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Community Corner

Hurricane Irene Shortens Weekend Events

Chester Fair and Westbrook Muster are still on.

With long lines at the gas stations as Hurricane Irene works it’s way up the East coast, segments of normal Connecticut life can still be found; for now.  Going on fifty-one years, the Westbrook Drum Corp has been hosting their annual Muster on the Westbrook little league fields on the last weekend of August.  This year is no different, except that pesky hurricane may shorten the event.. 

As Friday night rolls around, fife and drum corps members from as many as 110 different corps descend on Westbrook and set up camp.  Many in tents, some in trailers and very few in full fledged RV’s.  Party tents line the field as some Corps prepare their version of tailgating, complete with barbeque and beer.  Friday evening at 7PM the Muster gets under way with the Tattoo.

The Muster officially begins Friday night with the Military Tattoo at 7PM.  Saturdays Parade begins at 11AM with the Muster immediately following. 

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If it weren’t for the Sunday arrival of Hurricane Irene, campers would remain all weekend, but as it stand now, the Westbrook Residents State Troopers have issued an evacuation time of 8PM on Saturday evening. 

The muster may be a little shorter this year, but it’s still a portion of Americana worth witnessing.  No other part of the country is home to so many ancient fife and drum corps.

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Not to be left out, the Chester Fair is also this weekend.  Originally scheduled to run Friday, Saturday and Sunday, this year festivities will not include Sunday.  Knowing that hurricanes and tents don’t play well together, the decision has been made that the fair will not be open on Sunday and all vendor tents and amusement rides must be taken down on Sunday.  Until then however, they are open for business as usual. 

Be it the Chester Fair, the Westbrook Muster, or both, there are still plenty of activities going on in the Connecticut River Valley area, at least until hurricane Irene arrives.

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