ve.
“Beware of Scams!! Please note that the Mum Festival is the only event accepting vendor applications for our Spring Fling Arts and Craft Fair on March 28, 2026.”
5th Annual Spring Fling Fair
Volunteers Needed for the 2026 Mum Festival!
We are in great need of volunteers for the 2026 Mum Festival! As most of you know, this historic event almost ended in 2015. Thanks to a public outcry, and the Exchange Club of Bristol CT stepping up, our city’s marquee event was saved. The City of Bristol has also provided an annual grant to ensure that the Mum Festival is supported. This is where you come in! We need your support on our Mum Festival Committee to keep this event going. Whether it is serving on our All Volunteer Committee, or just picking an event to help out on during the Festival, is so critical to the Festival’s survival. As many of our committee members will tell you, it’s a lot of fun, especially giving back to your community.
PLEASE consider helping out by being a Mum Festival Volunteer, by contacting us at MumFestivalBristol@gmail.com
Your message has been sent and received!
Thank you for your submission! Our Volunteer Director will respond to you. For any reason you do not hear back, email us at MumFestivalBristol@gmail.com.
2026 Event Calendar
Brought to you by The Bristol Exchange Club & Mum Festival and Mum Festival Committee!
Need your local event added? Just email us, and we would be happy to add it!
2025 Parade Awards
Below is the list of winners for performance and float categories for the 2025 Bristol Mum Festival Parade. Thank you to all of the 60+ parade units who participated in this year’s event!
I. Best Overall, Given in Memory of Bob Bailey: Sphinx Shrine Motor Patrol
II. Music and Marching Awards
H.S. Marching Band, 1st Place: Bristol Eastern High School
H.S. Marching Band, 2nd Place: Terryville High School
H.S. Marching Band, 3rd Place: Bristol Central High School
1st Place, Senior Music: Connecticut Patriots Fife & Drum
Non Musical, 1st place: St. Paul Catholic High School
Non Musical, 2nd place: Bristol Eastern Cheerleaders
III. Dance & Gymnastics Performers
Dance & Gymnastics, 1st Place: The Dance Project
Dance & Gymnastics, 2nd Place: Dance Experience
Dance & Gymnastics, 3rd Place: Dance Arts Center
IV. Special Awards
Festival Chairperson’s Award: Central Connecticut Ghostbusters
Hometown Hero Award: Lights on Rosewood
Mayor’s Award: Bristol America 250 Committee
Parade Chairperson’s Award for Best Use of Theme: “Where All Hearts Connect”: The Dance Project
V. Float Awards
Best Live Flowers: Bridge Community Church
Best Business, In Memory of Sheila Kelley (1st Place): Flips Gymnastics
Best Business, In Memory of Sheila Kelley (2nd Place): Dance Project
Best Community, 1st Place: Bridge Community Church
Best Community, 2nd Place: CT Kidz
Best Community, 3rd Place: Bristol America 250 Committee
Best Youth, 1st Place: Bristol Youth Lacrosse
Best Youth, 2nd Place: Bristol Gladiators
Mum Festival Poem
MUM FESTIVAL 2025
By Tom Lagasse, Bristol Poet Laureate
Once in Bristol, on Chippen’s Hill, there was a rainbow of chrysanthemums that captivated visitors and locals alike, which forever made us the self-proclaimed Mum City.
Like us, mums too, arrived here as immigrants, whose seeds traveled across an ocean and became part of us. Hardy, diverse, they twinkle on overcast days, shine like jewels in the autumn sun, and withstand cold nights when frost, that layer of ice, maims
Or kills the gardens we tended with care. They are survivors.
More than half a century ago, several of Bristol’s supporters believed there was a need to recognize the town’s bouquets where many
more saw a weedy, fallow field. Now, different boosters continue the tradition of celebrating the town’s health, acknowledging what it gets right. This thankless work to celebrate who we are flower, stem and root, is a party for us, complete with a parade,
Where marching bands and dancers join veterans, and members Of our faith and government institutions. Where our current and future leaders, our lineage, our history is on display.
Along the sidewalks, regardless of weather, we applaud in gratitude and pride. Here we can remember not only who we are but what we share, a desire to have things be a little better for young and old alike.
And here, on Memorial Boulevard, when the laughter and joy
Of children and young people on carnival rides fills the night sky, we can only hope this appeases the ghosts, our ancestors,
Whose names are etched on the plaques and monuments That line this road. They gave their lives fighting
for freedom and against tyranny, as they watch over us.
As we begin this year’s festival, remember the sturdy mum. its historic use is to both beautify and heal. It is not,
as it once was, to be mistaken for a common weed. This is who we are, in art, in sport, and in enterprise – hardy and resilient – we are all chrysanthemums.
2025 SPONSORS
Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors! If you are interested in becoming a 2025 Sponsor, please complete the Sponsor form at 2025 Sponsor Application: Please Select this Link.
Sponsor the 2025 Mum Festival!
Download the 2024 Sponsor Form:
(For donations over $500.00)
2025 SPONSOR APPLICATION: Please Select this Link
Online Mum Booster Donations: Donate
($10.00 – $500.00)
BENEFACTOR
PRODUCERS
PRESENTING SPONSOR ($10,000.00)
EXPRESS KITCHENS
Thank you for the use of your parking lot!! A true Bristol All Heart Company!!
2025 HONOR SPONSOR
FAMILY EVENTS SPONSOR ($5,000.00)
RGD Technologies & The Bristol Blues
MAIN STAGE SPONSORS ($5,000.00)
PLATINUM SPONSORS ($2,000.00)
GOLD SPONSORS ($1,000.00+)
Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth Services
City of Plainville
Plainville Police Department
JRC Trucking
Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union
Touch of Pride Landscaping, LLC
UNITS Moving & Portable Storage
SILVER SPONSORS ($500.00+)
Gina & Jack Ferraro
BRONZE SPONSORS ($250.00+)
Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce
Corporate America Family Credit Union
Mickey Goldwasser
BOOSTERS ($100.00 – $249.00)
Jason Fields
Andy Adams
Debbie Schur
Donna Damm Dognin
Maria Salice
Brianna Longo
Natalie Wright Cummings
Karl & Dianna Tack
Sue Berard
Sue Gendreau
Sue Radke
Harley Graime
Dave Rackliffe
Sue Radke
Shannen Cianci
Lara Nichols
Sarah Sullivan
Barbara L. Bajurny
Many Thanks to All Our 2025 Sponsors!
Please consider being a Sponsor for the 2025 Mum Festival!
ONLINE 2025 SPONSOR FORM: Please Select this Link
Sponsor the Fall Festival of the year…
OUR STORY: The Mum Festival has been an epic fall festival in Bristol’s history. Once known as the Mum City, Bristol was famous for this colorful flower, and through the years proud Fall festivities were put on by residents for all in the region to enjoy! The Festival is Sponsored by the City of Bristol and Directed by the Greater Bristol Exchange Club. One of the premiere festivals in New England!
This is where you come in! In order to do the Festival justice, we are approaching you to be one of the many great and necessary sponsors to pull off the considerable size and scope of this effort. With you on board, we can create a memorable event for thousands of Mum Festival goers, encouraging thousands to experience the many layers of festival offerings over a 4-day action packed weekend. In a sponsorship role, this great event will provide your business or organization exposure to thousands of people, in addition to tens of thousands of impressions through our advertising and event efforts leading up to the big weekend. The 2016 Mum Festival and Parade drew well over 50,000 visitors!
All sponsorships will be tax deductible via 501(c) 3 non profit event partner, The Bristol Exchange Club. If you are interested in sponsoring or would like more info please contact: Jason Fields: E: jgfields@att.net P: 860.707.6286
What: Over the course of the weekend the 2018 Mum Fest will feature dozens of vendors from area businesses, crafters, local producers, restaurants, food trucks, community organizations, non profits, and museums, in addition to games, children’s programming, adult beverages, fireworks on Friday, all-day live music and entertainment, a car show and so much more!
Where: The event will be held in downtown Bristol at Memorial Boulevard Theatre field and the surrounding area, where parking, including handicap parking, will be available too. Parking will also be available at Associated Spring, the Depot Square (former mall) lot, other municipal lots, and on-street, where available.
Join In!: We are offering you the unique chance to support this wonderful opportunity for our Bristol and Connecticut communities to gather, create memories, and contribute to Bristol’s positive efforts to become a destination. This exciting event reinforces the City and Chambers’ efforts to promote downtown as a destination, and we hope that it will encourage everyone to join in and help our region rise to new heights!
We hope you can join this effort to put on this amazing festival in the heart of our state for all to converge, and we thank you for your time and support in advance. There’s just one last thing we’d like to say, “Mum’s the Word”…
All sponsorships will be tax deductible via 501(c) 3 non profit event partner The Bristol Exchange Club. The Bristol Mum Festival is made possible by The Bristol Exchange Club and The City Of Bristol. The Bristol Exchange Club is a tax exempt organization under the 501(c)(3) IRS Code.
ONLINE 2025 SPONSOR FORM: Please Select this Link
Download the 2025 Sponsor Form:
Free Parking & Shuttle Transportation
Free Parking & Shuttle Transportation
Posted by bristolexchangeclub
Free Parking will be available at the following locations for the Mum Festival:
Saturday and Sunday
- Old Webster Bank Parking Lot on Riverside Avenue (150 Main Street).
- Bristol Health Parking Lot on Hope Street is available at the following hours:
Friday after 4:30 PM
Saturday after 2:00 PM
Sunday: Please note that the parade starts to line up at 11, so the Hope street entrance will be closed during the parade. - Board of Education Parking Lot on Church Street
- Church Street Commuter Lot by the Board of Education
- Express Kitchens (former Barnes Group Parking Lot) and 10 Main Street
- BAIMS Magnet School Parking Lot on South Street (Handicap Parking Only)
- BAIMS Magnet School Parking Lot on Willis Street Extension is available at the following hours:
Friday after 5:00 PM
Saturday after 5:00 PM
Sunday starting at 12:00 PM - Parking is also available on side streets as always. Please follow all parking regulations.
First Student Bus
****Mum Festival Bus Schedule****
Pick Up & Drop Off:
Saturday September 27th
Shuttle Bus—runs 12:00 – 9:30 pm
Pick Up & Drop Off:
- Start/Stop: American Legion Parking Lot
(22 Hooker Court off Riverside Avenue) - Riverside Realty, 165 Riverside Avenue
(Next to Bristol Water Department) - Corner of Riverside and Main Street at Bus Stop
(Next to Bristol Health) - Commuter Lot next to the Board of Education building on Church Street
- 10 Main Street/Express Kitchens (former Barnes Group) by ATM machine on South Street
- Bristol Arts & Innovation Magnet School -BAIMS
(South Street parking lot) - 10 Main Street/Express Kitchens (former Barnes Group) by ATM machine on South Street
- Commuter Lot next to the Board of Education building on Church Street
- Corner of Riverside and Main Street at Bus Stop
- American Legion Parking Lot
Bus will continue the loop from 12:00 – 9:30 pm
Sunday, September 28th
Shuttle Bus—runs 12:00 – 6:30 pm
Pick Up & Drop Off:
- Start/Stop: American Legion Parking Lot
(22 Hooker Court off Riverside Avenue) - Riverside Realty, 165 Riverside Avenue
(Next to Bristol Water Department) - 10 Main Street/Express Kitchens (former Barnes Group) by ATM machine on South Street
- Bristol Arts & Innovation Magnet School -BAIMS
(South Street parking lot) - 10 Main Street/Express Kitchens (former Barnes Group) by ATM machine on South Street
- American Legion Parking Lot
Due to the Mum Parade, the roads are closed on the parade route, so we will only have partial pickup and drop locations. After the Mum Parade, we will resume the regular route that is listed for Saturday. Busses will run to 6:30 PM.
2024 Mum Festival Video
Hope you enjoy the 2024 Mum Festival Video created by Steven Seymour. The 2025 Mum Festival will be held on September 26, 27 & 28 at the Memorial Boulevard, Mark your calendars for another great event!! The 63rd Mum Festival!! Another MUM-tastic Time!!
Our Vendor Application will be posted in April, so save this site to your favorites for everything Mum!!
Mum Festival Photos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2023
The Bristol Mum Festival, founded in 1961, is the city’s marquee event, and is produced by the Exchange Club of Bristol, CT. The Mum Festival is always the last full weekend in September. The Mum Parade is held each year on the Sunday of festival weekend, and each year’s theme is announced in the spring.
For more information, or to get involved in the festival or the parade, visit www.BristolMumFestival.com.
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For a Complete Library of Photos and Videos, Please Visit:
1. Bristol Mum Festival Pictures (Mum Festival – Photo History)
2. www_BristolCt_net | slideshow_display (2023 Mum Festival)
3. www_BristolCt_net | slideshow_display (2023 Mum Parade)
4. Nutmeg TV | Farmington Valley CT | Production Services | Cable Access Station
2023 Mum Festival Parade
Donations Needed for Historic Mum Festival
We hope you can join this effort to put on this amazing festival in the heart of our state for all to converge, and we thank you for your time and support in advance. There’s just one last thing we’d like to say, “Mum’s the Word…!”
2023 SPONSOR APPLICATION
Become a Mum Festival Booster!
DONATE TODAY BY CLICKING THE ‘DONATE NOW’ BUTTON!
All sponsorships are tax deductible via 501(c) 3 non profit event partner The Exchange Club of Bristol CT, Inc. The Bristol Mum Festival is made possible by The Bristol Exchange Club, The City Of Bristol and our Sponsors. The Exchange Club of Bristol CT, Inc., is a tax exempt organization under the 501(c)(3) IRS Code.
Become a full Sponsor by completing our mail-in application:
The Bristol Mum Festival 