Summer is here, and summer means street fest time! Get your motor running, and roar into Willimantic’s 3rd Thursday Street Festival on July 20th, 2017, 6pm to 9pm, with classic rock and classic cars! This July, Willimantic’s 3rd Thursday teams up with the Rotary Club, as we combine our 16th annual Street Festival with an Antique Car Show. Come one, come all to downtown Willimantic! 3rd Thursday has a children’s area and numerous activities for kids, an outdoor beer and wine garden for the adults, and a wide variety of food and bands for everyone!
What brings 6,000-8,000 music lovers to Willimantic every 3rd Thursday from May through September for 16 years running? It could be the food vendors from around the state, offering an incredible diversity of ethnic and specialty foods. Maybe it’s the clothing vendors, the crafters or the jewelry. Perhaps it’s the street performers. It might even be the community spirit!
Maybe, just maybe, it’s the music. With multiple simultaneous stages of free, live, local music, there is bound to be something for everyone! Whether your tastes run to classic rock, blues, swing, reggae, funk, Spanish music, or grunge rock, you will find a treat for your ears at Willimantic’s 3rd Thursday Street Festival.
Girls and Guitars Featuring Patty Tuite kicks off things on our Midtown Stage at 6:00pm with classic rock, blues and swing music. They are followed at 7:45 by Brothers Donovan, playing their own mix of reggae, funk and groove. Our North Street Stage features two Spanish music acts. Goza (Spanish for Joy) performs lively dance music from Brazil, Spain and Latin America at six. Classic Guitar from the Quiet Corner compliments them with Spanish classical guitar music at 7:45. The Wild Bill Project kicks off our Downtown Stage at 6 with classic rock. Aberdeen’s Ashes closes our Downtown Stage at 7:45, playing grunge music from the 90’s.
Willimantic’s 3rd Thursday Street festival also features street performers up and down Main Street throughout the night, and a special hooping exhibition on our way downtown stage at 6pm.
July is extra-special as we team up with the Willimantic Rotary Club’s Antique Car Show! Located way downtown in Jillson Square, car lovers can enjoy the cars, then mosey on uptown for food vendors, shopping and lots of musical choices. Any automotive vendors who would like to take advantage of this unique opportunity are encouraged to register at http://www.willimanticstreetfest.com/attrac_reg.htm.