CHESTERVILLE – Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 11, when Chesterville Family Fun Day will return, due to popular demand. This year’s festivities will include fun for all ages, music, and plenty of food.
Last year Fun Day was organized by a small group committed to bringing the town together to foster the sense of community that was seeming to flag with the modern trends toward isolation and stay-at-home entertainment. The result?
“People had a really good time,” concluded Kim Lessard, “We were really pleased with the turn-out, and we hear that everyone is looking forward to an even bigger day this year.”
Last year’s event revived a tradition that had taken a break for several years. A Fourth of July parade and festivities were held in Chesterville during the mid-20th century, and throughout the 90’s, but planning efforts waned and new blood was needed. New blood has arrived, and the event is back.
Fun Day festivities will begin with a free 5K Walk/Run, registration at 7:30 a.m. and race at 8:00 a.m. Registration will be at the Town Hall. The race will head up the Valley Road to North Chesterville, turn around and return to the start,.
Line-up for the parade, the theme of which will be “Movies,” will also take place in North Chesterville, at 9 a.m. Participation is wide open, and anyone wishing to enter a float, do something creative while walking 1.5 miles, or simply march is welcome to join the line-up. There is no registration required, and addressing the movie theme is not necessary. Questions can be addressed to Greg Soule at 897-5907.
Following the parade, which ends at the Chesterville Town Hall, there will be a flag raising with town veterans presiding.
At approximately 11 a.m. the day’s festivities will begin. All-day entertainment for children will include water balloon fun and numerous large inflatable amusements such as a bounce house, giant slide, obstacle course and dunk tank. Also for children is a petting corral that promises ponies, a calf, chickens, and possibly goats and/or rabbits. Sandy River Farm’s “Cow Train” will be providing rides, and, weather permitting, Kendrick Charles will offer horse-drawn wagon rides from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For adults, field events should offer a challenge for everyone, with a skillet toss, a hammer toss, and a tug-of-war. At 11:30 a.m., a horseshoe tournament will begin, and will continue for as long as it takes.
This year’s food contest will be “Anything Blueberry,” celebrating the in-season local delicacy.
“We think this will be a lot of fun,” said organizers, “since we expect people will be creative with the opportunity.”
Anyone of any age may enter a dish in the competition. Prizes will be offered for best tasting and most unique. The town’s 5 Selectmen will be the judges. The contest will begin at 1 p.m. and winners will be announced at 2 p.m.
Food for sale will include barbequed chicken by the Extension Homemakers; hot dogs and hamburgers by the Chesterville Heritage Society; slush puppies, popcorn, cotton candy and snowcones by the Fun Day Committee, and possibly others. Vendors of crafts and other items will be inside the Town Hall. Music will be provided outside by L & D Country Band.
To help with the planning of the day, or to volunteer to supervise an event or just provide support to the committee during Fun Day, please call Kim at 713-8489. Anyone is welcome to attend one of the planning meetings, weekly at 6:30 at the Chesterville Town Hall.
After all, it takes a village to run a Fun Day!
Chesterville Fun Day Schedule
Location: Chesterville Town Hall Grounds, Dutch Gap Road
7:30 a.m. Registration for 5K Run/Walk
8 a.m. 5K Run/Walk
9 a.m. Parade Line-up
10 a.m. Parade begins
10:45 a.m. Flag Raising at Town Hall
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fun Day Festivities:
Chicken Barbeque, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers
L&D Country Band
Children’s Inflatable Amusements
Petting Corral
Cow Train
Water Balloon Fun
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. WEATHER CONDITIONS PERMITTING – Wagon Rides
11:30 a.m. Horse Shoe Tournament
12:30 p.m. Field Events:
Skillet Toss, Hammer Toss, Tug-of-War
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. “Anything Blueberry” Food Contest
3 p.m. Fun Day Concludes
