KENT—Some of the best shopping this summer will be available when the Sidewalk Sale Days return Thursday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 4, with sales, special activities and events scheduled during the extended weekend festivities.
The Kent Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event and will have a schedule of all the events and notices of sales on its website. Check back to see updates. The event will be held each day 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. rain or shine.
“The significance of the event for the community and for local businesses is that we encourage people to “Shop Local” and support our small town and its businesses,” said Lyn Stirnweiss, administrative director for the chamber. “The Sidewalk Sale Days is a good way for locals to shop at their favorite Kent stores and for those visiting Kent to become familiar with the businesses and our nonprofits.”
Tents will start to appear next week all over town and underneath shoppers will find bargains and deals.
The Golden Falcon field on North Main Street will feature a number of non-profit organizations. Many use the opportunity to hand out information and answer questions about their groups. A number also offer opportunities to volunteer to help the Kent community, including the Kent Historical Society, Kent Land Trust, Kent Affordable Housing, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, Project SAGE and the Kent Quilters, which is selling items to raise funds for the Kent Volunteer Fire Department this year.
Each year the political parties offer voter information and both the Kent Republicans and Kent Democrats will have booths. The Kent Democratic Town Committee hosts a bake sale along with voter registration information and literature about the candidates. The group is also offering a Vintage Fashion Sale across the street at 27 North Main St., Studio 7B on the second floor. Kent Republicans are offering New England Bells products for sale and will have GOP candidates’ palm cards and signs available. Thirsty patrons will also be able to get bottled water.
Stop by the Kent Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary booth on the Golden Falcon field to purchase a hot dog or sesame noodles with a side of Asian Slaw. It will also be possible to get information about how residents can get involved with KVFD and support the Kent community.
Restaurants will have a wide variety of food and beverages for sale.
The long weekend will also feature the St. Andrew’s Annual Tag Sale, which begins Friday, Aug. 2 with early bird admission from 8:30 to 10 a.m. for a $20 fee. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there is free admission. Saturday, Aug. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 4, 11:30 to 2:30 p.m., admission is free.
The Kent Memorial Library will continue its outdoor Book Sale all four days, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will offer other family-friendly events, along with its raffle tickets for purchase to win a 2021 Jeep Compass Limited.
Two fitness instructors will offer classes. Kent Yoga & Bodyworks will offer yoga classes on Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Aug. 3, at 9:30 a.m. in its new location at 10 North Main Street. On Saturday, at 10:30 a.m., Julianne Dow of Dow Integrative Institute, 23 Maple St., will have a “Stress Buster” yoga class featuring a unique blend of Yoga Nidra and Jin Shin Jyustu Self Help. The cost is $15, which will be donated to the Kent Food Bank.
MotoRiot, 21 Bridge Street, will offer free rides and truck demos, plus water bottles and snacks.
The Sidewalk Sale Days was inspired by a former shop owner, Carol Jalbert, who owned Country Clothes on North Main Street. Each year, she would sell inventory at her shop to make room for new items. The first Sidewalk Sale was around 50 years ago and has taken place every year in some form or another, according to the chamber. It has always taken place during the first weekend of August (Thursday through Sunday).
The name of the event has evolved over the years. The event was originally called the “Kent Sidewalk Sale Days.” In 2010 the chamber changed the name to the “Kent Sidewalk Festival” as merchants expanded their offerings and were having events such as product demos, classes, concerts and raffle.
In 2020 (at the height of the Covid Pandemic), the chamber called the event “Shop Safe Summer Sales” and instead of one weekend, it was stretched out over three weeks/weekends to allow for limited capacity in the shops and social distancing recommendations. After 2020, the name reverted back to “Kent Sidewalk Sale Days.”
In those years immediately following the pandemic some businesses closed and the chamber didn’t have as much participation as was seen in the past, Stirnweiss said.
Parking is available throughout town. The Kent Welcome Center (directly behind the Kent Station Pharmacy) has public bathrooms. For more information contact the Kent Chamber of Commerce at 860-592-0061 or info@kentct.com.
