Personal Life – Milli Stephania Photo

One of the things I love most about living in Stratford is how the community always shows up to celebrate. Whether it’s a local festival, parade, or holiday, there’s always this warm, small-town magic in the air — and Halloween is no exception!

This year, I wanted to do something fun and interactive for the neighborhood, so I set up a Halloween photo booth right outside my home. As trick-or-treaters made their way down the block, they stopped to pose in front of my spooky backdrop — and let me tell you, the creativity in those costumes did not disappoint!

Last year was my little “trial and error” phase. The winds were wild, and my backdrop stand just couldn’t keep up. But this year, I came prepared. I made a few upgrades, reinforced the setup, and learned a lot along the way. And now I’m already brainstorming how to make it even better for next year!

To all the trick-or-treaters who stopped by — and the parents who got just as excited about the photo booth as I did — thank you for making it such a fun night. Your photos are ready to download! You can find your spooky (or adorable) portraits here:

Can’t wait to do it all over again next year. Same place, new backdrop, same Stratford spirit. 💜

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Stratford, CT, you really said “vamos a bailar“, and wow, you really meant it!

Yesterday I finally experienced the Latin Festival everyone keeps raving about—and wow, you weren’t exaggerating. The Stratford Hispanic Heritage Committee threw down for their 20th Anniversary Latin Music Festival, and let me tell you, this town knows how to celebrate. With Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15–Oct 25) officially underway, the timing couldn’t have been better.

Yesterday was my very first time attending, and let me just say… I get it now. I came prepared like a pro festival-goer: packed chairs, snacks, and picked the perfect shady spot under a tree. (Did I need snacks? Nope. With all those food vendors, I should’ve come hungry.)

From the first performance, it was pure magic—local dance schools absolutely brought the energy, and the crowd was eating it up. But the Peruvian dancers? They stole the whole show. The colors of their traditional outfits were so vibrant they could have powered the stage lights themselves. And the way they hyped up the crowd? Unreal. Stratford was basically one big dance floor for a minute.

Of course, I couldn’t resist snapping photos. It wasn’t official—just me, my camera, and a soft spot for families having a blast. I’ve already shared the gallery with Stratford residents so they can find their own smiling faces, just like I did back in June with the Stratford Festival. (You can read that blog post here, and find the gallery here) There’s nothing better than capturing real, unscripted joy.

After a year and a half of living here, I’m still blown away by how much community Stratford has. People show up for each other, they celebrate loudly, and they make you feel like you’re part of something bigger. My heart is full, and you can bet I’ll be back next year, front row, camera in hand, dancing, and loving every second.