Daffodil Festival this weekend!

Having lived in Meriden my entire life (I was even born here in the old hospital!), the Daffodil Festival is a pretty big deal to me. I love it. It reminds me of childhood. And home. Because it IS home. And no other fairs or festivals can really compare - it's an entire weekend at Hubbard Park, when the daffodils are in bloom. And there's a whole lot of them. I don't know the estimate, but signs there are sure to brag about how many thousands of daffodils are in the park. Aside from being beautiful, there's a ton of things to see and do - there are a ton of food vendors in the food tent, rides, games and even a craft fair. Another bonus: there's free admission and free parking - something a lot of local fairs and festivals don't do.

Then there's the live music. I remember the days when a big headliner would come - like the Nashville Country Star winner or Eric Burdon and the Animals - but .because of budget constraints, there are now smaller acts, but that's not a bad thing either. Some of these smaller bands make it big - MGMT played the Daffodil Festival back in the day, and I'm kicking myself for not seeing them since I was probably in the park at the time. The New Haven Advocate actually printed an article recently about the Daffodil music: Flower Power: Local bands bloom at Meriden’s Daffodil Festival.

So here are the details so you can get here yourself:

Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
10 a.m. food tent, rides and craft fair open.
11 a.m. music entertainment begins.
11:30 a.m. parade begins (This is a lot of fun! I used to march in it.)
Fireworks begin at 8:30 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10 a.m. food tent, rides and craft fair open.
11 a.m. music entertainment begins.

"All Shuttle Buses will pick-up and drop-off riders at Platt High School, 220 Coe Ave. Wilcox Technical School 298 Oregon Road, Westfield Meriden 470 Lewis Avenue and Downtown Meriden HUB 88 State Street," according to the Web site, and parking is free. Shuttle runs Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The buses are also running until 9 after the fireworks.

For more information and a music schedule, go to the Daffodil Festival website yourself: http://daffodilfest.com/

(Photo above from Thundafunda Free Online Photos)