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Date: 2/23/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — A day of food, fun, giveaways and community engagement is returning to the streets of West Springfield this month after a two-year COVID-19-driven break.
WinterFest 2023 will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 25. The entirely free festival is hosted by It’s West Springfield, a nonprofit civic organization entering its 10th year of operation. Various businesses along Elm, Main, Union and Westfield streets will participate with giveaways and entertainment.
The Hampden County Sheriff’s Department will bring horses and dogs from its K-9 unit, and Boomer, the Springfield Thunderbirds mascot, will make an appearance.
But Roberta Page, president of It’s West Springfield, said the primary goal of WinterFest is to introduce residents to West Springfield businesses, as well as each other. She said with nearly 60 languages spoken in town, West Springfield is one of the most culturally diverse communities in the state.
“I think it’s really important for people to know about the different ethnicities that we have here in town,” Page said in an interview with Reminder Publishing. “The more we get to know about each other and learn about each other, the better off everyone is.”
Dozens of local businesses will offer giveaways ranging from muffins to shampoo packets to American flags. Tandem Bagel and Cerrato’s are giving away blue-and-white bagels and cupcakes, respectively, inspired by the high school’s colors. The event’s premier sponsor, M&T Bank, will give away piggy banks, tote bags and balloons. The event is funded entirely by sponsors and donations from businesses and individuals, as It’s West Springfield operates with no dues or membership fees.
“It’s whatever the individual businesses do for their business and that’s what they’re volunteering. Their employees are going to be the ones handing out these giveaways in their respective locations,” Page said.
Participants will also have the opportunity to enter free raffles, including one for a $250 gift card to Stevens Jewelers.
A full list of participating businesses and events is available on the It’s West Springfield Facebook page.
Page said the festival is family-oriented with “something for everybody.” The day will culminate with a Mardi Gras parade inside the Iglesias Cristianas Rey de Mi Vida church hall at 214 Elm St., featuring the Dixieland Band and Mardi Gras beads from the Eastern States Exposition. Judges will give an award for the most colorful Mardi Gras purple, green and yellow outfit.
WinterFest started in 2015, and Page said the Iglesias Cristianas church has always been willing to open its doors for the festival during the frigid New England winters.
“This has really evolved into a WinterFest that’s much bigger and more inclusive, with more businesses than it has been historically,” Page said. “It has caught on and people are excited about it. The businesses are excited about it, and their employees are excited about it, which is really nice.”
As a West Springfield native with a professional, international background in marketing and event planning, Page was enthusiastic about the return of the festival, and all of the efforts made by individuals and businesses to bring this free event back to the area.
She said WinterFest 2023 is It’s West Springfield’s first significant event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, and she is eager for the community to mingle with each other as well as new and longstanding businesses in the area.
“This WinterFest is really important because so many people were closed in for two years or more, and this is an opportunity for them to be out and see something interesting, exciting, colorful and enjoyable,” Page said. “We just hope that Mother Nature will cooperate. If we don’t have a blizzard, we will hold it.”