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Date: 5/23/2023
CHESTER — A parade kicked off Chester on Track on Saturday, May 20, lining up at 10 a.m. at the Firehouse on Route 20 and winding its way down Main Street. Craft fair artisans and the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association home show were set up along Main Street and on side streets, along with food vendors including old-fashioned ice cream made in buckets, while the antique cars lined up on Maple St. following the parade.
The Hampden County Sheriff’s Mounted Police made a big impression on the children sitting along the road, as did the Littleville Fair wagon and the Down-to-Earth Excavating train which threw candy at spectators as they passed.
At the Chester Railway Station, a historic landmark, train enthusiasts ran model trains inside, and food was served from the Blue Caboose Dining Car. Outside Revolutionary and Civil War reenactors and members of the Westfield Wild and Scenic Westfield River spoke to visitors.
Children were able to climb around in the antique railroad cars, and participate in activities especially for them at the Chester Ballfield 800 feet down the road.
Some activities and entertainment were cut short, as the rain threatened and eventually came in the afternoon. Chester on Track highlights the historic charm of the village known as “the gem of the valley.”