Weekly roundup
Top 5 things to know this week
1. The lake gets its annual cleaning Saturday morning.
Boats stage at the New Fairfield Town Park launch from 9 to 10am Saturday for the 2026 Candlewood Lake Annual Clean-Up, then fan out across the full shoreline before returning at noon for a community lunch donated by local restaurants. The event is free; boat captains registered their crews before the May 13 deadline. The Candlewood Lake Authority coordinates the cleanup each spring. (source · Register)
2. Brookfield votes on its $94.3M budget this Saturday.
Brookfield voters go to the polls Saturday, May 16, to decide the town’s 2026–27 municipal budget. Polls open 6am–8pm at the Brookfield Senior Center, 100 Pocono Road. Voters cast separate ballots on Education ($57.6M) and Town Operations ($36.7M). Non-binding advisory questions ask whether each portion is too high, adequate, or too low. The Annual Town Meeting on May 5 previewed the full proposal before Saturday’s machine vote. Budget documents and results will be posted at brookfieldct.gov. (source · Budget docs)
3. New Fairfield approved its $71M budget on May 9.
New Fairfield’s $71 million budget referendum passed on first vote, approving a 5.8% property tax increase. The vote was held at the Senior Center at 33 CT Route 37, polls open 10am–8pm. No second referendum is required — the budget is confirmed. The tax increase is driven by capital expenditures; individual impact varies by assessed value. Full budget documents at newfairfield.org. (source · Budget docs)
4. Candlewood Lake is back to summer range — boating season is open.
FirstLight has confirmed the 2025–26 shallow drawdown is complete, with lake levels returning to the normal summer operating range — between 427 and 429.5 feet above sea level — ahead of Memorial Day weekend. If you have been watching the shoreline come up over the past few weeks, the transition is essentially done. Dock installations, launch schedules, and water-level-dependent plans can proceed on summer assumptions. For a daily reading: 888-41-RIVER (888-417-4837). More at candlewoodlakeauthority.org/Drawdown. (source · Lake level hotline)
5. Down the Hatch is listed at $6.75M — summer 2026 is still an open question.
Down the Hatch in Brookfield — the only public waterfront restaurant on Candlewood Lake — has been listed for sale at $6.75 million. As of press time, the restaurant has not announced a 2026 season opening. This is an active sale, not a confirmed closure: an ownership transition is underway, and whether the docks open this summer depends on how quickly it resolves. For anyone counting on a waterside lunch run this Memorial Day, there is no clear answer yet. Patch Brookfield first reported the listing in March. (source)
Upcoming events
This week’s events
On the lake
Connecticut Bass Nation Central Division hosts a 50-boat bass fishing tournament at Squantz Cove on Sunday morning. Lake users on the north end should expect elevated traffic near the launch ramp. Open to club members; courtesy to all lake users — give way and plan accordingly.
Community happenings
New Fairfield Sip & Stroll: New Fairfield Parks & Recreation’s annual Sip & Stroll returns with a Mardi Gras in May theme. A Bourbon Street-style parade kicks things off at 2:30pm, departing from the Senior Center on Route 37 and arriving at Town Hall. Strolling begins at 4pm — more than two dozen local businesses and organizations are serving as stops along the route. Glasses are $30 in advance, $35 day of (must be 21+; ID required). Pick up your glass and map at Town Hall between 4:00–6:00pm. Parade participants can call 203-312-5633 to join. More at newfairfield.org. (source)
The Greatest of All Towns Festival: wraps its weekend run with a full day: baby goat petting zoo, carnival rides, local food trucks, live entertainment. Friday night brought the Moonlight 5K, a USATF-certified run along the Housatonic benefiting the Ostomy Foundation. Full schedule at goatdays.org. (source)
Great Housatonic Duck Race: The Rotary Club’s annual fundraiser follows the Memorial Day Parade along the Housatonic River at Young’s Field. A long-running tradition. Ducks can be sponsored at go.eventgroovefundraising.com/duckrace26. No registration needed to watch. More at nmrotary.org. (source)
Downtown Chow-Down: CityCenter Danbury's weekly lunchtime food truck series continues Wednesdays through June 24. Rotating lineup of regional trucks with live music on Main Street. Free admission. More at citycenterdanbury.com. (source)
Local Spotlight
Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market
Fifty years of Sunday mornings on Route 7.
Celebrating 50 years of Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, Connecticut.
490 Danbury Road in New Milford does not look like much from the highway — a long parking lot off Route 7, banners snapping in the wind. But every Sunday from April through December, it becomes the place that makes the weekend feel like a weekend.
Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market opened in 1976. This year marks its fiftieth season.
General admission runs 7am to 2pm; early buyers — the ones who know what they are after — start arriving around 5:30am.
The layout is straightforward: vendors spread across the lot, the usual mix of antiques, crafts, produce, and the occasional hard-to-categorize item that turns out to be exactly what you did not know you needed. The formula has not changed much. That is part of the appeal.
For information: [email protected] or 860-355-1448. (source)
Got someone or someplace to nominate? Get in touch!
Training tips
Lake / Safety / Stewardship
Clean-up Saturday, summer levels confirmed, and a reminder for the north end Sunday.
The 2026 Candlewood Lake Annual Clean-Up runs Saturday morning, May 16. Boats stage at the New Fairfield Town Park launch from 9 to 10am, spread across the full shoreline, and return at noon for a community lunch donated by local restaurants. Registration and information for next year at candlewoodlakeauthority.org/Volunteer. (source)
FirstLight confirms the 2025–26 drawdown is complete. Lake levels are back in the summer operating range (427–429.5 feet above sea level). The transition was coordinated with CT DEEP, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the CLA. For daily lake level readings: 888-41-RIVER (888-417-4837). More at candlewoodlakeauthority.org/Drawdown. (source)
One note for lake users: Connecticut Bass Nation holds a 50-boat tournament at Squantz Cove on Sunday, May 17. If you are on the north end of the lake that morning, expect elevated traffic near the Squantz launch ramp. (source)
In case you missed it
Resident / Community Closer
Sherman honors its veterans at the Town Green. Sherman’s Hometown Heroes banner program added new names Saturday. The dedication ceremony at the Town Green — 15 Route 39 North, Sherman — honored Sherman residents who have served in the armed forces. New military veteran banners were unveiled at 11am, each bearing a name and service branch, destined to hang along Route 39 through the center of town.
The Hometown Heroes program has run for several years. Each banner represents one resident’s service. Families, neighbors, and the honorees gather at the Green for the dedication: a short, public ceremony that does not require a crowd to carry weight. (source)