Town of Southbury 350th Anniversary Commemorative Gala on November 18

The evening of November 18, 2023 will be a special one for the Town of Southbury as the community comes together for a night to remember.

Guests will walk down memory lane in an evening dedicated to remembering its history and celebrating the present. The 350th Anniversary Commemorative Gala will be the capstone event in a year-long series of events celebrating 350 years of community, culture and history, that highlight the past and progress of the one and only Southbury.

Guests will be entertained with live music, dancing and dining, memorable speeches and recognitions. Highlights will include yarns of yesteryear; a musical selection from the Golden Age of Broadway; guest appearances; Southbury Poet Laureate Faith Vicinanza reciting her 350th Anniversary Commemorative Poem; presentation of the inaugural award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts to painter and muralist David K. Merrill, and the unveiling of the 350th Anniversary Community Quilt.

The 350th Anniversary Commemorative Gala will be held on November 18th at 5:00pm at the Wyndham Southbury at 1284 Strongtown Road, Southbury, CT 06488. Tickets are $75.00 and include a three-course dinner. Tickets are purchased online, with registration. Go to southbury-ct.org/350-gala.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available at southbury-ct.org/350-gala or by contacting Kevin Bielmeier at ecodevdirector@southbury-ct.org or 203-262-0683. Proceeds will benefit the Southbury Historical Society www.southburyhistory.or. Deadline for sponsors is November 3rd

In 1673, a group of colonists from Stratford traveled up the river that we know today as the Housatonic in order to erect a new settlement in the Pomperaug Valley, which was negotiated with the Pootatuck Native Americans. After an initial day of exploration, these religious dissidents spent the night under a white oak tree on an old riverside path. That tree stood for many more years on Crook Horn Road by Settlers Park, in what was to become the Town of Southbury.

The 350th Anniversary Steering Committee is John Dwyer and Kevin Bielmeier, co-chairs; Brian Jones, vice-chair; Justin Bette, Lynn Dwyer, Melinda Elliott, Michael Ganem, Kara Kenney, Mary Korsu, and Gosia Liedlich.

For information on this, and all 350th events, visit www.southbury-ct.org/350 or contact Kevin Bielmeier, Economic Development Director at (203) 262-0683 or ecodevdirector@southbury-ct.gov.