Petting zoo, pony rides, mariachi and food trucks galore: at Edgerton Park’s 36th annual Sunday in the Park celebration, locals of all ages enjoyed four hours of wholesome, end-of-summer fun.
The festival, which took place early Sunday afternoon, hosted a wide variety of activities around the 25-acre park, from indigo dyeing and cyanotype printing to carriage rides and a scavenger hunt. Throughout the event, four styles of music filled the air — ranchera, folk and bluegrass, acoustic blues and big band -swing.
“This is an opportunity for people together, we have this beautiful day, and just enjoy public spaces and the value of public spaces,” said Eliza Shaw Valk, vice president of the Edgerton Park Conservancy.
The festival plays an integral role in preserving both the physical park and the community for nearby residents.
Edgerton Park, which sits just northwest of Prospect Hill, was once the estate of Yale’s own Eli Whitney. After passing hands several times, the land was given to the city of New Haven in 1965.
“Then it was essentially left in disarray,” said Shaw Valk, who is also a fellow of Morse College. “And then the neighborhood came together and formed the conservancy, and they worked to restore the park and make it a safe place where people could come.”
The Sunday in the Park festival serves as the largest fundraiser for the conservancy, a volunteer organization that cares for the park and runs programming throughout the year, according to Shaw Valk.
Last year, she estimated, the festival raised around $20,000.
“The goal of this day is not necessarily fundraising,” said Gary Heller, who was recently named president of the conservancy’s board. “The goal is that people come out and enjoy the park. And if we fundraise, that’s terrific.”
One of the most popular events was an owl demonstration. A sizable crowd gathered around Rose Crisci of Blue Moon Raptors as she introduced a procession of hawks and owls. Each perched obediently on her wrist, eyeing its audience.
One girl’s mother proposed that they check out the horse-drawn carriage rides, but the nine-year-old, Lyra, insisted they stay with the raptors. Why?
“I love birds of prey,” she said.
The petting zoo also proved to be a hit. Two chickens, three sheep, three goats, a black rabbit, a wallaby and several enthusiastic children milled around in a straw-filled pen.
One young visitor worried about the rabbit’s safety, but a volunteer was reassuring.
“No, none of them are going to eat the bunny.”
The wallaby, meanwhile, seemed to be the star of the show. As it bounced around the enclosure, several adults standing nearby wondered whether they could keep one in their home.
6-year-old Lucy said that the marsupial was her favorite animal in the petting zoo. She enjoyed the festival as a whole due to frequent animal interactions, particularly in the realm of “horsey rides.”
At 1 p.m., though, the dog parade was the place to be. A motley crew of canines — at least two sporting Yale merchandise — promenaded past the park’s fountain. The showrunner managed to find an award for each of them.
While many at Edgerton were new to the Elm City, others were regulars. Alden and Julian, both 11 years old, said that they had been to Sunday in the Park “many, many times.”
Andy Morgan, who offered Tarot readings with a deck he illustrated himself, has been coming even longer — “almost as long as it’s been going on.”
Morgan, a forensic psychiatrist and professor of National Security Studies at the University of New Haven, added, “Ever since I’ve been in New Haven, it’s [been] one of the parks where it was safe to go to. Edgerton Park was always the park [where] they said, ‘No, you can take your family. There’s lovely people.’ And it’s really true.”
Two other visitors and volunteers interviewed by the News echoed Morgan’s remarks.
Merry-Gail Asprelli, former president of the Bonsai Society of New Haven, which has a long-standing relationship with Edgerton Park, emphasized the park’s role in supporting the area’s culture.
“Community. It’s all about community,” Asprelli said. “Everybody gets together, has a good time, and everybody’s here having fun.”
Edgerton Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contact Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch at elijah.hurewitz-ravitch@yale.edu.