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Date: 9/14/2023
MONSON — If you want to spend a fun-filled day full of music, food, drinks and entertainment, then visit Veterans’ Field for the 2023 Monson Food Truck & Music Festival on Sept. 16 from noon to 10 p.m.
Monson Rotarian Jean Bailey, the founder, chairperson and coordinator of the Monson Food Truck & Music Festival, said, “This is going to be one of the biggest ones we put on. This year, we have top entertainment and people are coming out of the woodwork. It’s a big event that we have planned for this year, bigger than the previous years.”
Live performances from the Cooper Jones Band, Savage Brothers, Trailer Trash and 14-year-old Monson local acoustical guitar artist Jordyn Doyle. There will be over 18 food trucks/vendors, beer & wine garden and food tents. Activities for all ages include free corn hole games, inflatables, face painting, a magic show, balloons and Clowns for Kids Foundation. Plus, two raffle baskets worth $500 each of Massachusetts lottery tickets in all denominations will be available.
Admission is $10 per person, $5 for military or seniors and children ages 12 and under are free. All proceeds from this event goes toward the Dana-Farber Cancer Research and other local charities.
The original Monson Food Truck Festival was created as a project by the Monson Rotary Club. The club aged out and had to dissolve its charitable endeavors in town after more than 80 years of service. The Rotary’s last fundraiser in 2019, then named the Rotary Food Truck Festival, was the club’s most successful project. All proceeds from the event went to Dana Farber Cancer Research and the Jimmy Fund. Wanting to continue this charitable event, Bailey, along with two other long-time members of Rotary, Dot Jenkins and Brenda Binczewski who were past presidents, plus Bailey’s husband Ken, established the Monson Food Truck & Music Festival Committee.
“This festival has become known as Monson Fall Homecoming” said committee member Dot Jenkins. “Friends and family who haven’t seen each other in a while come back for this particular event.
She went on to say, “So far, we have donated $45,000 to Dana Farber Cancer Research and the Jimmy Fund over those number of years. We’re hoping that this year will be as successful as we have had in the past.”
The Monson Food Truck & Music Festival committee has also set aside $2,000 given to Dana-Farber for any family in the community who does not have proper insurance to get a second opinion. They can contact Bailey or Jenkins for a form to fill out and go to Dana-Farber to get a second opinion at no charge.
Bailey’s husband had cancer two times and was treated at Dana-Farber. Right now, he is six years cancer free. “If it wasn’t for Dana-Farber, Ken would not be here,” Bailey explained. “That’s one of the reasons four years ago that I suggested doing a music festival and donating money to Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund Cancer Research. As well as a big thank you to all the sponsors that helped us make this event happen.”
For further details about festival, contact Bailey at 413-896-7078.