After torrential rains on Thursday and clouds on Friday morning, predicting the weather for Midsummer Festival 2013 was nerve-wracking affair. But there was no cause for alarm — the gods smiled and Friday evening the sun broke through and then proceeded to stay out for the entire event.
All three art institutions on Lyme Street, the Florence Griswold Museum, the Lyme Arts Association and Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, were open early Friday evening to the public with free receptions. Then cheerful crowds gathered for a foot-tapping concert by Poor Old Shine on the lawn sloping down to the banks of the Lieutenant River behind the museum.
Caroline’s Miracle Run started Saturday at a brisk race with some 500 contestants assembling to run the 5K race or walk or run the 1K route. The Walker family gave quite a performance winning not only first place (Nick) but also 10th (David) and 100th (Cary)!
Th En Plein Air Market opened early bursting with fresh breads, foods and vegetables — and a whole lot more besides.
There were vendors galore …
… but always an idyllic scene looking towards the river.
Over at the Old Lyme Inn, a jazz band wowed the crowd under the large tent …
… and, next door at the Lyme Art Association, some handsome bulls also impressed a different crowd …
The ladies of the Lyme Garden Club were selling their wares …
… and the Old Lyme Historical Society had plenty of books and information on offer …
On the south side of I95, the fun continued. There was a huge array of vendors at Lyme Academy College …
along with a tempting lobster truck and plenty of New Orleans-themed food. Music was a continuum at the College from 11 a.m. through until 4 p.m. …
A zydeco band was especially popular, while …
… Tribal Crafts benefiting the Lakota Indians of South Dakota drew many interested admirers …
… and Steve Evankow demonstrated his stone-carving skills …
There was activity all the way down Lyme Street with all the stores participating and the ‘Plein Air’ painters selling their paintings on the lawn in front of Center School. In the early evening, the Old Lyme Town band entertained the gathering crowds behind Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School and finally, as night fell, a truly splendid display of fireworks concluded the festivities.
It was indeed a wonderful weekend to be in Old Lyme — and at the end of it, everyone was filled with happy memories and a strong sense of community … to such an extent that no one complained about the traffic jam on Lyme Street following the fireworks!
Wish you would have mentioned also the PLEIN AIR PAINTERS who were exhibiting at the Center School. It was a bit out of the way (used to exhibit on the lawn of the Old Lyme Inn.
Don’t forget them next year please. Thank you.
You weren’t forgotten — but we called you the ‘fence artists’ in the last but one paragraph. We’ve now corrected that to ‘Plein Air Painters’ — if you have some photos of the event at Center School, please send them along and we’ll add them to our story.
Thanks!
thank you so much, I had missed it. I will check if someone has some pictures and forward them to you.