All in one night

A grand night without spending a grand. That's the premise behind A Grand Summer Night. It is held every year in downtown Stamford. This year it falls on August 11th.

To promote the flourishing independent restaurant business, the “Friends of Stamford Downtown” organize this annual fundraiser to promote fine dining in downtown Stamford. Proceeds from the event are used to purchase outdoor art for downtown Stamford and help reduce the costs of significant downtown art exhibits.

I've attended this event for the past two years and highly recommend it. When you RSVP to the event through Downtown Special Services District, you are given a list of downtown restaurants. You choose one that you would like to have dinner at. Dinner and non-alcoholic drinks are included with the ticket, which is $80 per person. The price is a steal for some delicious courses and you'd be supporting the arts. It should be fine if you decide to wait until after the July 29th RSVP deadline but the following recommended restaurants might not be available:

Aria Restaurant
Capital Grille
Mitchell's Fish Market
Market Restaurant

The night begins at UCONN-Stamford (above picture) for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Mingle with residents of the city while enjoying great eats. Wait, there's more. Complimentary gift bags filled with assorted goods from Conair, Avon Theatre, Stamford Town Center and Saks Fifth Avenue are provided for each guest. All restaurants are within walking distance of the university. Who can beat all of that?

A silent auction is held before dinner. Some of the prizes offered are from local craft stores, golf courses and travel companies. I recommend bidding on DiMare Pastry shop Dessert of the Month, Dinner at Strada 18 in South Norwalk or the UBS Parade Spectacular Family Package. You get a local taste of Stamford for a reasonable price with those best bets. At Latham and Columbus Park, pieces of art will be available for purchase.

You then continue on your fine dining journey to your chosen restaurant. A unique Downtown Stamford experience awaits you.