By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Despite the below average temperature and downpour of rain, crowds of Westwood residents and more gathered together at Westwood High School to partake in the Westwood Day celebrations. This event happened on Saturday, September 21st and included an array of booths, food trucks and performances for all to enjoy.
The entertainment line up for the day consisted of JUNGS US Taekwondo Showcase, Westwood Winds, Band Gig School of Music & Performance, The Fabulous Schittons, the National Anthem, Selectboard speeches, Poet Laureate, InFinnity and Westwood Chinese School. For activities, there was a 5K Road Race at 9am, a Fun Run at 10 am and a K-9 Demonstration located in the baseball field at 2 pm.
There were additional all day activities that included lawn games, mini golf, pumpkin decorating, bracelet making, potato sack races, sports demos/activities, roaming railroad and more. When wanting to take a break from the rain, tents were set up around the venue in which attendees could also enjoy the variety of foods offered. There were a ride array of booths for guests to visit including, Dedham Savings Bank, First Parish of Westwood, First Baptist Church of Westwood, and Fox Hill Village, just to name a few.
Around noon time, Selectboard Member Joe Previtera took the stage along with some fellow members to address the crowd. After giving a warm welcome on this chilly day, he invited State Representative Paul McMurtry up to speak. “We are so grateful to everyone,” McMurty stated, “for making today possible. Especially the vendors who are enduring this weather and also most importantly those who stayed and are attending and are enjoying the festivities today. Everyday is Westwood day, it truly is a great community full of pride. We have incredible civil engagement. We can look at this year as a starting point for next year and we know next year will be even better. I appreciate being here, please enjoy the day and thank you all for coming.”
As an added surprise, Westwood native Kiersten Khoury, who is currently Miss Massachusetts, made an appearance and held a booth at this event. Previtera presented Khoury with a proclamation from the Selectboard on stage following McMurtry’s speech.
As the day progressed on, families and friends filtered through the event with similes on their faces. While the rain never let up, it certainly did not stop anyone from having some fun and celebrating the town of Westwood.
