Fairfield County Dance Festival Comes to Schenck’s Island

Fresh off the heels of Wilton’s recent Food Truck Festival, the Fairfield County Dance Festival is headed to Wilton for the very first time, on Thursday, July 17 at Schenck’s Island in Wilton Center.

The Fairfield County Dance Festival is an annual, free, open-air summer performance series produced by East Coast Contemporary Ballet (Norwalk) and Thomas/Ortiz Dance (New Canaan). Curated for and touring throughout Fairfield County, this dance festival provides greater accessibility to the arts and promotes community engagement. In addition to ECCB and Thomas/Ortiz Dance, the touring festival features other local artists, guest dance companies and musicians.

The Wilton tour stop is presented by East Coast Contemporary Ballet and sponsored by Wilton’s WildBloom Skincare, and the event brings together world-class professional dance, community, celebration and local flavor for a free and unforgettable evening.

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. with a curated lineup of food trucks offering delicious, diverse options for every craving. Food trucks include Chef Jeff’s BBQ, JJB Wood Fire Pizza Truck, The Chamo, Los Pablanos and Jim’s Ice Cream Truck. Local businesses will be on hand for fun shopping as well.

At 5:30 p.m., the stage turns local with special community performances by talented young dancers from Norwalk Metropolitan Youth Ballet and a special kids’ pop-up hip hop class from Wilton’s Conservatory of Dance, with a proud showcase of Wilton’s youth and the strength of local arts education.

Then, at 6:30 p.m., the main event showcasing ballet, contemporary and modern dance begins: a professional performance featuring dancers from East Coast Contemporary Ballet, Thomas/Ortiz Dance and Ballet Frontier. These companies bring breathtaking contemporary ballet to life in an outdoor setting that invites all ages and backgrounds to connect with the power of movement and music.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets, come early for food and vendor shopping, and stay for the artistry that transforms a summer night into something truly magical.