For one Saturday every summer, the volleyball courts at Jennings Beach turn into something closer to a stadium. Courtside banners go up, music plays, and a dozen or more teams spend the day diving in the sand while spectators watch from the edge of the Sound. That is the Jennings Beach Open, and the 2026 tournament lands on Saturday, August 1.
The basics
- Saturday, August 1, 2026, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Jennings Beach, Fairfield
- Coed 4-player format, with at least one female player on the court at all times
- 12 to 14 teams, pool play into semifinals and a final
- Run by the Fairfield County Beach Volleyball Tour
The day’s schedule
- 8:45 a.m. National anthem
- 9:00 a.m. Pool play begins
- 3:30 p.m. Semifinals
- 4:30 p.m. Final
Playing or watching
If you want to play, teams register at fcbvt.com. It is $200 per team, or $50 a player, which includes a tournament T-shirt and a vineyard vines gift card. The field caps at 14 teams and tends to fill up, so it is worth signing up early. The winning team takes home a cash prize and a spot on the Jennings Beach volleyball poles, and there is a prize for the best team costume too.
If you would rather just watch, even better. It is free to spectate, there are games going on courtside, and it is an easy, fun way to spend a summer Saturday at the beach.
Getting there
Jennings is a town beach, so a Fairfield beach sticker is required to park, and non-residents pay a daily fee at the gate. Our guide to Fairfield beach stickers and parking walks through how that works. Bring a chair, sunscreen, and something cold to drink.
The Jennings Beach Open is one of those days that shows off a Fairfield summer at its best. For the rest of the season’s beach nights and downtown happenings, see our Summer in Fairfield events guide.
Thinking of moving to Fairfield?
I put together a free guide with everything I wish I knew before we moved here. Neighborhoods, beaches, getting around, and the practical first moves. Tell me where to send it and the PDF is yours.
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