Celebrate New Britain is an annual street festival in downtown New Britain. There are musical performances, food vendors, a hot dog eating contest, a car show, and kids zone. There is also the Bee-r Hive, which has alcoholic beverages and holds trivia and karaoke. Prevention palooza is also held at Celebrate New Britain, bringing awareness on drug prevention in New Britain.
Organizing body: Mayor Erin Stewart, New Britain Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
Location: Downtown New Britain
Date: May (TBD)
Time: 12 - 8pm
The only city-sponsored parade held in the City of New Britain is traditionally a huge event. The parade features veterans organizations, the Sphinx Temple Motor Patrol, cyclists, Temple Guard, school marching bands, clowns, a stilt walker, the police, EMS, the fire department, youth and local organizations, and many Fife and Drum Corps. The parade route is 2.2 miles from Broad/Burritt to Main Street and ends near Franklin Square.
Location: from the corner of Burritt and Broad Streets to Franklin Square
Date: May 27, 2024
Time: 6pm
New Britain’s Little Poland Festival was first held in 2012 to celebrate Polish culture and heritage and to highlight the city’s Polish neighborhood known as Little Poland. Over the years, the festival has grown from 600 participants to over 20,000, many traveling from across New England and beyond. With leaping folk dancers, live music, arts and crafts, unique shopping, Polish food, costumed characters, carnival rides and activities for kids, the Little Poland Festival is one of the fastest growing family friendly festivals of its kind in Connecticut.
Location: Broad Street
Date: June (TBD)
Time: TBD
The New Britain Rose Garden Festival is held annually at Walnut Hill Park to celebrate the beginning of summer. The event features several area restaurants, two musical groups, dancing, and alcoholic beverages in a beautiful park setting with 1,000 roses, the majestic World War I monument, and the water fountain located in the center of the four quadrants.
Location: Walnut Hill Park
Date: June (TBD)
Time: TBD
The Great American Boom is an Independence Day event that takes place in Willow Brook Park. In addition to a spectacular fireworks display, the event has food trucks and a DJ. Join us as we celebrate the freedom of our country with fireworks and fun!
Location: Willow Brook Park
Date: July 4
Time: Fireworks start ~ 9:15 pm
This annual Halloween event draws thousands, where children can safely walk the downtown area to Trick or Treat in a safe, controlled environment. The event first debuted in 2013 and has grown exponentially every year since. It is organized in collaboration with the New Britain Downtown District, the New Britain City Journal, and made possible by the generous donations of city downtown merchants. Little ghouls and goblins roam freely in the downtown streets to gather candy at over 20 businesses locations.
Location: Downtown New Britain
Date: October 31st, 2024
Time: 5-8pm
This event held in Central Park is an annual tradition marking a symbol of the holidays in the city. The event includes activities for children, hot chocolate, music, and more with Santa Claus bringing gifts for all of the children in attendance. Children are given the opportunity to tell Santa their Christmas wish while enjoying the singing of carols. This event is of one of the oldest public Christmas tree traditions in the nation, starting the same year as the Rockefeller tree in New York (1912) and pre-dating the National Christmas Tree on the White House Lawn by eleven years.
Location: Central Park in Downtown New Britain
Date: December (TBD)
Time: 6pm
