It’s hard to imagine a more quintessential fall activity than going to the 2016 Ashfield Fall Festival this weekend.
The drive itself is gorgeous. From Interstate-91 and the east, it’s a lovely ride up the winding Route 116 west, past meadows and colorful trees and through quaint villages. From the south and north, it’s via the slightly larger Route 112, which also has fantastic views of barns and cows and turkey.
Once there, it’s all a fall festival should be.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days – rain or shine.
It offers craft and art exhibits by more than 50 exhibitors, locally-grown and prepared foods, live music and dance, face-painting and other children’s activities, and book and tag sales. Admission is free. Parking is available in lots east of the town center on Route 116 (attendants collect donations for the Ashfield Citizens’ Scholarship Fund).
The festival also hosts the Ashfield Agriculture Commission’s annual Giant Pumpkin and Tallest Sunflower contest.
Perhaps the only drawback is for dog owners — it’s a packed fair, and organizers ask that “furry friends” satay home.
Here are some of the highlights:
10:30 a.m. Mohawk Trail Regional High School Select Chorus, led by music director Ben Demerath
11 a.m. Felixis Jinx
12 p.m. Pumpkin relay races, pumpkin bowling, musical pumpkins and more!
1 p.m. Ashfield Community Band
2:15 p.m. Paper City Exile
3:30 p.m. Morris Dancers
10:30 a.m. Spirit of the Heart Martial Arts & Wellness Demonstration
11 a.m. Lui Collins
11:30 p.m. Antique Cars along the Common
12 p.m. Seven Mile Line
1:15 p.m. West County Jazz
2:30 p.m. Zoe Darrow and Friends
3:45 p.m. Tess Burdick
4:15 p.m. Parlicium
Solo guitar music will be at Gloriosa & Co. throughout the festival.
The Ashfield Fall Festival began in 1969. While it has grown since that time, the festival remains a celebration of Ashfield, a showcase for Ashfield artisans and businesses, a place for Ashfield service organizations to raise funds, a fundraiser for the Ashfield Citizens’ Scholarship Fund and an opportunity for Ashfield youth to develop and use creative, social and business skills.
If you want to see that in action, one stop should be the fantastic, homemade marble runs and other games children in Ashfield make for the fair.