Popular Glastonbury Festival Gets A New Name

GLASTONBURY, CT — One of Connecticut’s largest community festivals will return in October with a new name.

It will now be called the Glastonbury Apple Harvest & Music Festival, representing the first name change in the festival’s 45 year history.

Even officials said with an increasing emphasis on live entertainment from up and coming music acts, the change came as a unanimously supported decision from the Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The festival began heavily emphasizing live bands in 2014, hosting 40 original music acts for the festival’s 40th anniversary.

"Over the last six years this festival has grown into one of the largest and most anticipated music festivals in the state," festival entertainment director Chip McCabe said. "We are extremely proud of having worked with well over 120 different original music acts in the last five years and excited to have the music line-up reflected so prominently in the name change."

The CT River Valley Chamber will announce the finalized schedule, including set times, in August.

An updated festival logo and new festival website were launched in June. The new logo was designed by Glastonbury native Jessica Sikorsky.

In addition to two stages of live music with 28 emerging artists, the Apple Harvest & Music Festival will offer a full midway of amusement rides, more than 100 vendor booths, 25 food trucks/purveyors and the recently expanded Harvest Pub.

The Angry Orchard 5K Road Race will be staged on the festival’s closing day.

New attractions will be announced over the coming weeks, organizers said. The Glastonbury Apple Harvest & Music Festival annually attracts more than 25,000 attendees.

Chamber president Mary Ellen Dombrowski said, "The Chamber has been continuously enhancing the festival, it has evolved into an atmosphere of a regional music & food festival with a hometown vibe."

The CT River Valley Chamber is currently accepting volunteers (ages 16-and-older). Select sponsorship opportunities are also available. Any interested volunteers or sponsors can visit crvchamber.orgor call the Chamber at 860-659-3587 for more information.