It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Bridgeport, CT is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“The staff at ABC has been wonderful! It's easy to reach them, they are responsive,”
“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the in-home care that Always”
“I just wanted express our thoughts about Mary, who was the caregiver for the weekend.”
“Excellent company, very experienced management and staffs. Highly recommend”
“Thank you so much for your kind , personalized service. My mother was always resistant”
“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the in-home care that Always”
“Always Best Care Services is a good place to get good care. The employees would”
“My mother was in need of help after she broke her hip at 101 years”
“The staff at ABC has been wonderful! It's easy to reach them, they are responsive, respectful, and cheerful. This was the first step in getting outside assistance for our Mom and we were so impressed with how thorough the care was - the first helper checked to see that her home was safe and that she knew how to use her cell phone. We'd highly recommend using their in home care.”
“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the in-home care that Always Best Care is providing our parents. You have guided us through this very difficult time and have helped us deal with my mother’s illness and her inability to care for my dad. Your caregivers are very capable and caring, and your staff is competent and thorough. We believe this makes your company invaluable to families with loved ones in need of assistance. We would recommend Always Best Care to anybody in search of quality care for their loved one. Thank you for all you and your staff do.”
“I just wanted express our thoughts about Mary, who was the caregiver for the weekend. We all thought she was wonderful!! I think her biggest strength is that she sees the work, needs little/to no direction, offers to take things out of our hands, and is a true-go-getter. For Billie, this type of help is great since she feels like she can take some time to rest and trust all is okay. Mary works hard and is also very patient. I really think Mary is a natural dealing with elderly. She is patient and kind! Anyway, what I wanted to ask is if Mary can be the consistent caregiver for the weekends. The other 4 caregivers that I have met are also very nice. We would like Mary as much as possible as she is punctual, and as I mentioned before, sees what needs doing. She is focused on what she can do to help. She doesnt just sit there next to Bill, she has eyes in the back of her head and goes the extra mile. Anything that needs to get done, she says no wait, let me do it if she hasnt already initiated it herself. She seems to have endless energy and never complained. I just felt compelled to drop you a this note to let you know how impressed we were with her. Thanks”
“Excellent company, very experienced management and staffs. Highly recommend”
“Thank you so much for your kind , personalized service. My mother was always resistant to have someone come into her home to help care for her, but she is very, very pleased with Betsy. Not only does she have someone to keep her company and meet her physical needs—her kitchen is looking cleaner than I have seen it in a while. Thank you again. Your kind manner was reassuring to my mother and to me, and you have made the process of caring for my mother at home easy, and provided me with much needed relief so that I can actually return to work with a calm mind.”
“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the in-home care that Always Best Care is providing our parents. You have guided us through this very difficult time and have helped us deal with my mother’s illness and her inability to care for my dad. Your caregivers are very capable and caring, and your staff is competent and thorough. We believe this makes your company invaluable to families with loved ones in need of assistance. We would recommend Always Best Care to anybody in search of quality care for their loved one. Thank you for all you and your staff do.”
“Always Best Care Services is a good place to get good care. The employees would do their very best to take care of you in your time of need. I will recommended this facility to family and friends. I want to thank you so much for the exceptional care you took of my dad. I hold your agency in the highest regard and you have my deepest appreciation.”
“My mother was in need of help after she broke her hip at 101 years old. She refused to leave her home. Susan Oderwald took wonderful care of her. She found caregivers for her who treated her with kid gloves and she herself went above and beyond by getting papers signed, visiting her in the hospital and fetching things for her. I don't know what I would have done without her, since I live 3,000 miles away. I highly recommend her, her services and her staff of caregivers.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Seaside Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Joseph's Steakhouse or visit Marina Park Historic District, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
Request More Information
While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Bridgeport, CT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Bridgeport, CT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Bridgeport, CT 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
An innovative fuel cell development that has been a decade in the making is now under construction and will provide heat to a nearby university and generate enough electricity annually that could potentially service 8,500 homes.Scale Microgrids, the project’s New Jersey-based developer, expects the 3.5-story Bridgeport development near Interstate 95, with 21 fuel cells to come o...
An innovative fuel cell development that has been a decade in the making is now under construction and will provide heat to a nearby university and generate enough electricity annually that could potentially service 8,500 homes.
Scale Microgrids, the project’s New Jersey-based developer, expects the 3.5-story Bridgeport development near Interstate 95, with 21 fuel cells to come online next year, and the company sees future expansion of its base of customers purchasing heat. The clean energy development will initially provide heat to nearly 20 buildings at the University of Bridgeport and a new city high school. In addition, the project also has signed on a local company that sterilizes medical waste.
“This is certainly a project that we are very excited about,” Daniel Forero, vice president of capital markets at Scale Microgrids, said. “Connecticut, in general, is a state where we have been expanding our presence. This project was a large investment in that long term strategy of expanding our presence there.”
Scale Microgrids declined to comment on the project’s cost. But a 2021 filing with the Connecticut Siting Council estimated the cost to be about $70 million, with a capital investment of up to $78 million but that does not reflect price increases sparked during the pandemic.
Scale Microgrids, which specializes in energy generation and storage systems located close to where they are used, acquired the 9.6-megawatt project from Easton-based NuPower in 2024 but it wasn’t announced until earlier this year when financing for the project was completed, partly by investment tax credits. Terms of the sale weren’t disclosed.
The heating and power development — known as the Charter Oak Combined Heat and Power Project — is launching construction as the state this year has updated its greenhouse gas reduction targets. The reduction target is 65% below 2001 levels by 2040 and an economy-wide, net-zero level by 2050, provided those emissions are reduced at least 80% below 2001 levels.
J. Scott Guilmartin, co-founder of NuPower, said the use of natural gas to power the fuel cells in attractive because it is projected to reduce 2,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere in Bridgeport.
“It’s an area that has a significant issue with asthma and other breathing-type issues,” said Guilmartin, who remains a consultant on the project. “So it’s environmentally really desirable for us to be able to do this.”
NuPower, a renewable energy developer, spent a decade on the project, going back to 2014 when the city of Bridgeport, NuPower and United Illuminating Co. first partnered on the idea of a fuel cell plant that would provide heat through an underground network of pipes carrying hot water and would supply the local electrical grid.
In addition to heating spaces, the project also will provide “domestic” hot water, essentially water out of the tap.
The project took years to build legislative support and wind its way through regulatory approvals. There were local detractors, including neighbors who worried about noise, emissions and their property values. The pandemic slowed progress, and there also was skepticism about the project until it had signed on heating customers.
The Connecticut Green Bank provided a $400,000 loan for the project to fund pre-construction design work, Guilmartin said.
NuPower also was the developer of the $200 million biomass, electricity-producing plant in Plainfield in 2013. NuPower subsequently sold the plant.
At the heart of the Bridgeport project are fuel cells, which convert natural gas to hydrogen, in an electrochemical process that produces combustion-free electricity and waste heat. The electricity will be sold back to UI and the heat will warm the water to create heat and hot water.
At the University of Bridgeport, the system will replace an aging network of natural gas-fired boilers and provide heat at a cost savings of as much as 10%, according to Guilmartin.
“This is very similar to geothermal and that both are using hot water, except that our source is going to be from a fuel cell instead of from the Earth,” said Guilmartin, who remains a consultant on the project.
The university did not immediately have a comment.
HyAxiom, an East Hartford-based fuel cell maker with manufacturing operations in South Windsor, will produce, install and operate the fuel cells. HyAxiom, owned by South Korea’s Doosan Corp., was once United Technologies Corp’s fuel cell business. UTC, long based in Hartford and then Farmington, was acquired by Raytheon in 2020, and the combined companies are now known as RTX Corp.
Hartford has a similar system serving dozens of buildings in and around downtown including the Travelers tower, City Hall and CityPlace I. Hartford Steam Co.’s two district energy systems — using a combination of oil, natural gas and electricity — provide both heating and cooling, a service that got its start in the 1960s.
What distinguishes the Bridgeport project is the use of fuel cells and the magnitude of the project, Guilmartin said. The plant that is now being built on a triangular, half-acre wedge of land hugging I-95 and also includes the installation of underground pipes and the connection to a UI substation for the sale of electricity. Power would be sold to the utility under a purchase agreement approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in 2019.
Guilmartin said the project also has another benefit because the city of Bridgeport receives an annual payment in lieu of taxes of about $240,000.
“So considering that the property was only generating a little over $3,000 a year in property taxes, this is a real plus for the city,” Guilmartin said.
Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at [email protected].
It's been one week since the organizers of the Soundside music festival in Bridgeport announced its cancellation, and the reasons are murky.Last week, a message was posted on Soundside website notifying attendees that the festival had been canceled."Due to circums...
It's been one week since the organizers of the Soundside music festival in Bridgeport announced its cancellation, and the reasons are murky.
Last week, a message was posted on Soundside website notifying attendees that the festival had been canceled.
"Due to circumstances beyond our control, Soundside Music Festival has been cancelled," the statement read. "Tickets will be refunded to the original method of payment in as little as 30 days depending on your bank’s processing time."
When asked for clarity behind the cancellation, the following statement was provided to CT Insider by organizers:
"We are deeply grateful to the City of Bridgeport, Mayor Ganim, our local partners and all the fans for their support of the festival over the years," a statement from organizers to CT Insider reads. "While we’re disappointed to have canceled this year’s show, we remain proud of the incredible musical moments we shared together in Seaside Park and the opportunity to call Bridgeport home."
Thomas Gaudett, chief administrative officer for Mayor Joe Ganim, in a brief interview last week said, "It’s our understanding that this year’s lineup was drawing a lot fewer attendees than we have seen in the last few years. And that may have had an impact on the decision to cancel."
While no official reason other than "circumstances beyond our control" has been provided by organizers, Soundside joins a growing number of music festivals that have canceled recently.
Large-scale music festivals like the Pitchfork Music Festival, Sick New World and Faster Horses Country Festival announced they would not hold 2025 editions of their festival. Last year also saw a number of major music festival cancellations including Made in America, Blue Ridge Rock Festival and Desert Daze. Meanwhile, Boston Calling in Massachusetts has already announced that it will skip 2026 but return for a 2027 festival.
According to music blog Music Festival Wizard, the number of music festival cancellations across the globe for this year currently surpasses 90.
So why are music festivals struggling?
Tiffany Naiman, Director of Undergraduate Programs in Music Industry at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, believes there are multiple elements at play affecting the current health of the music industry, and in turn, the festival industry.
Rising costs for everything from staging to electronics are a predominant factor affecting the music industry. According to a 2024 BBC report, the cost of stage equipment alone has risen approximately 15-20% since the pandemic while the cost of overheads has increased by up to 35-40%. In addition, artist fees have also increased as musicians are working in an environment where all of the costs are rising around them, Naiman said.
"The reality is that the festivals really function on pretty small margins," Naiman said. "It really takes a lot to make them profitable or to break even."
Costs for many of these items are passed down to the consumer, resulting in larger ticket prices for festivals.
"With the rising costs of everything, are you going to pay this huge amount of money for this 45-minute set for your favorite act versus saving that money to go see them in their own show," Naiman said.
In addition to the rising costs is what Naiman calls a "massive over-saturation of festivals." In a report from music blog JamBase, there were 2,840 music festivals recorded to have taken place in 2024 — up from 2,660 in 2023 and 2,308 in 2019.
Naiman believes that festivals will need to modify and restructure themselves in order to better serve their local communities and be sustainable and thrive.
"These local festivals will have to scale back to survive. Instead of big spectacle, they're going to have to sell the intimacy and kind of that of vibe, and why it's meaningful. I think it can work," she said.
"Local is kind of going to be the way to go because of the over-saturation," Naiman added.
Going hand-in-hand with being more local is the idea of being able to be more ingrained in the local community not just during the festival, but year-round. "There's going to have to be more to music festivals than just the music," Naiman said, acknowledging that music is still an important factor for music festivals. "For them to survive, they will have to speak to the community they're in, we think."
However, scaling back and being an important part of the community can't always save a festival — or in Stamford's case, a long-running concert series.
Last year, Stamford’s Downtown Special Services District held its final Alive at Five summer concert series. This year was the first summer without the annual event since the first shows were held in the late 1990s. Begun in Columbus Park, the performances moved to the larger Mill River Park in 2021.
“It’s a very competitive market for producing music events,” said Stamford DSSD President Michael Moore. “What we’ve experienced in Stamford is a spike in cost to retain talent.”
Another issue plaguing festivals is lineup fatigue, which is phenomenon surrounding festivals sharing much of their talent with other festivals — making lineups look homogeneous. For example, Hozier, who was scheduled to headline the Sunday of Soundside has also headlined the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, Zootown, Summerfest and Governor's Ball this year while also scheduled to headline Outside Lands, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Sea.Hear.Now, Electric Picnic and the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Naiman said that this is "partially the state of the music industry in and of itself" and that there has been a "lack of diversity with the larger acts."
"The curators have to dive deeply more into their local scene," Naiman said. "I think that the public is more discerning now and they want a special experience. They want to see people that they don't get to see."
Additionally, of the 20 artists on the 2025 lineup, eight have performed in Connecticut within the last two years — The Killers, Hozier, Weezer, Remi Wolf, Chelsea Cutler, Gigi Perez, Alex Warren and Vundabar. Three of those eight that had performed recently in Connecticut were in the top four billed acts for Soundside — The Killers, Hozier and Weezer.
While the founders of the festival still hold on to the hope that the Soundside festival will return to Bridgeport, no news has been announced regarding the future of Soundside beyond 2025.
Includes previous reporting from staff writers Brianna Gurciullo and Brian Lockhart.
BRIDGEPORT — Penny Cha, a Stamford-based boba tea shop, will open its newest location next summer at The August at Steelpointe Harbor.The boba tea shop will be located in the 420-unit, mixed-use, transit-oriented development in downtown Bridgeport. The August, which is still under construction, marks the beginning of residential units within the grand 52-acre Steelpointe Harbor Master Plan.Penny Cha, which remains the first and only bubble tea shop in Connecticut that makes their boba by hand, joins Frenchie’s Coffe...
BRIDGEPORT — Penny Cha, a Stamford-based boba tea shop, will open its newest location next summer at The August at Steelpointe Harbor.
The boba tea shop will be located in the 420-unit, mixed-use, transit-oriented development in downtown Bridgeport. The August, which is still under construction, marks the beginning of residential units within the grand 52-acre Steelpointe Harbor Master Plan.
Penny Cha, which remains the first and only bubble tea shop in Connecticut that makes their boba by hand, joins Frenchie’s Coffee Bar as a retail tenant at the $190 million mixed-use residential apartment complex. They are due to open in 2026, when The August is due to open.
The upcoming Bridgeport location will mark the second location for the Stamford shop, whose flagship store is at Kiwanis Park, 79 Atlantic St.
“We deeply believe in the power of community and strive to build that by creating spaces for people to gather over great drinks and a warm atmosphere,” said Veronica McKeown, owner of Penny Cha. “Opening at The August is a natural next step for us. It’s a beautiful, community-centered space that reflects the kind of environment we try to create in our shops. We can’t wait to share our drinks and energy with Bridgeport.”
Penny Cha’s menu features a wide array of handmade boba and specialty teas, using real fruit, premium loose-leaf blends, and house-made syrups.
Penny Cha’s lease was curated by Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins Properties, an award-winning developer, builder, and manager of mixed-use multifamily properties. With over $1.8 billion in projects under development in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Kansas City, and Connecticut, Flaherty & Collins Properties manages 105 properties and more than 17,000 units in 14 states.
Last week, organizers of the Soundside music festival in Bridgeport's Seaside Park announced that the festival's planned 2025 iteration would be canceled. The abrupt cancellation came as the festival's social media presence was wiped and the festival's website only lists the following message:"Due to circumstances beyond our control, Soundside Music Festival has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded to the original metho...
Last week, organizers of the Soundside music festival in Bridgeport's Seaside Park announced that the festival's planned 2025 iteration would be canceled. The abrupt cancellation came as the festival's social media presence was wiped and the festival's website only lists the following message:
"Due to circumstances beyond our control, Soundside Music Festival has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded to the original method of payment in as little as 30 days depending on your bank’s processing time."
The fourth year of the festival was set to feature The Killers and the return of Hozier to Seaside Park. Previous headliners of the festival have include Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Noah Kahan, Jack White and Greta Van Fleet.
This week, Bridgeport Finance Director Kenneth Flatto and other officials confirmed the 2025-26 municipal budget that was passed in May — and took effect July 1 — counted on roughly $500,000 from the event.
From its announcement nearly four years ago to its major lineup shakeup last year, take look back at nine signature moments from the history of the Soundside and Sound on Sound music festival.
Months before its official lineup announcement, plans were set in motion for a pair of new music festivals (although the second festival never came to fruition) scheduled for Seaside Park on consecutive weekends in September 2022. The first event announced was initially dubbed "Sound on the Sound," and it would consist of 24 acts across two days of music.
The festival was a product of a partnership between Founders Entertainment, which produced the Governor's Ball music festival in New York, Bridgeport amphitheater developer Howard Saffan and Live Nation.
In mid-October 2021, Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration and the City Council approved a 10-year contract with the group to bring the two festivals to town. An estimated daily attendance was initially set between 30,000 to 35,000.
This would be the city's first festival since the last Gathering of the Vibes festival took place in 2015.
Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and Dave Matthews were announced as the first two headliners for the inaugural Sound on Sound. Other acts scheduled to join the festival included The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, The National, Zach Bryan, Father John Misty and Noah Kahan.
"This amazing lineup is just one more thing that makes it clear, Connecticut is the place to be, not just to live and work. You can enjoy everything from great State Parks to incredible music," Governor Ned Lamont said in a news release at the time. "We're investing in our cities, our green spaces and in transportation, and it's paying off."
While expectations were high for the first day of the new festival, issues quickly arose inside of Seaside Park. The first day was marred with safety concerns such as minimal dedicated walking paths, chairs and towels that overtook much of the planned standing room area and lack of lighting in parts of the concert field.
The issues prompted a wave of criticism on social media, which led to organizers implementing a number of changes for the second day of the festival.
"We and the city are aiming to make this a marquee event for years to come. We are going to take all of the feedback we received and the lessons we learned over this weekend and design an even better Sound On Sound 2023," said Tom Russell, co-founder of Founder's Entertainment, who put on the festival, via email at the time. "We hope folks see the changes we made from Day One to Day Two as just a down payment on better improvements to come."
At the end of the first festival, the city of Bridgeport made $726,535 and a second year of the festival was green-lit.
John Mayer returned to his birth place to perform for the first time in a decade, headlining the second Sound on Sound music festival, which took place in a new part of Seaside Park.
Born in Bridgeport and raised in Fairfield, Mayer is a source of local pride for the Fairfield County community. Prior to Mayer’s performance, Gov. Ned Lamont came out to introduce the musician, calling him "one of the greatest performers right here from Bridgeport."
With no band, Mayer switched between an acoustic guitar and a double-neck guitar, playing cuts from his more-than-two-decade-long career.
"I would like for the rest of the night if you would address me as just John," Mayer said during the show. "I'm going to try to make this set befitting of a set you would play when the hospital you were born in is like a mile away."
Mayer even took time to tell a "brand new tale" of how he and his brothers listened to tapes from confiscated Walkmans that his father, who was a longtime principal of Central High School, would bring home at the end of the school year. Through those tapes, he said he'd learn new music. "I would like to thank the students of Central High School for having their Walkmans confiscated from them," Mayer said. "That's how I got a musical education beyond the curriculum of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Thank you, dad."
Red Hot Chili Peppers made its Bridgeport debut as the 2023 headliner of the Sound on Sound music festival. The Californian rock quartet’s performance also marked its first in Connecticut in 23 years.
The group wasted no time picking up where it left off in 2000 at the Meadows, playing a mixture of hits, new songs and crowd pleasers during its hour-and-a-half performance. The Chili Pepper’s rhythm section took center stage throughout the performance, leading the band through renditions of songs like “Californication,” “Scar Tissue,” “Soul to Squeeze,” and “By the Way.”
In the middle of the set, singer Anthony Kiedis jokingly remarked that drummer Chad Smith would be hosting an after show party at a Dunkin’ in New Haven. Bassist Flea followed that up by saying “I’ll be at Toad’s Place.”
In the spring of 2024, news broke that Sound on Sound would undergo a rebranding after a change in leadership.
Founders Entertainment, which previously had a major role in organizing the festival, combined with C3 Presents, an event production company owned by Live Nation that puts on festivals including Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Sea.Hear.Now Festival.
Saffan and Jim Koplik, President of Live Nation Connecticut and Upstate New York, who were significantly involved in the planning of the last two festivals, confirmed that they stayed involved with Soundside, but had a smaller role in the 2024 festival.
Tom Russell, the co-founder of Founders Entertainment, said the decision came in late 2023 to combine forces and re-brand the festival as Soundside. The new name still reflects the relation of the Seaside Park with the Long Island Sound, Russell told CT Insider at the time.
The rebaranded Soundside festival included headliners Noah Kahan and Foo Fighters as well as Goo Goo Dolls, Queens of the Stone Age, Fleet Foxes, Norah Jones, Boyz II Men and Teddy Swims.
With only two days until the festival was set to kick off its third year in Seaside Park, Sunday headliner Foo Fighters pulled out of the festival.
The Foo Fighters' headlining performance was set to be the band's first performance since lead singer Dave Grohl announced that he had fathered a child outside of his marriage, according to the Associated Press. The band has not performed a public concert since the news was dropped.
The festival announced that Jack White, of The White Stripes fame, and modern hard rock group Greta Van Fleet as the Sunday replacements for the event.
This was the second instance of a major artist being replaced on the 2024 Soundside bill. Queens of the Stone Age, who were the penultimate act on Sunday, dropped out due to medical issues related to lead singer Josh Homme. Indie pop band Bleachers was announced as the replacement act for the festival. The Kills, who were on the festival lineup and touring with Queens of the Stone Age before the tour cancellation, also dropped from the festival lineup, but a replacement was not announced.
Returning for his second performance — and first time headlining — the Vermont native took Soundside by storm. However, before launching into his highly-anticipated set, Noah Kahan made an apology,
"My name is Noah Kahan and I owe your state an apology," Kahan said during the performance.
Kahan's initial feelings about Connecticut were made public last summer when he was on "Late Night With Seth Meyers." Kahan told Meyers that Connecticut "doesn't count" in New England and made a few digs at the state.
During his 16-song, hour-and-a-half set, Kahan treated the audience of thousands in Seaside Park to a bevy of hits from his double-platinum album, "Stick Season."
"You are part of New England, sorry about that," Kahan said after finishing the first part of the show with "Northern Attitude."
For an encore, Kahan donned a Hartford Whalers jersey; performing both "The View Between Villages" and his most popular song, "Stick Season."
Months after announcing its 2025 lineup with The Killers and Hozier headlining alongside acts like Weezer, Vampire Weekend and DJO, organizers made the decision to cancel the 2025 festival, citing "circumstances beyond our control."
No additional details behind the cancellation were provided.
Thomas Gaudett, chief administrative officer for Mayor Ganim, in a brief interview said, “It’s our understanding that this year’s lineup was drawing a lot fewer attendees than we have seen in the last few years. And that may have had an impact on the decision to cancel.”
Bridgeport Director of Communications Danielle Wedderburn said that the city was “not involved in the decision-making process” of Soundside’s cancellation and learned about the decision “after it was finalized.”
The seemingly sudden cancellation of this year's annual Soundside Music Festival in Bridgeport has led to disa...
The seemingly sudden cancellation of this year's annual Soundside Music Festival in Bridgeport has led to disappointment from fans, as well as the major question: "What happened?"
On July 25, organizers announced on the event's website that the festival, set to take place on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 at Seaside Park, was canceled. The message did not reveal much else, and organizers have not provided further comment. The event's official social media pages were taken down.
Here is what we know and what we don't know about the cancellation so far.
The festival’s website promised that tickets would be refunded to buyers' original method of payment in as little as 30 days, depending on their bank’s processing time.
This year’s Saturday lineup included headliner The Killers, Weezer, Djo (Joe Keery who plays Steve on Netflix’s “Stranger Things”), Japanese Breakfast, The Last Dinner Party, Inhaler, Rachel Chinouriri, Wild Rivers, Hollow Coves and Dipsea Flower. The Sunday lineup included headliner Hozier, Vampire Weekend, The Backseat Lovers, Remi Wolf, Chelsea Cutler, Alex Warren, Gigi Perez, Brenn! , Vundabar and Happy Landing.
Bridgeport Director of Communications Danielle Wedderburn said that the city was “not involved in the decision-making process” of Soundside’s cancellation and learned about the decision “after it was finalized.”
“The city is certainly disappointed in this outcome for what has become a great annual event for Bridgeport,” Wedderburn said.
Thomas Gaudett, chief administrative officer for Mayor Joe Ganim, in a brief interview, said, “It’s our understanding that this year’s lineup was drawing a lot fewer attendees than we have seen in the last few years. And that may have had an impact on the decision to cancel.”
While organizers released a statement on their website saying the cancellation was due to “circumstances beyond our control,” no further information has been given.
Howard Saffan, President of Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater and one of the original Soundside organizers, declined to comment. Saffan has said he is only the liaison with the city on Soundside and deferred questions to Founders/3C; Founders Entertainment, one of the original partners, did not immediately respond to request for comment.
None of the major headliners have put out statements reacting to the festival's cancellation or provided comment.
Organizations did not reveal if this year's cancellation marks the end of the annual event as a whole. Over its past three years, the festival has featured the likes of John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, Stevie Nicks and The Lumineers. Last year’s headliners were Noah Kahan, who returned after performing at the first Sound on Sound, and Jack White and Greta Van Fleet, who were tapped to co-headline the Sunday following a cancellation from the Foo Fighters.
Includes reporting from Brian Lockhart and Jayden Nguyen.
203-877-1377
