By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Walpole residents and visitors gathered at the Union Congregational Church in East Walpole for the annual Apple Harvest Fair, a day filled with fun activities for all ages. The event featured a small petting zoo with goats, chickens, ducks, and bunnies. In nearby Bird Park, two trackless trains offered rides around the park, while ponies provided rides for the little ones. Despite the rain, outdoor food vendors, lawn games, and unique items for sale kept the crowd engaged.
Inside the church, attendees could escape the weather and participate in a silent auction, while enjoying live performances by Band Together for the second consecutive year. The church also offered baked goods like candy apples and pastries. Throughout the day, a group of dedicated volunteers, including fifteen 8th grade students from Walpole Middle School, assisted with activities like glitter tattoos, crafts, and lollipop sales.
One volunteer, Lynn Golden, has been coming to this Apple Harvest Fair since she was a little girl. “I grew up in this Church,” Golden stated, “and this event has been happening rain or shine ever since I can remember. It is something that I personally look forward to every year, not just for the fundraising aspect but the community aspect as well. We see people sometimes that we haven’t seen since the fair the year before. We have people who have moved away and come back specifically for it, whether that’s coming to it or working it. We have volunteers of all ages here helping out which is always great to see.”
Included within these volunteers is the Leggett/Bemko family, consisting of the grandparents, Mom, Dad and children. Christine Bemko is the Chair of the silent auction that runs every year during this event. She detailed that this fair has been a tradition for over 50 years that Walpole residents truly seem to love.
When talking with her about the preparation that goes into both the auction and the fair itself, she explained that it certainly takes a lot of planning to make it what it is each year. “All summer long we are collecting donations,” Bemko revealed, “from local businesses in Walpole and some within the Greater Boston and New England Area. With them we are able to put together these beautiful baskets that are auctioned off. The Thursday before the fair, we come together and prepare the candy apples and peel additional apples for the apple crisps. It is really a big fellowship event where we all come together and just prepare for the big day.”
Chairman of the Fair Committee, Mike Meimig, was also in attendance for this spectacular event. He detailed just how great of a community event this is in which the whole town can come together to have some fun. “We raise money not just for the Church,” Meimig explained, “but also for the Walpole Food Pantry. Overall this is just really supposed to be a family fun day. It’s about following tradition and keeping a place for people to enjoy pony rides or baby animals. We can’t thank the community enough for coming to this each year and helping to fundraise.”
