The Mansfield Downtown Partnership will host its 23rd annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival on Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m. at E.O. Smith High School.
The headlining performance at the festival will be the Lulada Club, a New York all-women salsa orchestra. It will perform from 6:30 to 8 p.m., showcasing its interpretations of vintage rhythms like the salsa, bolero and cha-cha-cha, according to the festival’s website.
“They’re incredibly talented women,” Kathleen Paterson, a senior communications manager for the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, said. “It’s danceable music, it’s fun and I think people are really going to enjoy them.”
Besides the performance, there will be about 90 booths inside the school, Paterson said. There will be activity booths from organizations like the Mansfield Historical Society, Bike Mansfield and the University of Connecticut Wildlife Rescue Project. There will also be craft and food booths to either purchase artisan goods or grab a bite.
“The festival is one of only a few times organizations get together in a place at one time,” Stephanie Huber, a community liaison with the Mansfield Historical Society, said. “It’s really fun to see all the different organizations and booths; there’s real vibrancy in the organizations that are represented.”
Paterson said the booths help people notice more about the community’s organizations.
“We have a wide variety of activities. It’s a way for people to learn what kind of offerings our town has that you can take part in.”
The festival originated in 2004 with only 12 booths in Downtown Storrs parking lots, according to the festival’s official website. It has since grown to be the largest community event, with close to 5,000 people attending.
The festival is so important to the community because it’s a day that brings both Mansfield residents and UConn students together. It’s also a free event that has something for all ages, from grandparents to toddlers, Paterson said.
“I personally appreciate the festival because it’s held during a time of year that really represents the fabric of Mansfield’s community,” Huber said. “It’s always fun to get out and into the community, but having the festival while our UConn student-neighbors are in town really highlights the unique community Mansfield is.”
The deadline to have a booth has passed, but those interested can still sign up to be a volunteer through the festival’s website.