By Samantha Russell

WESTPORT — No matter how you sliced it, Saturday’s annual celebration of Saugatuck was a heaping helping of food and fun.

“Slice of Saugatuck,” delayed a week by rainy weather, unfolded for a 12th year Saturday under sunny and warm skies. The event, organized by the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce, showcased the cuisine, commerce and culture of the area’s restaurants and businesses.

“Today is a celebration of Saugatuck,” said Matthew Mandell, the chamber’s executive director. The festival, he said, makes Saugatuck — historically, a center of trade and an Italian immigrant community — “the epicenter of Westport again.”

The neighborhood streets were filled with people of all ages, from families with toddlers to senior citizens and even furry friends. Many were making a return to event from previous years.

Within the festival area, bracketed by Railroad Place, Riverside Avenue and Saugatuck Avenue, food vendors, retailers and entertainment fueled the fun.

A wide variety of food was on offer by 23 restaurants, including Kawa Ni, Viva Zapata and Match Burger Lobster, while 17 retailers showcased their merchandise and services, among them Bridge Garage, Effi’s Salon and Sound Pilates. Other attractions were bouncy houses for the kids, tours of the Saugatuck fire station, two beer and wine gardens, and seven bands performing throughout the afternoon.

A long line waited outside MOMU Ice Cream, while others sampled fare from Tuttis, Tarantino and Harvest.

“It’s just very important to be in community events,” said a representative of The Whelk restaurant. “Today is a beautiful day … lots of new faces, for sure.”

Emma Szachta, joined by two friends, was eager to experience the retail and dining experiences despite relatively late to the fest.

“All of the food seems cool,” she said. “I’m excited to try all the restaurants.”

At the Saugatuck station, Fire Chief Nick Marsan said the event is important to his department because it “gives us an opportunity to meet people … We’re just so glad we had a beautiful day.”

Proceeds from the Slice of Saugatuck festivals over the years have been donated to the Gillespie Center’s food pantry, which to date total about $49,000, according to the chamber.

Samantha Russell is a Westport Journal intern.