We started this documentary project a couple of years ago that celebrates the memories of the Danbury Racearena at The Great Danbury State Fair in Danbury, CT.  The show focuses on the Stock Car and Modified racing years with SNYRA - Southern New York Racing Association that packed the grandstand on Saturday nights up until the Fairgrounds closed in 1981. The documentary will also include Fair history that made it America's most unique Fair. 

The Danbury Fair ran every October for 10 days from 1869 - 1981. Racing of all kinds was an integral part of the Fair since day one. In fact, horse racing is how it all actually got started. In latter years, Midget racing was featured at the Racearena, then Stock cars & Modified racing took center stage.  The Racearena was like no other race track in the country, the non-stop energy and atmosphere of the Fairgrounds adding to the excitement of the racing. 

We now how over 30 on-camera interviews including:  Mario Andretti, who credits Danbury as being a significant launching pad for his career.  Don LaJoie, a Racearena fan favorite and multi-time track champion paved the way for his son Randy LaJoie to continue the family racing legacy, excelling in NASCAR, then Randy passing the torch to his son, Corey LaJoie, currently racing NASCAR.  Additional interviews include thrill show driver Joie Chitwood III. of  the "Joie Chitwood Thrill Show."  Former NASCAR driver and Danbury native, Jerry Nadeau. Racearena drivers: Art Davis. Andy Montanari. Billy Layda. Nick Giardina. Bones Stevens. Lou Funk Jr. & many more Danbury racing legends.  Also included is an audio interview with Chick Stockwell recorded by Charles Irving Jr., in the late 90's at Chick's home. Charles, better known as Irv, son of Assistant GM of the Danbury State Fair, C. Irving Jarvis Sr., shares stories about growing up with the Fair and the racing.  Irv passed away in October 2019.  Most of the footage being used in this documentary is 8mm film footage taken by both Irv and his father dating back to the 50's.  Jack Stetson, relative of Fair owner John W. Leahy and GM at the Fair for many years, shares his knowledge and stories of the glorious Fair days. 

The interviews we have gathered for this one of a kind documentary is beyond our expectations. However, with the exception of a few hundred dollars in donations, we have funded this project single handedly.  We have a few more interviews to go, but then comes the time consuming and cost demanding post production editing process.  We really need help with completion funds so this documentary can be shared by racing enthusiasts and Danbury Fair and Racearena lovers for generations to come.   Sadly, many of the people interviewed for this project are no longer with us but we are grateful to have their Fair memories preserved on tape.

We were anticipating much more financial assistance and the show has proceeded on a "do-it-when-we-can" stance.  Hopefully we can regain some traction and get the needed funds so this project can be edited on a daily basis for several months and be ready for presentation/release by the end of summer 2020.  Now that we have such amazing celebrities that have shared their stories and the impact the Danbury Racearena had on their lives, we believe we can get the momentum behind us so we can make this project soar. Goals include acquiring original music composition; editing fees; rights to popular music tracks; footage rights of a clip from the 80's film "Arthur," which highlights the Danbury Racearena; and invest in post-production elements that will increase our appeal for television/cable broadcast consideration. 

WEBSITE:  www.racearenamemories.com

We are Kirk Jarvis and Richard Hutwohl. Kirk is the son of C. Irving Jarvis, Jr., and our grandfather is C. Irving Jarvis, Sr, who, for almost 50 years put his heart and soul into The Great Danbury State Fair. He was the Assistant General Manager to John W. Leahy, and together they made the fair grow into one of the most popular destination sites on the East Coast. Our grandfather passed away in 1969, shortly before the opening of the 100th running of the fair. Mr. Leahy passed a few years later. The political and economic climate at that time led to the fair being sold and replaced with a shopping mall. The Great Danbury State Fair is gone, thankfully fond memories live on. 

Beginning in 1869, The Great Danbury State Fair attracted masses of people from across the country until it closed. Racing began in 1908, and the Danbury Racearena became a popular focal point for horse racing, the Mighty Midgets, stock cars, modifieds and even boat races. Our feature documentary will be reminiscing with some of the stock car and modified race car drivers, car owners and fans from the great Racearena days, many of whom attended at the Fair festivities as much as they during its 10 day October run. Danbury students will never forget "Danbury Day"  when all the local schools closed and every student received a free pass for the Fair.  Although the Danbury Fair closed over 35 years ago, the memories of the sounds, smells and excitement are as fresh and real as if it were yesterday. We will show personally-owned 8mm film footage, photographs, memorabilia and original fair sketches by C. Irving Jarvis, recently re-discovered in the Hutwohl/Jarvis attics and closets.  We will present current interviews of many closely associated with the Fair.

In October of 2019, Charles Irving Jarvis Jr. passed away. Irv was the consultant on this project. After decades in the television industry, starting off as a DJ at WLAD in Danbury, CT, serving in the Korean War where he did additional DJ work, then beginning his TV producing & directing career doing Live television broadcasts in Ohio. From 1963 to 1979, Irv was a producer & director at WPIX Channel 11 in NYC, directing & developing shows like "The Magic Garden" and the original, "Yule Log." In his latter years Irv free-lanced, directing for Pepsi & IMB and produced several independent community-orientated documentaries. Thankfully we have Irv on camera during the summer of 2019 reminiscing his childhood on Lake Kenosia, Danbury and his experiences and knowledge of the Danbury Fair. 

In his youth, Irv roamed every square inch of the Fairgrounds performing tasks such as ‘Stake Man’, staking out the concessions on the grounds so the vendors would know where to set up, or aiming the new grandstand roof spotlights onto the racetrack with his sister, Evelyn (Jarvis) Hutwohl. Irv's son, Kirk Jarvis, is writer, director & cinematographer on this project. He has produced a handful of environmental and community-orientated independent documentaries.

Funding is vital to completing this feature-length, broadcast quality production so that the Fair memories can be enjoyed for generations to come. The completed documentary will be distributed independently, yet also submitted to film festivals in quest of theatrical release and/or securing distribution outlets.

Once production goals have been satisfied, we hope to be in a position to make donations to organizations such as SNYRA, Danbury Historical Society, and Suncoast Service Dogs non-profit, that professionally trains and places dogs for physical, medical and therapy services.

For those who would like to donate, we have set up a progressive level of donation packages to say 'Thank You', for your help. Included in the higher level gift packages are the documentary DVD upon completion, photocopies of one-of-a kind documents, hand drawn sketches and photos seen only in this documentary, official project T-shirts, caps and more. 

Larger package donations will include all of the incentives in the lower plans, plus free admission, food and beverage to the premiere screening to be held in Danbury CT (TBA) where we will celebrate in ideal "Danbury Fair" flair, with cold beer on draft, sausage & pepper grinders, and of course, Dutch Apple Pie ala mode!

Thank you in advance for your donation to help produce SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE RACES, Memories of the Great Danbury State Fair and Racearena.

www.racearenamemories.com

https://www.facebook.com/Danbury-Fair-and-Racearena-Memories-1159602870849728/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Contact us at  racearenamemories@gmail.com

Thanks again for viewing our campaign.