Water Damage Restoration in Fairfield, CT

FAIRFIELD, CT — Pet Pantry Warehouse will host its annual Fairfield Dog Days event on Sunday, June 22, at Old Town Hall Green, bringing together pet owners, local businesses, and nonprofit groups to raise awareness and funds for animal rescue efforts.

The family-friendly outdoor festival, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public. Activities will include lure coursing for dogs, face painting, caricature drawings, a bone bar, splash park, food trucks, and an ice cream station for pets.

Adopt-A-Dog, a nonprofit animal shelter, is among the beneficiaries of the event. “It’s a wonderful event for the community with activities for kids and adults,” said Christine Amato, Executive Director of Adopt-A-Dog. “We look forward to showcasing some of our adoptable pets and hope to connect with new foster families.”

Vendors interested in participating can apply for tent space through the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce website or by contacting event coordinator Katelyn Thaler. Tent spaces are 10-by-10 feet and limited in availability.

“The Fairfield event draws over 1,500 attendees each year,” said Beverly Balaz, President of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. “While the event is centered around dogs, vendors offering a wide range of products tend to see strong interest from the public.”

Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The Fairfield Dog Days festival is one of several seasonal events hosted by Pet Pantry Warehouse. Additional 2025 events include:

Major sponsors for this year’s Dog Days include First Mate, Raised Right, and Open Farm. Other contributing brands such as Earth Animal, Primal, Stella & Chewy’s, and Fromm will offer free product samples during the event.

“These events have become a staple in Fairfield County,” said Adam Jacobson, Executive Vice President of Pet Pantry Warehouse. “They’re designed to build community while supporting the welfare of pets and those who care for them.”

For more information about the event, sponsorships, or volunteer opportunities, visit www.ppwpet.com or follow @ppwpet on social media.

Event Details:

What: Fairfield Dog Days 2025When: Sunday, June 22, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.Where: Old Town Hall Green, 611 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CTEvent registration is also available via Eventbrite

The grant is one of more than 40 that Gov. Ned Lamont said are going to small towns throughout the state.

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield is receiving $601,170 from the state to go toward repaving and pedestrian improvements on Reef Road, Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Wednesday.

The grant is one of more than 40 going to small towns throughout the state "to complete a wide variety of infrastructure improvements, such as road safety reconstruction projects, emergency management upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements, educational and recreational facility upgrades, and other kinds of capital improvement projects."

A total of $30 million has been earmarked for the grants. Towns had to apply by Feb. 20 to be considered for the funds.

"Our small towns are an important part of what makes Connecticut such a special place to live and work," Lamont said in a statement. "By partnering with each town, we can help get these infrastructure projects completed so these towns can continue to thrive, remain competitive, attract businesses, and improve the quality of life for our residents."

Fairfield is contributing $150,292 toward the effort.

Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The grants are being provided through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, a state program managed by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management that delivers grants to small towns for economic development, community conservation, and quality-of-life capital projects, according to officials.

In addition to the grants from the state, each municipality is also contributing funds, bringing the total spent on the 48 projects to $43.4 million in a combination of state, local, and other funding sources.

Funding to support the grants was recently approved by the State Bond Commission, of which Lamont is the Chair.

CONNECTICUT — It appears that we may all want to look up to the sky tonight and early Monday in the hopes of catching something truly rare and special.

Forecasters say we have a good chance of seeing the northern lights in Connecticut Sunday night into Monday morning.

The Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 Geomagnetic Storm Watch for June 1 into June 2.

WFSB 3 TV Meteorologist Scott Gagliardi said in an update Sunday evening that "Tonight: Northern Lights! We will be dodging a few clouds & an isolated shower or 2, but there will be an opportunity for everyone to see them, it just depends on how late you're willing to stay up."

Timeline for when to see the northern lights in Connecticut

Find out what's happening in Across Connecticutfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"All eyes are looking north as we have an opportunity to see the Northern Lights tonight! We are still seeing plenty of clouds out there this evening, but they will become more scattered as we approach sunset," said WFSB 3 TV meteorologists. "There is also the slightest chance of a brief passing shower as we approach midnight, but this is in no way an all night issue. Everyone in the state will have an opportunity to see the Northern Lights it just depends on how early it starts (likely anytime after 9pm), and how long you are will to stay up. Be patient! Most areas of the state will become mostly clear by 2am. If you do plan on heading out, dress warmly as temperatures will fall back into the 40s for inland towns; near 50 along the shoreline."

The National Weather Service said at 7 p.m. that "A good deal of clouds are expected to linger across a good portion of our area throughout much of the night. However, after midnight there is a good chance that the cloud cover will break up to some degree for potential Aurora viewing."

The New York Times reports that the northern lights may be viewed as south as Alabama.

image via the National Weather Service

The National Weather Space Prediction Center said, "The brightness and location of the aurora is typically shown as a green oval centered on Earth’s magnetic pole. The green ovals turn red when the aurora is forecast to be more intense. Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise. The aurora is not visible during daylight hours. The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as 1000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right."

According to Space.com, Connecticut is one of 20 states that has a chance to see the northern lights. They advise, "head to a north-facing vantage point as far away from light pollution as possible. But as we approach the summer solstice on June 20/21, the window of darkness for observing northern lights is shrinking; the early morning hours around 1 and 2 a.m. might be the best time to try and see the northern lights."

There is a Facebook page called Northern Lights New England, which allows residents from all the states to share photos and videos of what you see. Already, some videos and photos have been posted from Cape Cod and Rhode Island.

Read More: ’Freak Accident’: Child, 3, Badly Burned, Community Rallies To Help

Last May, we also saw the northern lights in Connecticut

If you recall, last May, Connecticut was able to see the northern lights with the naked eye. Social media lit up with photos of the breathtaking imagery.

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Here is one photograph from last year.

State Sen. Tony Hwang discusses his opposition to the housing bill, HB 5002, which was recently passed by the Connecticut House.

Updated Thu, May 29, 2025 at 1:19 pm ET

There is no denying that Connecticut faces a serious housing crisis. Across our towns and cities, the need for diverse, affordable, accessible and workforce housing is real. I have long supported innovative and collaborative strategies to meet this need. But House Bill 5002 is not that solution, it is a flawed process cloaked in good intentions.

What began as a single-section bill to study homelessness quietly morphed into a 47-section omnibus overhaul of Connecticut’s housing law. This dramatic transformation occurred not through consensus or robust debate, but through a strike-all amendment that replaced the bill’s content entirely, without a public hearing or meaningful cognizant committee scrutiny. Such a maneuver undermines transparency, accountability, and the very principles of democratic lawmaking. It undermines trust in our government.

The stakes are too high to allow housing policy to be crafted in the shadows.

I opposed HB 5002 not because I oppose affordable housing, but because I believe how we legislate matters just as much as what we legislate. Our residents deserve better than a hastily assembled, top-down mandate that bypasses community voices.

This bill contains provisions that erode local zoning authority, pressure towns into meeting lofty “fair share” housing quotas, and remove long-standing parking requirements with little regard for traffic, infrastructure, public safety or disability access. It seeks to encourage “transit-oriented development” without first ensuring that the transit infrastructure actually exists, or that communities have the resources to support such density. It invites commercial property conversions into “middle housing” without understanding the long-term impact on schools, roads, water, and sewer systems is an untenable unfunded municipal mandate.

Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

I have been clear in my opposition to one-size-fits-all mandates. Our towns are not the same. From coastal cities to rural farmland, from transit hubs to protected watershed areas, the needs and capacities of each municipality vary widely. This bill fails to reflect that complexity. Worse, it punishes thoughtful local planning and threatens our natural resources and environmental protections, especially in watershed communities like Easton, Redding, and Newtown.

Let’s be clear: Connecticut must act on housing. But that action must be guided by collaboration, not coercion. It must uplift local innovation, not override it. And it must be pursued through transparent, inclusive legislation, not political maneuvering.

Governor Ned Lamont has acknowledged the need for balance, stating his appreciation for legislative accommodations that include his priorities that includes municipal engagement, aiding and incentivizing to remove local barriers to housing development while allowing municipalities to maintain community, environmental and infrastructure control. He emphasized that "there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the housing shortage," highlighting the importance of collaboration between the private sector, local leadership and state and federal government.

I echo the Governor's sentiments and advocate for a housing policy that respects the autonomy of local governments, ensures environmental protections, and considers infrastructure capacities. Our approach must be inclusive, transparent, and tailored to the specific needs of each community.

The Senate now has the responsibility to fix what the House has rushed. I urge my colleagues to slow this process down. Let’s return to open hearings, community dialogue, and smart, flexible housing solutions that honor our values and protect our future.

Connecticut’s housing future cannot be built on a foundation of legislative shortcuts.

— The opinion essay above was written by state Sen. Tony Hwang (R-28th), who represents Bethel, Easton, Fairfield, and Newtown.

HB 5002, a monster unworkable housing bill was passed late last night despite bi-partisan opposition and an outpouring of emails and phone calls from residents urging lawmakers not to pass this onerous bill. For those who reached out to our lawmakers, I thank you for having your voice heard. It's vital to our process! The bill passed late [Tuesday] night in an 84 to 67 vote.

I watched most of the 11-hour debate via streaming, and I appreciate those who spoke in opposition of the bill and the many amendments that were filed to make it more palatable -- which all failed by party lines. Approaching 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the vote concluded, and I was in disbelief of the results just like many people in Fairfield and Connecticut who value local control of zoning and land-use decisions. It came just as we had finished our own Town Plan & Zoning Commission meeting which could be a much different place as our decision making will be limited if HB 5002 gets passed by the State Senate.

As a watcher of housing legislation for many years, I find it unfortunate that the earnest work of many towns including Fairfield to create affordable housing and a diversity of housing stock is not recognized. "Keeping the suburbs" accountable is a terrible policy from lawmakers in Hartford who may not have visited our communities or seen firsthand the work that we do. Beauty also matters and having our unique and historical suburbs crammed with outsized developments and apartment buildings will change our landscape forever. Will there be a glut of housing at some point soon with high vacancy rates? Our population is not growing so much that it requires all of this housing stock.

Once land is developed, it's gone forever.

Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Maybe we will officially become the City of Fairfield through the mandates in HB 5002.

The impact of HB 5002 on our environment: I first ran for zoning because I was always concerned about environmental impacts of development. The planning aspect and zoning aspects by our communities are severely impacted by HB 5002. That adverse impact along with the extreme development pressure will result in the State never meeting is 21% of open space goal which the towns are supposed to also do, and we will continue to lose sense of environmental areas we will continue to invade the 100-ft buffer most towns have around inland wetlands and allow construction activity well within 100 ft of a tidal wetland.

At this time of climate change the DEEP has warned us sea level will rise 20 inches by 2050 there will be increasingly extreme storm events as well as sunny day flooding. We need open space, expanded and enforced 100 ft buffers around both inland wetlands and tidal wetlands. This is a time when we need to think about expanding our protection of our natural resources as a first line of defense against climate change impacts.

Instead, this bill puts multifamily residential development on the far higher priority than anything else and completely ignores our needs to use nature-based solutions to combat climate change. I don't think that's good policy.

HB 5002 now heads to the Senate where further changes will likely be made but not sure for the better.

What's in the bill?

The bill is expected to move to the Senate in the next day or so. I urge you to not only contact State Sen. Tony Hwang but also Majority Leader Bob Duff and Senate Pro Tempore Martin Looney and urge them all to vote no. The good news is that Fairfield's State Reps. Keitt and Leeper voted against the bill, however, Fairfield State Rep. McCarthy Vahey voted for it.

The battle continues.

As always, thank you for your time and consideration.