Before the fireworks fade too far into memory, let’s light up the sky for all those who made Westport’s best party in town possible. Jonathan Alloy offers thanks to:
The teens and traffic pros who made arriving and departing Compo so smooth. They nailed it.
The team at The Sandbar who were fast and tasty, especially with their outdoor grill. The days of waiting 40 minutes for a burger are over. Now it’s 40 seconds.
The Sandbar added an outdoor grill for the fireworks.
The residents and guests of Westport who were a delight to celebrate with all across the beach.
Hanging out, with 10,000 friends.
We’ll add a few more:
The entire Parks & Recreation Department, led by director Erik Barbieri. It was all hands on deck — and we hand it to them, for their hard work, energy, enthusiasm, and all-around smiles. The entire beach staff,, lifeguards, maintenance crew — all were on top of everythng.
A special shout-out to everyone who worked all night. By dawn, there was no sign that just a few hours earlier, 10,000 people packed the place.
Our Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Service departments. There were officers, motorcycles, firefighters, fire trucks, EMTs, ambulances everywhere. Thankfully, they were not called upon. But seeing them on the scene — along with a SWAT team, mutual aid forces aid more — was both impressive and comforting.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie, with Emergency Medical Services crew. (Photo/Jonathan Alloy)
Every other town department that helped. Public Works was involved, and I’m sure others too. You rock!
And of course the couple who made it happen, with their generous sponsorship: Melissa and Doug Bernstein. They helped Westport PAL raise much-needed funds, for programs and scholarships that impact thousands of kids.
(From right): Doug and Melissa Bernstein, with fellow longtime Westporter Miggs Burroughs. (All photos/Dan Woog unless noted)
You are all Unsung Heroes. And if Jonathan or I have missed anyone (or any group), please click “Comments” below.
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)
If it’s (almost) the beginning of July, it’s time for … taxes.
Most Westporters received their new real estate, personal property and motor vehicle taxes, plus any sanitary sewer use and assessment charges, yesterday. They’ll be available online too, beginning tomorrow (Wednesday).
First quarter payments are due July 1. Fortunately, we’ve got until August 3 to pay them, without penalty. Late fees are 1.5% per month.
Payments may be made by credit card, debit card, or direct withdrawal from a checking account on-line at www.westportct.gov. The tax collector’s PO box has been closed, but checks made payable to “Town of Westport” can be mailed to Tax Collector, Room 109, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport, CT 06880.
Payment can also be made in person (Town Hall Room 109), 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Speaking of the beginning of July: Westport’s annual fireworks display is Thursday (July 2).
Just a few tickets remain for the town’s biggest and best bash of the year.
The pyrotechnics begin just after 9 p.m., at Compo Beach. But hours earlier, residents begin partying — eating, playing, strolling, meeting friends and strangers. They keep going all night long.
The event is sponsored by longtime residents Melissa and Doug Bernstein, the Police Athletic League and Parks & Recreation Department.
This year they promise new, never-before-seen fireworks effects, plus an extended, extraordinary finale.
You need a ticket to park at the beach. Thanks to the Bernsteins, every purchase includes a “FlowArt Guided Art Pad” — custom-designed for Westport.
Ticket proceeds benefit Westport PAL, and their programs and scholarships serving thousands of youngsters. The few remaining tickets are available at Police headquarters on Jesup Road (24 hours a day) and the Parks & Recreation office at Longshore, near the first tee (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
Speaking of the fireworks … Seen on social media, and posted without comment:
“Looking for someone to set up a group of beach chairs early in the morning this Thursday July 2nd at Compo. Please DM me if you are interested or have a college kid home for the summer who would be! Thank you.”
As a heat wave settles in, the Westport Farmers’ Market will open this Thursday an hour earlier than usual (9 a.m.), and close promptly an hour earlier too (1 p.m.). Vendors who can set up by 9 will do so. Some may arrive later.
Shoppers are encouraged to arrive early, in the cooler morning hours.
The heat wave will send droves of Westporters onto (hopefully cooler) Long Island Sound.
Here’s an important reminder from Michelle Larson. She went boating yesterday, and writes: “We picked up at least a dozen Mylar balloons between Compo and Peck’s Ledge. Most are Father’s Day, Graduation Day and a few red and blue stars.
“Might be a good reminder on tying tight and disposing of properly. Or better yet: Just don’t buy balloons!”
Reagan Larson, age 9, with her bounty of balloons.
=================================================
As The Inn at Longshore and La Plage restaurant get set to reopen (soon!), they’re looking to fill positions, of all kinds.
A job fair will be held on-site today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday), from noon to 6 p.m.
Questions? Email mryan@innatlongshore.com.
Putting the finishing touches on The Inn at Longshore.
=================================================
“Bernstein’s Wall” — Westport filmmaker Doug Tirola and producer Susan Bedusa’s documentary about Leonard Bernstein — earned rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival, then at its theatrical premieres in New York and Los Angeles.
Now — finally — it will be screened locally.
The one-night-only event is July 9 (7 p.m., SHU Community Theatre, Fairfield).
Extra special highlight: Tirola and Bernstein’s daughter Jamie will take part in a post-show talkback, moderated by longtime film critic (and Westporter) Susan Granger.
“Bernstein’s Wall” traces the composer/conductor’s lifelong struggle to create social change and bring people together through his work.
While towering over the worlds of classical music, Broadway, television and culture, he advocated for progressive political change. He lent his name to numerous causes and groups, at great personal risk.
The film captures the sweeping arc of Bernstein’s life, sharing his private thoughts about America, politics, race, family, media, sex and religion. Click here to purchase tickets.(Hat tips: Fred Cantor and Caroline Owens)
Nina Bentley — the very creative, always whimsical Westport artist — is featured all month in a Senior Center art show. The title is “I Do, Or Maybe Not.”
Thirty pieces of art — some including her trademark typewriter — are on display during operating hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
The other day, Michael Chait snapped this intriguing view of the downtown Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge:
(Photo/Michael Chait)
No, the town has not put the iconic span up for sponsorship.
That’s just a (very long) truck crossing the bridge.
Although, come to think of it, maybe a corporate sponsor for that other bridge over the Saugatuck River could fund its renovation, without surrendering to the state …
================================================
There is always something special to see at Sherwood Mill Pond.
Judith Katz captured extra-special light the other day, for our “Westport … Naturally” feature:
And finally … David Clayton-Thomas, “a homeless Toronto runaway who learned guitar in prison and went on to become the lead singer of the gritty, blues-inspired band Blood, Sweat & Tears,” died Wednesday in Toronto. He was 84.
Westport’s Independence Day celebration is always special.
But this year — as our nation turns 250 — our fireworks will be off the charts.
Longtime residents Melissa and Doug Bernstein, the Police Athletic League and Parks & Recreation Department have teamed up to create Westport’s most spectacular celebration since our forefathers chased the British back to ships off (appropriately) Compo Beach.
The July 2 event includes brand new, never-before-seen fireworks effects, unveiled by Grucci over Long Island Sound, plus an extended, extraordinary finale.
Doug and Melissa Bernstein, at last year’s fireworks. This year’s will be even more spectacular, they promise.
But wait! There’s more!
The Bernsteins are giving free “FlowArt Guided Art Pads” to every family that buys a ticket to get into Compo Beach. (Ticket proceeds benefit Westport PAL, and their programs and scholarships that serve thousands of youngsters.).
FlowArt Guided Art Pads are the latest product from the Bernsteins’ new venture Lifelines — and the most popular item in their 35 years making products.
Every family gets this free custom-for-Westport gift with a fireworks ticket, courtesy of Melissa and Doug Bernstein.
But wait! There’s more!
This is not any old art pad. Melissa and Doug have designed a special limited edition custom, just for Westport.
The Bernsteins say, “This is our favorite time of year, seeing this amazing community gather together for such a joy-filled event.
“Knowing we waited 250 years for this very special anniversary, we pulled out all the stops to make this year’s celebration the best ever.”
Tickets are on sale now, at Police headquarters on Jesup Green (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and the Parks & Recreation office at Longshore, near the first tee (during business hours).
But wait! There’s more! Get those tickets early. They always sell out!
Westport PAL president Craig Bergamo (4th from right) hands the first 2026 fireworks ticket to Melissa Bernstein. Also at the historic Compo Beach cannons for the ceremony (from left) Police Chief Dave Farrell, Parks & Recreation officials Jamie Boone, Ryan Burke, Carm Roda and Nick Quatrano, 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, Doug Bernstein, Parks & Recreation’s Michael Giunta and director Erik Barbieri, Deputy Police Chief Ryan Paulsson. (Photo/Dan Woog)
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Westport’s fireworks are the best party of the year.
But — like any party — it doesn’t happen without tons of work.
Planning takes months. The day of the event is long, hard and very stressful.
And even when the party is over, the clean-up work continues.
Our annual celebration seems to run like clockwork. This year’s was especially flawless. (A record may have been set: only 2 lost children.)
So how did it happen?
A lot of groups worked a lot of hours. With a lot of collaboration.
Thanks go to:
Parks & Recreation Department. They’re the front lines — and the back room (and everything and everywhere in between). The fireworks are an all-hands-on-deck event, and everyone from director Erik Barbieri (overseeing his first one), deputies Rick Giunta and Carm Roda (definitely not their first rodeos), down to the lifeguards and newest summer employees, pitched in.
From parking assistance and emptying trash all day long, to reuniting those 2 lost kids with their parents, Parks & Rec did it all. Special thanks to the clean-up crews, who went to work the moment the first revelers left after the last firework, leaving behind mammoth piles of chairs, tables, towels, flip-flops, food and other garbage.
By dawn the next morning, it was all gone. A kerfuffle ensued on Westport Front Porch, when a Westporter wondered why the clean-up had been so efficient that when she went back the next day to retrieve her stuff, it was gone. I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea. No good dead — or pristine beach — goes unpunished.
An early trash pick-up, long before the big crowds arrive. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Police Department. This was Dave Farrell’s first fireworks as chief, and his men and women nailed it. They too were everwhere — in cars, on bicycles, on foot and on the water — with constant smiles, and an eagerness to help. They were assisted by officers from other towns. And, it seems safe to say, they returned the favor on other days, for those colleagues’ pyrotechnics.
Fire Department. You never know what might happen, at an event that draws 10,000 people. But the presence of so many firefighters — with all their equipment — was reassuring to all. They were not called on for anything major, so they had plenty of time to offer little kids up-close look at their gleaming trucks, and toots on the (very) loud sirens.
Emergency Medical Services.Our paid and volunteer staffs were all over the place too. They are sometimes overlooked — particularly on a day that was as incident-free as possible — but we would be nowhere without them (and their ambulances, parked strategically and ready for everything).
First responders, smiling but ready if needed. (Photo/Laurie Sorensen)
Westport PAL. They’re the beneficiaries of the parking permits. The money they raise helps fund sports and scholarship programs that impact thousands of youngsters. But PAL volunteers work hard, before and during the fireworks, to earn their donations. Congratulations to PAL president Corporal Craig Bergamo, and his crew, for their part in the party.
Melissa and Doug Bernstein.They’ve sold their toy company. But as devoted Westporters, they continue to pay for the show — out of their own, personal pockets. If there’s a better way to show your love for this town, I’d like to hear it.
Thanks to all I’ve mentioned (and I sure hope I haven’t missed anyone).
The 2025 fireworks are now now just a memory. But we would not have that memory — or the smiles on our faces — without you.
Doug and Melissa Bernstein. (Photo/Dan Woog)
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
On Tuesday (July 2), thousands of people will throng Compo Beach for the 4th of July fireworks show. (Westport is always ahead of the game.)
Sponsored by Melissa and Doug Bernstein, it’s been an annual tradition for more than 60 years.
Back in the day, the pyrotechnics were shot off on land, near the cannons. Westporters of a certain age remember the smell of the ashes, as they floated down all around.
(Our safety-impaired parents then tossed us in the back seat of the station wagon, facing backwards and without seat belts, for the ride home. But that’s another story.)
Now that the fireworks are shot from a barge offshore, some of the action has shifted to Soundview Drive. That part of the beach is packed. With the road closed to traffic, it becomes a street festival.
Little kids romp. Teenagers and adults meander (separately). Music plays. It’s like California’s Venice Beach, without the bodybuilders.
A century ago though, Soundview Drive looked very different.
Here’s that desolate view. (But check out the very cool bathhouses in the distance).
(Photo courtesy of Bill Scheffler)
The scene will look a lot different on Tuesday.
And mark your calendars for Sunday, July 28. ‘That’s the first-ever Soundview Summer Stroll.
The beach exit road will once again be closed. There will be live music, kids’ activities like face painting and balloons, a photo booth and food trucks — all courtesy of the Compo Beach Improvement Association and “06880.”
See you on the 2nd, and the 28th!
BONUS FRIDAY FLASHBACK:Some fireworks-goers will be dropped off, or arrive by Uber. They’ll avoid the $50 per vehicle ticket charge (hopefully they’ll donate to the Westport PAL anyway — it’s their major fundraiser of the year).
The drop-off point is the area near the volleyball courts, where Compo Beach Road becomes Soundview Drive.
It’s often a busy spot — and not just for the fireworks.
This was the scene when a trolley brought beach-goers from downtown and the railroad station.
On the left, you can see the open pavilion that is still there. On the right — now the Soundview parking lot — is a large building that once housed a restaurant and dance hall.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
Whenever Westport celebrates July 4th, we do it right.
It wouldn’t be the fireworks without Andrew Colabella.
Once again — thanks to the generosity of Melissa and Doug Bernstein; the hard work of Westport PAL, Parks & Recreation Department, Police, Fire and EMS — several thousand Westporters and friends enjoyed the best night of the year.
Doug and Melissa Bernstein sponsor the fireworks — so that Westport PAL can make money, to support thousands of youth programs and scholarships.
The ghost chairs — empty all day — were filled by late afternoon. There was plenty of food and drink; lots of sparklers and red-white-and-blue apparel, and only a few lost kids.
The fireworks — the finale — were just part of the party.
The barge, ready for the show.
And now we’ve got 5 more days to celebrate our nation’s independence.
One party, among hundreds.
PS: After all that, the beach was immaculate at dawn today. Kudos to all the Parks & Rec employees — and anyone else who made it happen.
Parks & Rec employees worked hard, all day long — and all night too.
Arm candy. (Photo/Miggs Burroughs)
One of several PAL stands …
… and CJ Healy and Case Robinson set up their own stand, to raise money to build basketball courts in Cuba.
Not all the Grucci fireworks workers were on the barge. These guys took a break from working on shore.
There were parties on Soundview Drive …
… an impromptu meeting of town leaders …
,,, and a chat between Jane Green and Michael Bregman.
Not far from a massive volleyball game …
… EMTs stood ready.
It wouldn’t be the fireworks without some fun on the sand …
… and on the lifeguard stand. (All photos/Dan Woog)
Tickets are going fast for the greatest party in town: the Independence Day fireworks.
They’re early this year: this Thursday (June 29). As always, Compo Beach is the place to be.
The event is sponsored — once again — by longtime Westport residents Melissa and Doug Bernstein. Their generosity allows Westport PAL to benefit from ticket sales — and run programs and offer scholarships impacting thousands of kids.
Tickets ($50 per car) can be bought at the Westport Police station (50 Jesup Road) and Parks & Recreation office (in Longshore Park), during business hours.
They’re first-come, first-served. And no one gets into Compo without one.
Yesterday’s s Great Duck Race was a huge success. Attendees — win or lose — had tons of fun. The Westport Sunrise Rotary Club put on another successful event. And the many non-profits that will benefit from the fundraiser will be thrilled.
But there were smaller moments to celebrate too. Here’s one.
Jo Luciano grew up in Westport. She now lives in Florida, but had a special reason to donate to the Duck fundraiser: Her father — Police Chief Sam Luciano — died suddenly in 1970. The Westport Rotary Club generously paid for her, and her sister Carol’s, college educations.
Jo had trouble making the online donation. She found the address for the Rotary Club — but it was “Westport Rotary,” not the “Sunrise Rotary” that puts on the event.
No problem. Leslie Roberts of Westport Rotary forwarded Jo’s email to the Sunrise club.
Problem solved! Jo bought 3 ducks.
But there’s also this Westport-is-really-just-a-small-town postscript: Sunrise Rotary past president Rick Jaffe told Jo: “I live on the other side of the train station from Luciano Park. I take my grandchildren there whenever they visit.”
That’s right: the small park in Saugatuck is named for Jo’s father, the late police chief.
It’s great that Jo still feels connected to Westport. And that Rick now feels a bit more connected to Luciano Park.
Here’sPolice another Great Duck Race story: At the end of a very busy day, Dave Hoffman of the Makin’ Waves food truck had one coconut shrimp left.
He knew Sunrise Rotarian Sheila Keenan loves it. So he walked it across the street, and presented it to an equally exhausted — but very grateful — Sheila.
Dave Hoffman, Sheila Keenan and the coconut shrimp. (Photo and hat tip/Richard Jaffe)
Meanwhile, this morning — at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m. — 21 teenagers and 6 adult leaders left Saugatuck Congregational Church, for their annual youth mission trip.
This year’s destination: Washington state. They’ll help with flood recovery, and work with families in need.
Previous mission trips have included Colorado, Arizona, Maine, Alabama, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
Saugatuck Church youth group. (Photo/Mark Mathias)
Green’s Farms Congregational Church’s youth group left this weekend too, on their mission.
And finally … on this date in 1876, the 2-day Battle of the Little Bighorn began. It was an overwhelming victory for the combined Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, and a humiliating defeat for the US Army’s 7th Cavalry. Five of their 12 companies were wiped out; General George Armstrong Custer was killed, along with 2 brothers, a nephew and a brother-in-law.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
