Over 300 turn out for Fairfield library’s ‘When the Lights Go Out’

FAIRFIELD — More than 300 people descended on Fairfield’s Chautauqua Park Friday for a night of fun and adventure.

The Fairfield Public Library chose that site to host its annual character-themed event “When the Lights Go Out.” Normally held in the library, this was the first year the library held the event outdoors, collaborating with the Fairfield Parks & Recreation Department. Fairfield Youth Services Librarian Alecs Mickunas said more than 50 people volunteered for the event, including 12 people who dressed in costume to portray storybook characters, as well as members of Fairfield Interact, who led the tours that visited each storybook character scattered throughout the park.

The characters included traditional favorites such as Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, Mother Goose, a wizard, a woodland fairy and some new ones such as Dora the Explorer. Mickunas said that when he asked for volunteers to portray characters, he assumed the volunteers had characters in mind that they wanted to play, but it turned out the volunteers asked to be assigned a character that was popular with children.

Lou Bolster, a Fairfield thespian who has performed in several plays and films, portrayed the Big Bad Wolf. Mickunas was initially worried that he would play the character so well that he would scare the children, but Bolster made sure to play it sweetly. Bolster also ended up being one of the main organizers of the vent, along with Mickunas and Fairfield Library Director Rebecca Johnson.

Mickunas knows how important volunteers are to making successful events. He met with the Fairfield Interact Club three weeks in a row to prepare. He learned that several members of the club would attend a daylong ceramics seminar that same day, and he was worried because Interact such a large share of the library’s volunteers. Some Interactors were so committed to volunteering that they left their seminar early to help with the event and stayed late to help clean up.

“They went above and beyond,” Mickunas said of the Interactors. “Our community is lucky to have them.”

Magician Jesus Rios arrived later that he hoped, but more than made up for it by performing late into the night, doing magic tricks for the volunteers as they cleaned up the shelter.

“He did a wonderful job,” Mickunas said.

Johnson and her husband set up 300 LED lights in paper bags all along the loop trail in Chautauqua Park. Mickunas said it was fitting that 300 was also the number of people who attended the event, not counting the volunteers.

Mickunas said the organizers and everyone there loved having the event outside because it allowed them to feel the change in season and connect with nature. They are contemplating holding it outside again next year.