Community Corner
Avon Day: A Fun Thing to Do While Supporting Charities
Mark your calendars for Sept. 29 and enjoy a day of non-profits, facepainting, ReMax balloon rides, demonstrations, Taste of Avon, pie-eating, a fashion show and much more!
Avon Day wasn't always a large event.
It started 31 years ago as a barbecue on the Avon Town Green to thank town officials for their service to Avon.
As more people from town were invited, carnival features like Ferris wheels were incorporated into the celebration.
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"It grew from the Town Green up to where we got too large and had to move to larger facility," Avon Day Committee Chairman Len Del Gallo Sr. said, noting that at one point it moved to the First Company Governor's Horse Guards' headquarters on Arch Road.
Now Avon Day, which is scheduled for Sept. 29 at Thompson Brook School from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., is no longer a carnival, but it has become the biggest town-wide event of the year.
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“We agreed it was getting away from the original intent, which was to have a social event for the town and if we could raise money for charity, that was a plus," Del Gallo Sr. said of the carnival days. "It wasn’t going to be a profit-making thing. It will be that way as long as I’m involved."
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The Avon branch of UNICO has sponsored the event for about 18 years. Admission is free, but wooden tokens are sold for food and inflatables.
The majority of the proceeds will benefit the Avon Special Needs Fund to assist residents who struggle to pay their heating or oil bills. Last year, about $8,200 was raised, including $3,100 from food sales and $5,100 from token sales for the inflatables. Up until 3:30 p.m., 80 percent of the food proceeds are donated to the fund. After that point, the restaurants and food booths get to keep all the money they make from food sales.
Taste of Avon Menu
The following restaurants and organizations will be selling food at Avon Day. Here's a sneak peek at the menu.
Steak tips on a skewer Carvel
Ice cream Avon Volunteer Fire Department
Pulled pork, chili Avon Police Association
Popcorn, cotton candy, pre-packaged ice cream, ice pops, soda, water Avon/Canton Rotary
Hamburgers, hotdogs Avon Country Deli
Philly cheese steak
New England Pasta Company Toasted cheese ravioli, turkey and white bean, chili with cornbread Toshi-Izakaya
Teriyaki chicken and California rolls Max A Mia
Scallops The Lime Bar & Grill
Chicken on a skewer with seasonal vegetables Big Y
Strawberry shortcake UNICO
Fried dough Miller Foods Display tent only
Del Gallo said Avon Day differs from Sam Collins Day, route: {:controller=>"articles", :action=>"show", :id=>"sam-collins-day-2012-a-gallery"} --> in Collinsville and
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