Passeggiata: A leisurely stroll by another name
August 12, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti UPDATE: This post was updated on Aug. 14 with details on Axel’s passeggiata-inspired photo challenge.
It was a lovely summer evening with sunshine, a light breeze, and busy foot traffic in downtown Waterbury.
People out and about on a mild summer evening, Aug. 6, some inspired to stroll downtown Waterbury for passeggiata. Photo by Gordon Miller
Just how many were out strolling Main Street, Stowe Street and the nearby neighborhoods as part of the first call to “passeggiata” was hard to say last Wednesday.
Some of those walking through town were out just for that – on their routine outing with their dogs, or just out to meet up with friends for a bite to eat, catch some live bluegrass music on the patio at Pro Pig Brewery, or take a midweek break from cooking dinner at home.
Others were out with a purpose, inspired by recent messages from a handful of local residents and business owners. They answered the call to get out for a stroll for exactly that reason which also goes by a somewhat musical Italian name that adds some flair: passeggiata (pass eh JAH ta).
'Welcome, friends!' is the message outside Bridgeside Books. Photo by Gordon Miller
It simply refers to the custom across Italy where people tend to go out for a leisurely stroll in the early evening around their town square. It might include a stop for gelato or a refreshing aperitivo. It’s not meant to have a specific route or duration. It’s done “for pleasure, relaxation, or social purposes,” as Bridgeside Books owner Katya d’Angelo puts it.
She was among a small group who hatched the idea to suggest Waterbury community members give passeggiata a try after seeing it happening in Burlington this summer. Members of the Vermont Italian Cultural Association first suggested the notion there as the weather turned warm, and for the past couple of months, the practice has been catching on there on Wednesday nights.
Waterbury resident Ingrid Jonas, who is on the Italian Cultural Association board of directors and works in Burlington, has participated there and thought she’d float the idea in Waterbury.
Fortunately, last Wednesday was free of thunderstorms and other big events. And from the looks of people making their way up and down Main Street, Stowe Street, and around the downtown, foot traffic was strong.
Jazz musicians hold an open-door rehearsal at The Phoenix on Aug. 6, with strollers invited to stop in. This group’s regular Jazz Jam is this Wednesday, 6-9 p.m. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
It helped that some downtown businesses kept their doors open a little later than usual. Stowe Street Emporium and Bridgeside Books didn’t close until 6. The gift shop had free cookies and the bookstore had Italian music playing. Pro Pig Brewery already has live music on the patio along Elm Street on Wednesdays and their outdoor tables and stools were pretty full.
Pottery artist Jeremy Ayers decided to work late in his studio on Elm Street with the door open for passersby to stop in. “I had about 25 visitors, and at least half of them had never been in before!” he said of last Wednesday’s first passeggiata. “I will be there this Wednesday, 5-8. I plan to keep doing them!”
On Stowe Street, jazz musicians kept the door open during their rehearsal for this week’s monthly Jazz Jam (6-9 p.m.) and band leader Nina Towne said some folks ventured in to listen for a bit. As she was packing up when rehearsal finished, Carolyn Fox walked up to peek inside the music hall space. Town told her about this week’s jazz jam. Fox thanked her, saying she’d come downtown for passeggiata and dinner. She’d been around the corner at Paprika and was walking for a bit before heading home. “It was delightful to sit outside,” she said.
Tom and Cheryl Gloor rounded the corner of Stowe and Main and said they had strolled, stopped for a bite to eat, “And now we’re strolling home,” Cheryl said.
Photos by Gordon Miller. Click to enlarge
Jonas and several friends surveyed the scene from outside the bookstore around 7 p.m. “It was a success,” Jonas said, pleased with what felt like a bump in pedestrian activity.
“It was busier early,” commented Billy Vigdor, who said he arrived downtown closer to 5 p.m. “You’ll never really know how many were out just for this,” he said, “but it was busy with lots of people seeing each other and stopping to talk.”
New this week: Axel's Gallery and Frame Shop owner Whitney Aldrich said she sees passeggiata as an opportunity for people to have some fun with photos. So she’s announced a photo challenge for the next three weeks: “Think of it as: show-and-tell for grown-ups (and kids, and dogs, and… you get the idea),” she wrote in her most recent email newsletter. The assignment: Snap a photo that answers the question, “What does community look like to you?”
Send your shots to the gallery’s Instagram or Facebook pages or email (axelsgallery@icloud.com) by noon on Wednesdays through Sept. 3. The folks at the gallery will pick a favorite to highlight and award with a $50 gift certificate.
Meanwhile, Passeggiata organizers say they hope the practice catches on and they’re eager to see how the community – both strollers and the businesses – responds and contribute to the scene. They encourage everyone to consider getting out on the next few Wednesdays between 5 and 8 to stretch their legs, enjoy the summer evening, and to make it as social as they would like as the day winds down.