East Haven residents attended the Fall Festival earlier this month; favoring the fried dough over other cuisines. From September 9th until the 11th, hundreds of people made their way to the green for a weekend packed full of food and fun.

On one side of the green there were carnival rides for kids of all ages, and the other side was infused with many booths catered to small businesses and volunteering opportunities. Returning volunteer and President of the Executive Committee, Noreen Clough said, “It’s nice seeing everybody coming together for the town.” Clough has been involved in the Fall Festival for over 20 years and has deep roots in East Haven. Many other guests agreed that the best part was being together with family and friends.

Walking into the Fall Festival is like a smack in the face of italian. There was a whole booth of merchandise that was Italian-themed. One of the most prominent foods was fried dough. The line at the fried dough booth was always the longest and most people were walking away with two pizzas, one with sauce and the other with powdered sugar.

One booth owner, Erica Rice from the Scenic Route Candle company said, “I’m a small business owner and I had to close my shop during COVID, so this is a great way to get in front of people in the community.” As everyone knows, COVID took a big toll on businesses, especially small businesses, so a festival like this is an amazing way to get themselves back out there. The Fall Fest was also shut down due to COVID. So, after a two year hiatus of the EH Fall Festival, this one was definitely a success.