A beer-and-food festival and new water slide make their debuts over the next week as part of Lake Compounce’s bid to bring back crowds after its pandemic hiatus.
The first Bites and Pints Food & Drink Festival offers craft beer and food from local chefs and will recur every weekend through June at the Bristol amusement park.
The food and drink will be offered from four menus with cocktail and beer pairings, with one menu focused on vegan food. The June 5 inaugural event features the food of Donte Jones and Michone Denae Arrington, chefs and co-owners of The Art of Yum restaurants in Southington and Waterbury.
Modeled on the Venus flytrap carnivorous plant, the new Venus Vortex water slide opens for its first riders on Saturday. The six-story ride starts with a dark tunnel to evoke feelings of weightlessness, then a near-vertical drop that leads to twists, turns and more drops.
“This towering thriller expands Crocodile Cove – the largest water park in Connecticut – with a wild ride unlike any other in the region,” said General Manager Larry Gorneault Jr.
Lake Compounce celebrates its 175th anniversary this year and will be open daily starting on June 18.
