks.

That requirement was waived for this year's event by the aldermen at a meeting in February, so the fest will go on as planned from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Derby Day always has an old-fashioned feel to it; maybe that's because Derby is Connecticut's smallest city. Organizers are making sure it retains its hometown flavor.

Food and craft vendors and informational booths hosted by local  nonprofit organizations line Elizabeth Street and spread out across the Green. Live entertainment at the Gazebo adds to the festivities.

Festival-goers enjoyed a picture-perfect day last year.

 Let's hope the weather is good and lots of people turn out to give Derby and its residents a boost.

Derby Day is on the way

 

Derby public works employees Friday hung a banner across Elizabeth Street announcing the upcoming Derby Day festival. The annual event features arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, and a variety of ethnic foods. It will run from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. June 16 along Elizabeth Street and on the Derby Green. Patricia Villers/Register