Weekend festival a blast!
This past weekend the residents of West Haven were able to throw off the negative, almost daily, snipes at where we live to enjoy the positive aspects of this shoreline community. The Savin Rock Festival 2022 was enjoyed by thousands who ventured to the environs of the old amusement park.
With bands playing shows on each weekend night, people were able to throw off the cares of day-to-day life, and just enjoy the moment. They were also celebrating the tradition of this little part of the universe, which was a playground for the region for more than a century.
While the last of the amusement park was demolished in 1966, the effect the location had on our city’s culture, attitudes, and yes, even its political life, are still felt today. And as the generation that remembers the days of the rides and attractions grows smaller with each passing year, newer generations of residents are interested in the history of the place and are hungry for more information.
Savin Rock, the landmark jutting out over Long Island Sound, and the amusement park that stretched along the current bike/walk path on what was once Beach Street, has been a big part of the history and growth of the community, from the time Thomas Painter spied the British Ships sailing into New Haven Harbor, through the halcyon days of the resort and amusement park era, through the decades-long fight to “Save Our Shore, down to today.
For one week out of the year, we forget about the problems that beset our city and community. We celebrate our history and everything up to the present, enjoying the sun and fun as offered by Festival organizers. The week is a respite, and there is nothing wrong with that. The problems will not go away, just reside in the background for a few days.
The fact the festival was able to be revived after financial distress and a pandemic seemed to assure its demise is a testament to the resilience of the city’s residents and their determination to see that some normality comes back into our everyday lives.
Congratulations to all who made the week’s events possible. It was a successful week, and it celebrated our community in the best way possible.