The sun shines down on Fairfields shoreline. Kids build castles in the sand. Dads and sons fly kites in the light breeze. Sunday marked the first day of May, and with the 60-degree weather, it also unofficially marked the beginning of beach season in Fairfield. Bob Bennett and his granddaughter Veronica and other families filled Fairfields five beaches over the weekend.
Bennett hails from White Plains, N.Y., but he said he made the trip to his sons home in Fairfield to enjoy the activity along Jennings Beach. He taught Veronica how to catch jellyfish, helped her build a sandcastle and took a walk along the shore. Down in New York, you just cant do as much on the beach.
For the next few weeks, you can enjoy the shoreline without a town-issued parking pass. Fairfield does not begin enforcing parking rules in the beach area until Memorial Day weekend, starting May 28. After that, anyone without a sticker will need to pay the single-day fee of $15 for weekdays or $25 for weekends. Beach stickers are available to all Fairfield taxpayers at the Eunice Postol Recreation Center at 75 Mill Plain Road.
Until the beach season fully opens, all of Fairfields beaches may be free, but there may be risks for those who head out into the water. The Health Department regularly checks water throughout the summer to make sure it is safe for swimmers, and regularly posts updates on a blog. But regular checks will not begin until the third week of May. And Fairfields lifeguards dont begin work until the beaches officially open May 28. After that, theyll work weekends only until June 24.
But even before then, Fairfields beaches will grow more crowded. Thats almost bad news for Jim Mead, who says he prefers the off season so he and his sons Reilly and Dylan can have more room to run with their kites. But they made the trip to Jennings to try out Reillys latest model.
I actually thought it was going to be a lot more crowded, Mead said. But its kind of perfect right now.
Whats your favorite thing to do on the beach? Which of Fairfields five beaches do you prefer? Start the conversation in the comments below.
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