Grotonfest Postponed A Second Time, to Sunday Oct. 9

For the third time in three weeks, Grotonfest is dodging rain drops. The town’s premier fall festival is now scheduled for Sunday, October 9.
Originally scheduled for September 24, the event was first pushed back a week, and organizers have now had to moved it again, from the first weekend in October to Columbus Day weekend. The target day is Sunday, October 9, to avoid a conflict with Yom Kippur, an important Jewish holiday that falls on Friday and Saturday. Columbus Day, Monday Oct. 10, is the backup rain date.

Jane Bouvier, Groton Board of Trade Vice-president and Grotonfest organizer, before announcing the second big slip, said that she was tearing her hair out in frustration at the fickle New England weather.

“I’ve been on the phone with Steve Webber and Mike Rasmussen (Groton Board of Trade officers), and we don’t see any option. The forecast is for 70% chance of rain. We’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I have never been in this situation before and I hope we never are again!” Bouvier said. “What really hurts me is that this is big a fundraiser for a lot of these people — the Women’s Club has been baking pies for days — I hope they can freeze them for a week! But we don’t see any other option here.”

The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday the 2nd is now a 70% chance of rain.

Bouvier was expecting 4000-5000 people and about 170 exhibitor booths at Grotonfest before the two slips in scheduling, and hoped that the public and all performers would be able to adapt their schedules for the new October 9 date.