Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 9/28/2022
LONGMEADOW – You just can’t keep a good tradition down.
A year and a half after the Historical Society announced end of the decades-long Long Meddowe Days fair, American Legion Post 175 is breathing new life into it and rebranding the event as the “Long Meddowe Fall Festival.”
American Legion Post 175 Commander Earl Godfrey explained that the organization took the lead on bringing the fair back as a form of connecting with and serving the community. “There are close to 1,000 veterans and active service members living in Longmeadow. We want to bring them into our view of community service,” he said. “Active service doesn’t end when your active-duty ends.”
Laurie Hatch, who has served on the Historical Society and was the chair of Long Meddowe Days in previous years, said, “The Historical Society did a good job.” Now, Hatch has partnered with the Legion to carry on the tradition and bring back the small-town feel.
The festival will span Oct. 8 and 9, allowing a full weekend for entertainment, activities, food and fun on the Town Green. The festival is “too much work for one day,” said Godfrey.
Hatch said how the festival will be set up will be very similar to Long Meddowe Days, with vendor tents around the periphery of the Green. The games and activities, including face painting, pumpkin decorating, a 40-foot obstacle course, karaoke and other teen entertainment will all be free. Only the rock-climbing wall and the roaming railroad will charge an admission and those costs come from the companies providing the equipment, Hatch said.
Among the food options, One Way Brewing will be joining forces with Fletcher’s BBQ Shop & Steakhouse to offer barbecue and adult libations in a fenced off area near the Green.
Hatch said there are well over 50 vendors participating in the event, including a petting zoo and local crafters. The yacht club and Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge are also participating. The Richard Salter Storrs Library will be hosting a used book sale at the Community House to coincide with the festival. The Storrs House will be open between 1 and 3 p.m. and an architectural tour of the area surrounding the Green will be available.
The historical aspect is something organizers are interested in bringing back into the festivities. Longmeadow has a long, storied history as a town. To that end, Hatch said she is hoping the Historical Society will participate in the festival, although she had not heard from the group.
The festival will kick off with a road race on Oct. 8 at 8 a.m. followed by a children’s fun run, both sponsored by UNICO of Longmeadow. Half an hour later, the parade will step off from St. Mary’s Church and will include representatives from the schools, state officials and the honor guard for the Disabled American Veterans.
The rest of the festival will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. that night. Then, beginning at about 5:30 p.m., there will be a free family campfire and cookout, sponsored by Falcetti’s Music, for Longmeadow families and the volunteers.
On Oct. 9, a classic car show will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The other aspects of the festival will begin at 12 p.m. so as not to interrupt church services, Hatch explained.
The organizers have worked with the town to ensure safety during the two-day event. Two Longmeadow police officers will be posted at the event, and another will be patrolling the Green overnight. There will also be a first aid station to attend to any medical emergencies.
Community spirit
Hatch said that in the last years of Long Meddowe Days, the event had gotten away from its roots. The Long Meddowe Fall Festival is meant to return to a local fair with a historical feel. The vendors are generally limited being based in Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Agawam and West Springfield.
Goods sold at the festival are handmade, such as woodworking, seasonal décor and soaps, she said.
There is still room left for last minute vendors, Hatch said. Godfrey added that they are also looking for more sponsorships, volunteers, and even entertainment.
“If you have a dancing bear or a kazoo band, we’re interested,” Godfrey quipped. Hatch said the organizers are looking for musical acts, magicians and other talent. “No act is too big or small,” Hatch said.
As for the volunteers, Hatch said they have some people with experience in specific areas but need others who can staff various children’s games or help with cleaning up the Green after the festival is over. Hatch said she will accept as many volunteers as possible but would ideally like to have 15 to 20 people to help out. As an added benefit, the Scouts will be cooking free food for the volunteers, sponsored by a local dentist, Dr. Thomas Acquista.
The festival’s slogan is, “A Celebration of Community Spirit and Heritage,” and that is what the organizers are hoping people take away. Godfrey said the point of the festival is, “Finding people with similar interests and connecting with them.” Hatch added that the festival is a chance for people to get away from their screens and develop face-to-face relationships.
Hatch said people who could not make it this year have asked about signing up for next year. Hatch and Post 175 are hoping to make the festival an annual event.
“Our idea is to show what’s really in the community,” Hatch said. “I was born and brought up in Longmeadow. Lots of people come back because of the community. They need something like this to call their own.”
For more information on how to volunteer or sponsor the Long Meddowe Fall Festival, email laurhatch@aol.com.