SPIN! SPIN! SPIN! Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular Ushers In Thanksgiving Holiday
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The beloved event marked it’s 30th appearance this year better than ever. Thousands of people from all over Fairfield and Westchester counties lined the streets of downtown Stamford to marvel at 15 giant, 30' high balloons, listened to marching bands and enjoyed a variety of performing artists.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The parade is acknowledged to be one of the largest of it's kind in country. There were, as always several excellent marching bands, various entertainers including talented dance performers from area dance schools, the high energy clowns and of course The Grinch and Whoville and closing the parade were Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Westport was well represented by Westport volunteer EMS including Nancy Surace and crew chief Brian Crane who patrolled the parade route on bicycle, and even rendered aid to one youngster with a minor issue.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Golfin’ With The Geese At Longshore
Sunday’s beautiful weather brought many golfers to Longshore’s Golf Course. They had to maneuver their way through a couple of large flocks of geese which have gotten larger and more pervasive on the course. One golfer seemed a little amused as we captured the scene, perhaps feeling as though she had a gallery to applaud her sinking her next putt. While the geese didn’t do much to make the links more inviting, the beautiful splashes of color that remain made for a stunning backdrop indeed.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
It does seem as though the golfers are intruding upon the activities of the geese rather than the other way around. We did not see them interfere with play however.
Indian-American Community Celebrates The Diwali Festival In Stamford
Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights, was celebrated by the Connecticut chapter of GOPIO (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin) in partnership with the Ferguson library and the Stamford Mayor's Multicultural Council (MMC) with traditional music, dance, Mehendi, Indian snacks and a rangoli exhibition.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Diwali, which is a major festival in the Indian sub-continent, celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains all over the world. Diwali is now a public holiday in many US towns and cities including New York.
The performances by local dance schools showcased the diversity of India with classical, fusion, folk as well as Bollywood dances. Indian delicacies served after the event were enjoyed by all.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
In these three photos above, girls from the Stamford chapter of Hindi USA are performing the Deepvandana stotram in dance form at GOPIO- CT's annual Diwali celebration in collaboration with the Stamford Mayor's multicultural council and the Ferguson library. In Hindu Sanatan Dharma, the tradition of lighting a lamp in the early morning hours and in the evening at sunset is more than 5000 years old. Any auspicious occasion, be it a festival, a wedding or a puja, is initiated with the lighting of a lamp. Diwali or Deepawali (meaning row of deeps/diyas little lamps) is celebrated by lighting little diyas or lamps as it falls on New moon day, to remove the darkness, representing victory of light of knowledge over the darkness of ignorance. Fire from a diya symbolizes purity and enlightenment.
The dancers pictured above include: Chandrala Kulkarni, Saanvi Kulkarni, Shreya Perinkulam, Saesha Gianchandani, Ishika Rao, Ipsika Bokka, Hansika Janna
The event was a culmination of the flawless team work between three organizations. Everyone came together to spend the afternoon immersed in the culture, heritage and colors of the Diwali, the festival of lights.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Fading Autumn Colors At Longshore
David and Jennifer, who live across Compo Road from the golf course enjoy the fading colors of autumn on a few trees still have their orange and rust colored leaves, as they stroll down the allée at Longshore with their Border Collie Mac and their Poodle-Aussie mix Ada.
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com