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Date: 6/7/2022
LONGMEADOW – After a year-long absence, a Longmeadow tradition is returning with a fresh look and name, but the same small-town feel.
The Longmeadow Historical Society announced in March of 2021 that they would no longer be hosting Long Meddowe Days, a festival that had taken place on the Town Green since 1980. Laurie Hatch is a member of the Longmeadow Historical Society and a former chair of the now-defunct Long Meddowe Days.
“I tried to find another organization to run it,” Laurie said. At the beginning of last year, she approached the Longmeadow American Legion Post #175, of which her husband, Bill Hatch, is a member.
“We felt that we weren’t organized just yet,” Bill said of hosting the festival in 2021. When the American Legion began to put plans in place for this year, he said, they did not want to rush to organize it before Memorial Day, the time when Long Meddowe Days had traditionally been hosted.
“We said, ‘Fall’s a pretty time,’” Laurie remarked. With the change in time of year, the event was rebranded to the Long Meddowe Fall Festival and scheduled to take place on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Aside from the change in season, the festival will be very similar to the one run by the Historical Society. The weekend will kick off on the morning of Oct. 8 with a road race organized by Longmeadow UNICO, an Italian American service organization. A parade will follow. The festival will feature activities for youth, food vendors, local talent exhibitions, craftmanship, musicians and artists. There will also be booths for community social groups and town departments. That day’s entertainment will conclude with a campfire in the evening. The second day will feature more vendors, artists and activities. There is no admission for the festival.
There is one key difference, however. Laurie said the Long Meddowe Fall Festival Committee is dedicated to inviting local vendors and keeping a focus on the town’s history. The festival’s slogan is, “A celebration of community spirit and heritage.”
Laurie said about 20 vendors have applied for space at the festival, including Armata’s Market and The Depot at Graham Central Station. “We hope Historical Society will have a booth,” Laurie said. There are still spaces open for more vendors and organizations.
The committee is actively seeking sponsors and volunteers. For those with questions about the festival, an open house will be hosted at the Storrs Library in the Betty Ann Lowe Room on June 23, at 6:30 p.m.
For applications to be a vendor, visit https://www.longmeddowefallfestival.org or email longmeddowefallfestival@gmail.com.