By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff
Walpole’s Harvest Fest is anticipated every year and marks the beginning of fall for many in town. Taking place this year on October 1, a gloomy Saturday, the festival significantly brightened the day for any families who made their way to Stone Field for the day of fun.
“Typically, it’s a smaller Walpole Day,” explained Walpole Recreation Director Brendan Croak, who was appreciative of Walpole residents’ attendance. “The idea is to give the community a centralized location to come down and enjoy the weather. We added a touch-a-truck element, which is new. We have bounce houses, it’s a county-fair-style event for the town.”
The county fair element implied that a surge of entertainment and activities would be present for the festival — and they were.
Those in attendance had plenty to choose from. There were vendors selling everything from beaded keychains to homemade sweet treats. Many of Walpole’s favorite organizations had tents with information on their projects, including the Walpole Public Library and the Walpole Robotics Group. Kids, meanwhile, ran around in face paint of their favorite hobbies or characters, thanks to Gina Tarara-Woods’ talented artistry.
Silver City Band covered classic rock and twangy country, as well as blues. Playing “the greatest hits of all time”, their cover of “Redneck Woman” livened up the field with a great energy. Meanwhile, kids played frisbee and ran around while others went for inflatables and games.
“I’m glad people came out considering the weather,” remarked Croak. “I’m happy to continue community events and look forward to Walpole Day.”
Keep an eye out for more Recreation events, like Halloween on Main, coming later in the month. Stay up to date at walpolerecreation.com.
