Borough hosting fall festival

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NAUGATUCK — The borough will celebrate autumn on Saturday with its annual downtown fall festival.

The third annual Ion Bank/Mission 22 Fall Festival runs from 3 to 10 p.m. downtown.

The day kicks off with the annual 22 for 22 Hike for Veteran Suicide Awareness.

The purpose of the hike, which is 22 kilometers long, is to raise awareness for Mission 22, a nonprofit organization that seeks to end veteran suicide. According to the organization, 22 veterans commit suicide every day.

According to festival organizers, this year’s hike is dedicated to U.S. Army veteran Jason Litke, who died unexpectedly on July 29, 2017 at his home in Naugatuck at the age of 38.

Registration for the hike is from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and at 7 a.m. on Saturday at the Naugatuck Event Center, 6 Rubber Ave. The hike steps off from the event center at 9 a.m.

The hikers will lead the Mission 22 Procession along Water Street and into the festival at about 4:45 p.m. The procession will include the Police Pipes and Drums of Waterbury and a bugle rendition of TAPS.

This year, the festival will be held along Maple Street between the Naugatuck Fire Department and the Whittemore Bridge and along a portion of Old Firehouse Road. The festival will feature a variety of vendors, live music, a birds of prey rescue organization and a fireworks display that will start at 8 p.m.

The festival will also feature games for children, including a 90-foot obstacle course, multiple bounce houses and a smaller obstacle course for young children.

The rain date is Sunday.