SHELBURNE FALLS — Visitors are invited to take a step back in time at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum’s annual Trolleyfest this weekend.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors will be able to see how the people of Shelburne Falls worked, lived and traveled during the “Trolley Era” from 1896 to 1927. For the past 33 years, the 14 Depot St. museum has welcomed the community to this annual celebration of the time period in which Trolley No. 10 transported residents across the Deerfield River.
“Our Trolley No. 10, which we are celebrating, was donated to the museum in 1992 by Marshall Johnson, whose father had bought it when the trolley company ceased operations in 1928. The car was restored and made its return to operation amid a gala festival held in honor of the car, its donor, and the many volunteers and professionals who helped make an impossible dream a reality,” Louis Musante, Trolley Museum publicity chair, wrote in an email. “The festival has continued each year and always highlights the life, times and activities of the period when the trolley actually ran between Shelburne Falls and Colrain.”
Visitors will be able to take a ride on Trolley No. 10 or the restored Central Vermont caboose. There will also be speeder and velocipede rides.
Musante said that in the Visitors Center, there will be wooden and electric trains for children to play with, as well as games from the early 1900s. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., there will be hands-on demonstrations of cider making, butter making, weaving on adult and child-friendly looms, Morse code demonstrations and a cow-milking activity, as well as blacksmithing demonstrations.
There will also be a collection of antique farm tools on display from Wheel-View Farm and train-themed movies playing throughout the day.
“One of my favorite parts of the festival is watching all the children, not only with the old-time games, but their little faces glow with the variety of rides that are available all day and all included in the low price. Many kids have only seen these rides in cartoons,” Musante said. “Another favorite part, although I don’t recall it for a few years now, but we’ve often had someone come aboard who actually remembered riding on No. 10 when it was in active service. Their recollections were always a big deal to hear, especially for those of us who did the job of conductor, which entails giving the history of No. 10 to visitors. It was always nice to hear of past experiences from past riders that we could incorporate into our talks.”
Musante said the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum tries to add something new to the celebration each year, and the 2025 event will offer visitors a chance to get their hands dirty and try metalworking and woodworking with the Museum of Our Industrial Heritage.
Trolleyfest gives attendees a chance to learn about the past through trains. When Trolley No. 10 was built 128 years ago, it was considered state-of-the-art, with electric heaters and lights. The car served the hilltowns until 1928, when the trolley company closed and all of its assets, except Trolley No. 10, were scrapped.
Trolley No. 10 “was saved by the Johnson family of Colrain and moved to their farm to serve as a chicken coop, tool shed and other various uses for the next 65 years, at which time it was donated to the fledgling Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum,” Musante wrote. “After a complete restoration, Trolley No. 10 was returned to service on Oct. 9, 1999, and has operated ever since at the museum.”
Attendees of Trolleyfest will be able to buy lunch and sweets from Mo’s Fudge Factor, maple products from Davenport Maple Farm and preserves from Barberic Farm. The museum gift shop will also be open and selling books, toys and trolley-themed memorabilia.
All-day passes for adults are $5. Children ages 6 to 17 will be admitted for $3 and those ages 6 and under can attend Trolleyfest for free. For more details, visit sftm.org.
