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Walk in the Park
Hayden Park

Sponsored by
Hillside Historic District Neighborhood Association

Hayden Park is a delight for the senses throughout the spring season with a wide array of colorful and scented blooms encompassing the entire scope of the park.  A profusion of thousands of Daffodils on the South Bank cast brilliant yellows in harmony with the Forsythia blooms to the East.
An abundance of  Lilacs bloom in the Northern section and the sweet scent of Mock Orange from the East Hillside precede the blooming of the Mulberry Bushes and the summer's surrender to the dainty damsels, their gentlemen suitors and the contributions of their canine companions.

Each year in the early Spring, The Hillside Historic District Neighborhood Association hosts a small neighborhood oriented gathering which serves to celebrate the rich horticultural resources of this small park and also serves as a time for remembrance: remembering the Hayden family who lived there, the Hayden sisters who donated the park,  as well as neighborhood Residents, their family members and friends who have passed away during the previous year.

This years event will feature Childrens Storytelling, Art Exhibit, Geranium Sale, Croquet, Barbershop Quartet, selection of the May Queen and and a Victorian traditional celebration around the May Pole.

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Saturday

May 20th

1:00 to 5:00 PM

Hayden Park, Waterbury, CT

Hayden Park is located in the Downtown area of Waterbury, Ct.,  in the Hillside Historic District.
There are two entrances to this park.  The Main Entrance is located on Grove Street between Holmes and Central Avenues.  The upper level entrance is located on Glenridge Street, directly off Pine Street.

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FROM I-84 EAST: Take Exit 21 (Meadow Street).  At the end of the exit there is a street light at which you will turn right onto Meadow Street.   You will continue on Meadow Street passing almost immediately back under the highway heading north and towards the tall brick clock tower of the old Railway Station now the home of the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper (you will want to keep to the right hand lane).
Directly in front of the Newspaper Offices, you will pass through one set of traffic lights and keep going straight in the right hand lane.
About one short block further, you will pass through another set of traffic lights and keep going straight changing to the left lane right after passing through this light.
As you approach the third set of lights, you will be in the left lane and continue going straight up the hill ahead.
You will immediately pass a Seven-Eleven on the right and you are now on Willow Street.
Count the right hand turns, as you will be taking the third right turn, which is Pine Street.
Once on Pine Street, continue a short distance (2 short blocks) and you will find Glenridge Street on your right.  As Glenridge Street has no parking, Park on Pine Street and Walk through Glenridge into the Park.  At this point, signs for the Lilac Festival will be posted.
This is actually the back entrance to the park and unfortunately much less dignified that the Grove Street entrance, but generally easier to park and saves a long walk up the 60 steps of the main park entrance.   

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FROM I-84 WEST: Exit Highway at Meadow Street and at the end of the ramp go straight ahead.  You will pass through a Yield sign and merge into traffic on Meadow Street which will take you towards the red brick Clock Tower of the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper on your left.
Directly in front of the Newspaper Offices, you will pass through one set of traffic lights and keep going straight in the right hand lane.
About one short block further, you will pass through another set of traffic lights and keep going straight changing to the left lane right after passing through this light.
As you approach the third set of lights, you will be in the left lane and continue going straight up the hill ahead.
You will immediately pass a Seven-Eleven on the right and you are now on Willow Street.
Count the right hand turns, as you will be taking the third right turn, which is Pine Street.
Once on Pine Street, continue a short distance (2 short blocks) and you will find Glenridge Street on your right.  As Glenridge Street has no parking, Park on Pine Street and Walk through Glenridge into the Park.  At this point, signs for the Lilac Festival will be posted.
This is actually the back entrance to the park and unfortunately much less dignified that the Grove Street entrance, but generally easier to park and saves a long walk up the 60 steps of the main park entrance.   

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FROM ROUTE 8 NORTH:   Exit Route 8 at the exit marked I-84 East.  You will be on a sharply curved exit ramp which will take you directly to I-84.  You will stay to the right and immediately exit I-84 using the Meadow Street Exit.  Go to the end of the Exit ramp to the light, turn right and continue to follow directions "FROM I-84 EAST" detailed above.   

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FROM ROUTE 8 SOUTH: Just before entering the Interchange of Route 8 and Interstate 84, you will Exit Route 8 via a left hand Exit marked Freight Street.  At the end of the exit take the first possible left and you will then cross under the highway and be on Freight Street.   Follow Freight Street all the way to the end, staying in the left driving lane.   At the end of Freight Street (at the traffic light), turn left onto Meadow Street (getting into the left lane) and proceed to the next setof lights (about one block) and proceed straight through this set of lights heading up the hill.  You will immediately pass a Seven-Eleven on your right and now be on Willow Street.  You will be taking your THIRD right onto Pine Street.
Once on Pine Street, continue a short distance (2 short blocks) and you will find Glenridge Street on your right.  As Glenridge Street has no parking, Park on Pine Street and Walk through Glenridge into the Park.  At this point, signs for the Lilac Festival will be posted.
This is actually the back entrance to the park and unfortunately much less dignified that the Grove Street entrance, but generally easier to park and saves a long walk up the 60 steps of the main park entrance.   

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Parking:

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Activities:

• Children's Crafts
  Various Activities at Selected Locations Throughout the Park
• Art Exhibit
  Display in the Pine Grove of the Park (Weather Permitting)
• Croquet Matches
  Croquet Equipment Provided ont the Croquet Court
• Geranium Sale
  Prize Plants Available on a First Come - First Serve Basis
• Family Picnics
  Bring a Blanket ... and Your Picnic Basket!
  
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Click on event to see description

1:30     Childrens Storytelling - Main Park
2:00     Barbershop Quartet - Barbershop Quartet - Pine Grove (2:00 to 3:00 PM only)
3:00     May Queen Selection - Main Park
3:30     Traditional Victorian May Pole Celebration - Main Park
4:00     Lilac Memorial Dedication - Hayden Park Memorial Garden

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CHILDRENS STORYTELLING
Details to be added as they become available.

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Barber Shop Quartet
From Cheshire, Ct, comes the Barbershop Quartet "Happy To Be Here"
This well known group will be performing, in such a Victorian style, in the Pine Grove area of the park between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon.  What a way to spend an afternoon ... a little sunshine, a tall glass of lemonade and the sweet sound of four part olde time harmony!  This is one event you won't want to miss.

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TRADITIONAL VICTORIAN MAY POLE CELEBRATION
Info to be detailed at a later date

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MAY QUEEN SELECTION
Adult Ladies Event (over 16)
May Queen will be selected via registration and a random drawing of eligible entrants.
Winner of the first annual May Queen Selection will receive a hand made floral crown and a beautiful boquet of flowers.

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LILAC MEMORIAL DEDICATIONS
Plantings of new Lilac bushes in the Hayden Park Memorial Garden.
This year's plantings will be in honor of Pedro Juan Rivera, the father of Juan Rivera, our neighborhood Police Officer; and Sherwood Rowland, the father of John Rowland, our Governor.
Each year new plantings are made in the Memorial Garden to honor deceased residents, relatives and friends of Hillside.
Memorial Lilac plantings from last year include memorials for Dick Walford of Litchfield, the father of Dave Walford (Hillside Vice-President); Mary Ann Vandenburgh of Salem, Ohio, mother of  Marianne Vandenburgh (Proprietor-House on the Hill); and one additional planting to celebrate the rebirth of the park.

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Lilac Festival salutes effort to reclaim Hayden Park

Monday,May 15, 2000

By Robyn Adams
© 2000 Republican-American

The Hillside Historic District Neighborhood Association will hold a Lilac Festival May 20 from 1-5 p.m. at Hayden Homestead Park. Park entrances are off Grove Street and Glenridge Street in Waterbury.

WATERBURY — During the past four or five years, the Hillside Historic District Neighborhood Association has been reclaiming Hayden Homestead Park to prevent it from falling into total neglect.

Association members cut brush, thinned out trees, raked leaves and got the city to repair park lanterns. Their effort helped to restore the park as it was envisioned decades ago by the daughters of Hyram Hayden, an industrialist and inventor who built an unusual family homestead on the property off Pine Street.

In 1921, Hayden's surviving daughters, quit-claimed the property to the city, requiring it be used as a passive park. The Hayden sisters hired the firm of the late Frederick Law Olmsted, an American landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York City and Fulton Park in Waterbury, to create a gracious inner-city park, to be called Hayden Homestead Park. There is an abundance

LILAC: Neighborhood festival part of effort to reclaim park#ESUB#

of lilac blooms in the northern section and mock orange and mulberry bushes on the east hillside.

This year, the club will celebrate its reclamation of Hayden Homestead Park by holding Lilac Festival 2000. The event will include entertainment by a barbershop quartet, a Maypole contest, crowning of the May Queen and planting of lilacs in the Memorial Garden in honor of Pedro Juan Rivera, the father of Juan Rivera and the neighborhood's police officer, and Sherwood Rowland, a longtime city official and father of Gov. John G. Rowland.

At 1:30 p.m., there will be children's crafts and storytelling, followed at 2 p.m. by an hourlong performance by the Happy To Be There barbershop quartet. At 3 p.m., the crowning of the May Queen will be followed by a traditional Maypole celebration at 3:30 p.m. At 4 p.m., lilacs will be planted in the Memorial Garden.

There will also be an art exhibit, a croquet and geranium plant sale and information booths on neighborhood issues and gardening assistance. Refreshments will include cookies baked by various Hillside residents.

"We have some amazing candidates vying for the May Queen's garland crown," said Bettejane Wesson, one of the organizers.

The public is invited to attend the festival. Everyone is encouraged to bring a blanket and picnic basket.