Mark your calendars for Danbury's very first 5K for Autism Awareness!
The Puzzles 5K Autism Awareness Festival will take place on Saturday, April 25th in Hatter's Park from 10AM-2PM. Open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities, the 5K is great for individuals, families, school teams and community groups. And -- the Puzzles 5K is more than just a race -- it's a community festival that is free and open to the public.
The goal of the Puzzles 5K Festival is to bring together families, students, educators and local organizations in a fun, welcoming and supportive environment while building stronger, local resources for individuals with autism and neurodiverse needs. Whether your family has a child or adult with Autism or you'd like to show your support for others affected, attending the Puzzles 5K Festival is a great way to connect with others in the Autism community.
🏃🏽♂️THE RACE
The 5K race will be officially sanctioned and professionally timed and registration includes a race shirt (not guaranteed after April 1) and full event access! There will also be an awards ceremony for top runners. Those interested in participating are encouraged to sign up as an individual, register with a friend, encourage the family to participate or recruit co-workers! It's a great way to show your support during Autism Awareness month.
SIGN UP TO RUN OR WALK IN THE PUZZLES 5K
Your participation fee ($25) will help Puzzles gift a $1,000 check at the end of the race to one lucky local organizations/program in attendance that day that serves the Autism community. Any additional money raised will be used to support the organization's long-term vision of expanding into a larger support network, creating additional free accessible events for families touched by Autism.
🎉 THE FESTIVAL
The Puzzles 5K is more than just a race - it's a community festival that is free and open to the public. So bring the whole family out to Hatter's Park on Saturday, April 25th. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony with community leaders as well as guest speakers and local partners in attendance throughout the day.
Families can also enjoy special features such as:
- Live Music (multiple performers throughout the day)
- Kids Zone (12+ bounce houses, games, activities)
- Sensory-Friendly Zone (inclusive space for all needs sponsored by Macaroni KID)
- Vendor Village (60+ local businesses & organizations)
- Food Trucks and community engagement
"Puzzles is about more than just one day—it’s about building a stronger, more inclusive community." ~ Ryan Fucci, Co-Founder Puzzles 5K Festival
Puzzles 5K was co-founded by Ryan Fucci and his girlfriend Giovanna who attended a cultural festival in Danbury in 2025 and were inspired to create a similar festival for the Autism community. After some research, they learned that while there are large events in Hartford and NYC to support Autism, there wasn't yet such an event in the Danbury area. In addition to being proud of their connection to the Autism community, they pride themselves on the fact that their entire team is Gen Z. Ryan shares, "We are showing and inspiring our generation and younger generations that young people can do great things and make real change in the world, starting in their own community." For more information, visit https://puzzlesmarathon.com/.
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