2020 Alive@5 Concert Series Cancelled In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford downtown area will be a bit quieter this summer, as the city announced Wednesday both the 2020 Alive@Five and Wednesday Nite Live concert series have been cancelled. The decision comes as a number of large summer events announce cancellations in light of the coronavirus, including the Oyster Festival in Norwalk and the Greenwich Town Party.

In a prepared statement, Stamford Downtown President David Kooris said the decision to cancel the popular annual concerts this year was difficult, however the downtown organization believed it was for the best under the current circumstances.

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"Stamford Downtown is committed to bringing live music to the community whenever feasible and bringing people together while following evolving state regulations for public gatherings and in-keeping with best available science for the protection of public health," Kooris said in a statement. "Our team was working on a great lineup for this summer's Alive@Five and Wednesday Nite Live concerts, and we are all disappointed that the series needs to be cancelled for this summer."

Kooris also promised live music will return to Stamford as soon as it is safe.

"We will develop alternative live music events as soon as we're able," Kooris said. "We look forward to our summer season 2021 when we can bring the music back to downtown."

This year's Alive@Five concerts were originally scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. on July 9, 16, 23 and 30. Last year's Alive@5 lineup included artists such as 98° and T-PAIN.

The Wednesday Nite Live concerts were scheduled for July 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 6:30 p.m. Past headliners include artists such as Andy Grammer, Chubby Checker and B.B. King.

Upcoming Events

In light of the cancellation, Stamford Downtown also announced some events scheduled to take place that will "bring people together in the downtown" in a socially-responsible and health-conscious way:

EXPANDED OUTDOOR DINING

Saturday, May 30 through September, 2020

In support of our wonderful range of restaurants and eateries, Stamford Downtown is working closely with multiple city departments (Health, Traffic/Transportation, Economic Development, Police, Fire/Fire Marshall, Land Use, and Zoning) to develop a block by block strategy that enables these establishments to use a greater amount of the public space (eg sidewalks and streets) for outdoor dining.

Get ready for even more and larger patio options than a typical summer where you will have regular opportunity to enjoy social dining in outdoor environments providing the utmost safety precautions. We heard from our residents and businesses loud and clear that there was demand for places for people rather than places for cars and we expect to announce this plan soon and launch the first phase later this month.

STAMFORD DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET

Saturdays, June 14 through October 31, 2020

Welcome to Stamford Downtown Farmers Market, the place to shop for the freshest fruits, vegetables, plants and more. We are following federal and state guidelines for a safe and healthy market. There will be one way in and one way out. All vendors will wear masks and gloves and will be keeping a six-foot barrier between vendor booths and the customer. Location to be announced.

Please visit stamford-downtown.com for up to date information.

ART COLLECTIVE IN STAMFORD DOWNTOWN, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES

June – September, 2020

Stamford Downtown will display 36 works of art from 6 regional artists including Gilbert Boro, Barry Gunderson, Lorann Jacobs, David Millen, Morris Norvin and Emily Teall on the sidewalks and parks of Stamford Downtown. We are pleased to offer Otocast, a free audio tour with an interactive map, sculpture photos, artist narratives, and information about our many Downtown restaurants. It's a great way to take a tour from home or while you are Downtown.

Please download "Otocast" from the Apple App or Google Play Stores and choose Stamford, CT to access the tour. We ask that you please continue to practice social distancing while you enjoy this excellent art show.

MAKE MUSIC DAY IN STAMFORD DOWNTOWN

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Stamford Downtown will join cities all around the world for this free celebration of music on the longest day of the year. We are matching venues and musicians for a day of music throughout the Downtown. This will be the third year that Stamford Downtown has participated in this global event. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 800 cities in 120 countries. The performances will be small (a majority are solo performers) and we plan to only host in areas where space permits that social distancing rules be followed.

Interested in participating as a musician or venue? Please visit our website for more details and to sign up.

Additional events are being planned for Stamford Downtown, details of which will be announced soon.