BRISTOL — Holiday weekends often seem to come and go too quickly, but those in the Bristol area can look forward to two celebratory weekends in a row.
This year, the fifth annual “Pocock Rocks!” music festival and street fair will be held on Saturday, June 1, the weekend after Memorial Day, on Main Street in Bristol.
“Attendance has grown each year,” said Carol Wells, executive director of the Bristol Downtown Community Partnership, which sponsors the event. “We try to tweak it a bit each year to improve even more.”
Pocock Rocks, which takes its name from the original name given to Bristol in 1762 (Pocock), has traditionally been held the third week in June. Scheduling earlier in the summer this time avoids conflict with other big festivals around the state, allowing attendees and vendors alike to “kick off the festival season” at Pocock Rocks, Wells said.
While in past years the festival was held during daytime hours, this year the festival will be more of an evening event, running from 4 to 8 p.m.
“We thought it would still be good for families, and also for more of a music festival atmosphere,” Wells explained, noting that this year the festival will feature more than 30 vendors. Holding the festival in the evening also meant that even more craftspeople and artisan food makers, many of whom spend mornings and afternoons at farmers’ markets, could offer their wares to Pocock Rocks festivalgoers.
Organizers hope that attendees will enjoy being able to kick back at home during the early summer afternoon, then come downtown for dinner and dancing at the festival.
This year, the music lineup will include live performances from Sweet Transitions, The Patrick Fitzsimmons Trio, Gang of Speed and other favorite local performers.
Bristol shops will offer special deals and events, while area craftspeople plan to give live demonstrations of their skills and local wine and beer makers will offer a range of options. A “bouncy house” will be available for the kids, as well as face-painting, henna tattoos and a climbing wall.
Dining and dancing in the street is encouraged.
“It should be a fun night as long as the weather holds,” Wells said.