Welcome to Durham, CT

This year’s Memorial Day Parade will take place on Monday, May 25th. The parade will step off at 9:15
a.m., at the corner of Haddam Quarter Road and Main Street and then continue down Main Street to the
Town Green. Parade participants should assemble at the corner between 8:15 a.m., and 8:30 a.m. The
parade will take place rain or shine.

Immediately following the parade there will be a ceremony at the Town Green to honor our nations
servicemen and servicewomen who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom

For any questions, comments, or concerns please contact:
durham.memorialday.parade@gmail.com

Any Durham or Middlefield Veteran wishing to ride in the Durham Veteran Float, please meet at the corner of Haddam Quarter and Rt 17 at 8:45 a.m. 🇺🇸

The town is proud to announce Bob Chadd as the 2026 Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal. Bob is a
Coast Guard veteran and a long time resident of Durham. While in the Coast Guard, he was stationed in
New York City as a Shore Patrolman. Bob and his wife Kathy still reside in town, where they raised their
two children, Cindy and Rob.

Memorial Day History
Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is an annual day of remembrance to honor all those
who died in service to the U.S. during peacetime and war. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials,
and volunteers place American flags on graves at national cemeteries. A national moment of
remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time.

The observance began as Decoration Day when flowers were placed on graves of the fallen, with the
first national celebration held at Arlington National Cemetery, May 30, 1868. At the turn of the century, it
was designated as Memorial Day. In 1971, federal law changed the observance to the last Monday in
May.

ART CREATIVES 250
Friday, June 5, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Durham Community Center

An inspiring exhibition of Durham historic and patriotic art-
Featuring works by talented local artists including the
Durham Bicentennial Quilt and select William Kent pieces.

There will be a Mini-Lecture at 6:15 p.m., by Alicia Miller about local artist William Kent followed by a Town of Durham Proclamation naming June 5th ‘William Kent Day’.

Local Artists or Art Collectors: Please contact Carolyn Havrda (860-894-7837 or chavrda@townofdurhamct.org) by May 15th if you are interested in showing your Historic Durham or Patriotic Art.

Star Spangled Town-Wide Picnic
Saturday, June 6, 2026 
2:00 p.m. at the Durham Community Center and Allyn Brook Park

Join us for town wide picnic honoring America 250. Activities will include:

Old Fashioned Games: Brian Medeiros (860-894-7836 or bmedeiros@townofdurhamct.org)  

Food & Supplies: Carolyn Havrda (860-894-7837 or chavrda@townofdurhamct.org)

The Special Town Meeting held on Monday, April 27, 2026, voted to adopt an Ordinance Establishing the Use of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices (ATESD) .  

To view the approved Ordinance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), plus additional information including Durham Speed Studies, and the CT DOT ATESD Manual Guide use the links listed under Resources on this page.

To hear more from the First Selectman on these devices, please view -->>Update from First Selectman Brendan Rea - April 2026

The Assessor’s Office is mailing income and expense statements to owners of apartments, commercial and industrial real estate in April. Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 12-63c, these forms are mailed annually by April 15th and are due back to the Assessor’s Office by June 1st.
 
 The Assessor will use the information received to develop valuation methodology assessments in the next revaluation. The income information requested is essentially rent, although miscellaneous income, such as laundry income in an apartment complex, may also be relevant. Business income, such as sales of manufactured goods or retail income, is not requested and is generally not relevant to the valuation of the real estate.

 Expense information requested includes utilities costs, insurance premiums, snow plowing, garbage collection, and legal and advertising expenses – all expenses necessary to support the rent for the real estate. Expense information requested does not include business expenses, such as retail employee salaries or inventory purchases – expenses that are not generally relevant to the valuation of the real estate.
 
 CGS Sec.12-63c requires owners of rental real estate to submit this information or incur a 10% assessment penalty. Although owners of commercial property whose space is primarily owner-occupied may not be subject to the assessment penalty, to avoid future requests, the assessor’s office asks that such owners simply return the form with the “owner-occupied” box checked. Information received is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and will be treated confidentially.

 The Assessor may grant a 30-day extension to owners who may have difficulty meeting the June 1st deadline. An extension request must be submitted in writing prior to May 1st.