The Wilton Main Street Association (WMSA) held its ninth annual Summerfest on Saturday, featuring live music, face-painting, and vendors from across the state.
Despite inclement weather, attendees were able to duck under covered tents and into the stores lining Main Street.
“I feel like we had a very good turnout of spectators given that people were probably not expecting a whole lot to be happening because of the weather prediction,” said Alison Meltzer, president of the Wilton Main Street Association.
The event began in 2014 and continued until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the event consisted solely of fireworks on Carnival Hill. The 2023 iteration of Summerfest marks the second without restrictions since the pandemic.
The first act of the day, starting at 10 a.m. was the duet Darling Hill. The band consists of a member of the WMSA, Kate Schinsky, and her husband. Beginning at 11 a.m. was the Red Trouser Show, a pair of acrobats originally from Wilton who perform globally.
At noon, the Celtic rock band Waking Finnegan was featured, followed by the band Fitz Murphy. The live performances concluded with the band Randozz, fronted by a WMSA member.
With events being rained out across the state for the past several weekends, vendors have been forced to travel farther to sell their work. Newcomer Colin Martin, owner of Coconuts Jewelry, drove two hours from North Conway for an opportunity at Summerfest.
“I was supposed to take this weekend off, and I couldn’t afford it. So I had to come,” said Martin. “The people came out and supported us. Which was nice.”
In the evening, a fireworks display was set alight on Carnival Hill.
“My favorite thing about this whole event every year is that it brings in so many different pieces of the community,” said Meltzer. “Probably the best surprise of the day was the weather that we had for the fireworks in the evening. It was absolutely beautiful up on Carnival Hill.”