Fairfield Beaches: A Year Round Source of Beauty
Nothing quite encapsulates tranquility and happiness like the beaches that so many love in Fairfield. Stretching from Jennings to Southport Beach, each sandy shoreline has a unique personality and characteristics that set each other apart - yet they each have so much to offer. Whether it’s 90 degrees on a sweltering August day, or snowing in January, Fairfield’s beaches have so much to offer.
With all that Fairfield brings to the table, its beautiful beaches are ideal for swims in the Long Island Sound, tanning, relaxing, reading, going for long walks and jogs, bonfires, parties, picnics, sunsets and sunrises.
For the majority of residents in town, when meeting up with friends for a day at the beach, one question always comes up: Jennings or Penfield? A lot of the time, it comes down to which one is less crowded, as residents seek to claim their own personal slice of sand.
On a hot mid-summer day, finding the “perfect spot” to lay down your towel and umbrella can be a challenge, as both Jennings and Penfield beaches can be completely filled with close to thousands of Fairfield residents and out-of-towners alike, that come from far and wide to soak up the sun and cool off in the water of the Sound.
While Sasco Beach is a notorious hotspot for high school students to spend their Friday and Saturday nights convening with friends and having a good time, it also provides a great location for sunbathers. With its more rocky shoreline, even if you don’t want to swim, adults and families can come here during the day to tan or come in the afternoons or nights for picnics in the sand.
A Southport Beach sunset during low-tide / Photo by Brendan Casey
Southport Beach on Pequot Ave, one that is sometimes slept on in the talk about Fairfield’s beaches (potentially due to being right on the Westport border) is a quaint but gorgeous beach that runs right alongside the road, and contains an estuary filled with all types of sea creatures on its west-facing side, perfect for school class trips. It’s close proximity to the road and parking spaces also offers an easy advantage for those unloading and packing up their beach gear.
Even in the seasons other than summer, Fairfield’s beaches have so much to offer. If you’re ever feeling like Jack Nicholson in The Shining after being in your house too long after a snowstorm, going to the beach can give you an escape from cabin fever and claustrophobia, with its open terrain and big sky.
Along with this, during the late fall and winter months, sunsets are in peak form. According to studies by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist James Cordifi in an interview with Vox, sunsets are enhanced in the winter seasons due to lower humidity, and the fact that the Earth’s rotation spins closer to the sun during this time, making the angle the sun sets at just that much better for the nightly show. These creamsicle orange, hibiscus pink, and blood red sunsets that are so vibrant, can really warm your soul during some of the shortest, darkest days of the year.
Debbi O’Keefe, longtime Fairfield resident and founder of ConnectFairfield, is an avid beach goer. “Sasco is my favorite for sunsets” she says, “but I really enjoy walking from Jennings along the shore past Penfield”, a great walk many Fairfielders love to partake in.
Amy Borruso, a lifelong Fairfielder, loves all that the coastline has to provide. “I have different favorites for different reasons. I love Jennings for family beach trips. I love walking the length of the beaches all the way past Penfield to the private homes” she explains.
Amy also embraces the other beaches in town for what they have to offer.
“When I want a quiet beach trip I go to Sasco or South Pine Creek. At Sasco I bring a book and snag a spot under the tree near the jetty. I love that I use the beach for outdoor book group gatherings, suppers with my parents - no one has to do dishes- catching up with a friend for a long conversation - better than a phone call - and solo walks in the fall. I loved bringing my dog too!”
Because Amy grew up in town, great memories live at the beach.
“I still find that summer weekdays have the same vibe that the beach had when I was a kid. I learned to swim and sail at Jennings. Even the snack bar seems the same…The beach has my heart!”
So whether it’s the dead of winter or the dog days of summer, whether it’s Penfield or South Pine Creek or Sasco, Fairfield’s charm is embodied in the beauty and nature of our beaches.
For more information on Fairfield’s beaches: https://www.fairfieldct.org/beaches
To purchase an annual beach pass: https://www.fairfieldct.org/beachstickers
