Georgetown Day Celebration Returns Sunday In Redding

REDDING GEORGETOWN, CT — On Sunday, the annual Georgetown Day celebration returns to Main Street from noon to 5 p.m.

Georgetown Day. In Georgetown.

And where is that again, exactly?

Ask most people not from southwestern Connecticut (and many who are) to find Georgetown on the map, and they'll point to the Washington, D.C. suburb.

Officially, Georgetown is a "census-designated place" with a population of 1,630 as of the 2020 reckoning. Most of its total area of 2.85 square miles sits within Redding, but there is a bleed-over into bits of Weston and Wilton, as well.

Kate Perry is Georgetown's No. 1 stan. She's on the Board of Georgetown Village Restoration, a 501(c)3 organization focused on the village's "restoration, revitalization, and maintenance," and one of the Georgetown Day organizers. She insists that everyone living in Georgetown puts the village ahead of whatever town they pay taxes to.

"If you're in Georgetown proper, even if you're technically in another town, you definitely feel a connection to Georgetown."

Why? What's the Big Deal?

"It's a New England thing," Perry said. "Old tiny hamlets have been engulfed by larger towns that have had to solidify tax bases ... but their spirit remains."

And the spirit of Georgetown is a "free" one, she said.

"Everybody I know in Georgetown is this great character, this great personality," Perry said, uncertain whether it is something in the local water that is creating these very entertaining neighbors, or whether the village just attracts them. "It's the chicken and the egg."

There is no doubt that in the Connecticut small hamlet, census-designated-only Olympics, Georgetown wins the Gold. Not only does it have its own ZIP code, it boasts its own fire district, and the center of the village made it into the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as the Georgetown Historic District.

"It has this personality and this charm that gives this smaller town a sense of community that you don't even get with a small town like Redding," Perry said.

Redding First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton agreed.

"It's not 'uptown/downtown,' it just feels authentic," Pemberton told Patch. "It's an area in town that has two-family housing, so it is more diverse ... and down-to-earth than the rest of Redding. People in Georgetown — not that they aren't everywhere else! — are hard-working. A lot of them work in trades."

It's also where the action is, and always has been. Perry said she grew up in Ridgefield, and remembers that "going to Georgetown" was a big deal.

"Georgetown is one of two commercial districts in Redding, and it's obviously got more business than the West Redding part of the town," Perry said.

"Whereas the rest of Redding is more rural," Pemberton said. "If you want activity, if you want to go out at night, you're going to Georgetown."

The celebration Sunday takes place on Main Street in Georgetown ("That's technically Main Street in Redding," Perry clarified). Revelers may enter at the intersection of Main Street and Route 107, or at the intersection with Route 57 on the other end.

The event itself looks to be another quintessentially New England thing. The chili-cook-off is back this year, with competing chefs incentivized by a Nordstrom at the Sono Collection $500 gift card first prize. There will be birdhouse decorating activities sponsored by the fire department's Ladies Auxiliary, and a dunking booth.

The Lions Club will be pouring at a beer tent, and local food vendors will be offering outdoor seating and dining. The Georgetown Farmers Market will be celebrating the first day of the season at their Old Mill Road location.

There will be live music from local musicians, including North County Band and StuntFish, and plenty of activities for kids.

The street festival runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, after which it promises to regroup in Georgetown restaurants and bars which will be offering happy hour specials from 5 to 6 p.m.

Georgetown Village Restoration Inc., Georgetown Lions Club, Georgetown Community Association, and the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department are organizing and hosting Georgetown Day, and the event is free to the community.