After being put on hold due to the pandemic, Hartford's Summer in the City series is back and better this year, with something for everyone to do all summer long.
"This is our time to come back! We are ready to welcome our residents back to Bushnell Park, back to the Riverfront. We’re ready to welcome the region back to Hartford," Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said.
The series includes cultural festivals, parades, and live music. Thursday the mayor and other city leaders announced the schedule for some familiar summer favorites that will make a return.
"This summer all for your favorite festivals and events will return and we can celebrate together again," said Greater Hartford Arts Council Interim CEO Kate McOmber.
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This is the fifth year of the Summer in the City lineup. Some of those events include a new independence celebration Hartford Bonanza, the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, the Black-Eyed and Blues Festival, the Taste of Caribbean Jerk Festival, the West Indian Independence Celebration, the Riverfront Asian Festival and more.
For a full list of events, click here.
The vents are made possible by the city, corporate sponsorships and American Rescue Plan funds the city decided tod edicate to keeping the city's arts and culture scene alive this summer.
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The events are free and the city says they're family friendly, with the hope that summer 2021 will be one to remember for the right reasons.
"Celebrate your capital city. Celebrate its diversity. Celebrate arts and culture and be together after being apart for so long," Bronin said.