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By Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
The long, winding driveway to Jarvis Farm is a dirt path that leads into the woods from Common Street, just by the intersection with Route 1. It is surrounded on all sides - save a brief break for some overhead power lines - by a canopy of foliage that envelops the road. Around this time of year, it is akin to a multicolored tunnel, awash in the bright colors of autumn.
It makes what it opens up to - a veritable fall wonderland - all the more wonderful. Today, Saturday October 15, is the second annual Jarvis Harvest, and the town is out in full force to appreciate the season, the day, and the town.
Across the Jarvis Farm property, there’s a little something for everyone. There are food trucks selling everything from pies to cod. Lines of tents, featuring vendors and local organizations, entertain passers-by in the center. A big band, set up on the back of a flatbed truck, gently swings the crowd. Meanwhile, Walpole’s excitable children leap on bouncy castles, catch Frisbees fired by robots, and enjoy an afternoon with friends and family.
“Jarvis Harvest is kind of our big fall celebration,” says Patrick Shield, Recreation Director for Walpole Recreation. “This is the second annual Jarvis Harvest - this is the second year we’ve been doing this - and it’s really an opportunity to bring in autumn in the unique Walpole way.”
“The weather could not have been more perfect,” says Arielle Carney, Program Coordinator. “You can always plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the rain, so we’re glad to have lucky weather for a second year in a row.
“It’s for kids, families, adults, seniors - we try to target all age ranges with the elements that we include,” she adds.
There does seem to be something for everyone.
“We took a lot of the successful elements that we had last year and really kind of built on it for this year,” says Shield. “We’ve got an expanded Kidz Zone - that was a big element. We changed up some of the food trucks a little bit. We’ve got more vendors and then brought back some of the favorites. We were able to partner up with the Walpole High School Robotics Club.”
“The Kidz Zone, we expanded upon,” adds Carney, “so it has elements like a mechanical bull, which is awesome for adults and teens. There are small bouncy houses for the toddlers, so we cover that age group with the entertainment. The vendors are all varieties, so there’s something to interest everybody.”
“Sheriff Michael Bellotti’s here with his command vehicle. The Fire Department’s here. The District Attorney’s here,” says Shield. “We’ve got a lot of community buy-in and we’re really excited about that,” he continues, scanning the smiling faces as they pass by.
There are even, he explains, little wrinkles that are particularly specific to Walpole: “Those familiar with Walpole will know that statue of Barachiah Lewis over on East Street. We have a living statue of that,” says Shield proudly.
As happy families stroll through and delicious scents waft through the air, Arielle Carney takes one last moment to sum it up. “I feel amazing about it,” she says. “It’s great to see the droves of people coming down the driveway.”
