Fairfield is blessed with 5 (count them!) beaches on Long Island Sound. Each has its own vibe, no two are exactly alike. Penfield gets a lot of the fame (and deservedly so), but Jennings is where we end up more often. Some of that is due to proximity to home, but a lot of it is due to the park’s flexibility and ease of access: Jennings Beach is a multi-purpose space that hosts the food truck festival (among other festivals), a carnival or two, the starting and finish lines for multiple road races, the Fourth of July Fireworks, evening fires on the beach, and (of course) Sand Jam.
Things to do on the Beach
Tanning, swimming, and walking the beach – all the obvious activities are at your discretion. During the off-season, you can walk your doggos here (on a leash, of course!) – and the more posh can even ride their horses on the sand. The town offers storage of your smaller watercraft (14′ and under sailboats, paddle boards, and kayaks) which you can rent annually. There is a pavilion with a small restaurant and bathrooms (seasonal), volleyball nets and charcoal grills with picnic tables.
Firepits
Jennings Beach is home to 2 of the 3 fire pits in town, one at J2 and one at J6. If you are fast with your browser refresh, you can book one of these on the town’s website each year. There is literally nothing like sitting by a fire, on the sand, on a cool summer’s night with the moon rising overhead and a hot pizza (delivered to the beach by a local restaurant!) slice in your hand.
Fishing Pier
On the far eastern edge of the beach, you’ll find the fishing pier. A great spot to fish or watch the boats come and go from the town’s marina, it was also a favorite place for me when I was taking my son for a walk in the stroller (he’d nap and I’d get water views, what a win / win!).
Comments are closed