The Connecticut Sea Music Festival is one of the region’s biggest annual celebrations of maritime music.
“People will hear sea shanties — which are sailors’ work songs," said Deirdre Murtha, one of the organizers. "They’ll also hear songs sailors might have sung on board ship not to do the work to, but about loved ones at home, about girls in port, about drinking beer.”
The festival is spread out across multiple stages in the town of Essex, home of the Connecticut River Museum and the historic Griswold Inn. Most of the concerts are free.
“It’s a lovely spot right on the water," Murtha said. "It has been listed as one of the most quaint towns in the United States. The weather’s supposed to be nice. You could just stroll the streets of Essex for the day, ice cream in hand.”
This year’s headliner is Sean Dagher, known for his soundtrack for the Assassin’s Creed video game series.
Another performer this year, the Ranzo Boys, are the featured musicians on the WSHU podcast Off the Path.
