GREENFIELD — To mark the second annual celebration of Good Neighbor Day organized by the Massachusetts Coalition to Build Community & End Loneliness, events are taking place across Franklin County to foster community connection.
National Good Neighbor Day was established in 1978 under a proclamation by former President Jimmy Carter. The proclamation says that “understanding, love and respect build cohesive families and communities,” and it asks people of the United States to celebrate connection through ceremonies and activities on Sept. 28.
Greenfield, Montague and Leyden are hosting events to celebrate throughout the weekend. A free screening of the Fred Rodgers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 3:30 p.m. at the Garden Cinemas. The screening is co-hosted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments and Greenfield Community College.
“Showing this documentary, which celebrates the powerful legacy of Fred Rogers, was one thing I immediately knew I wanted to do when I learned about Good Neighbor Day,” GCC’s Associate Dean of Community Engagement Judy Raper said in a statement.
Jen Audley, project coordinator for the region’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Network, said isolation takes a “terrible toll” on people of all ages, and Good Neighbor Day represents “a call to action, reminding us that we can all contribute to making this a better place to live.”
Before the “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” screening, the Greenfield Community Television documentary “How Do You Get to Know Your Neighbor?” will be shown. The short film started as an activity at a CHIP Network meeting and will be released on YouTube after Sunday’s screening. There will also be a panel discussion featuring GCC’s Vice President of Institutional Mission, Culture and Climate Angela Campbell, Greenfield Business Association Director Hannah Rechtschaffen and Greenfield Police Officer Zoe Smith.
Registration is open for the screening of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” on Sunday. RSVP at gcc.mass.edu/events/wont-you-be-my-neighbor.
Also on Sunday, Leyden will join the festivities with its yearly Heart of Leyden Festival at Avery Field, 7 Brattleboro Road. There will be a 5K and .5K run, and people are encouraged to wear costumes to earn special prizes for best group costume, best adult costume and best youth costume. Registration is available at runreg.com/heart-of-leyden-5k.
Simultaneously, the Leyden Emergency Management Committee’s Ready Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at Avery Field. Departments will have booths with emergency preparedness information and attendees can sign up to become a neighborhood captain.
Hawley is hosting its own Good Neighbor Day event on Sunday, with a get-together at the Town Office, 8 Pudding Hollow Road, at 12:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to contact Tinky Weisblat to RSVP so the town can plan the quantity of refreshments needed.
Ahead of Sunday, there will be a community resource fair at the Greenfield Senior Center, 35 Pleasant St., starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26. On Saturday, a Franklin County Community Baby Shower will be held at the Greenfield Public Library from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., then The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. will hold an open house with games from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Greenfield’s neighbors in Montague will also be participating, with the Montague Community Fair at Unity Park in Turners Falls on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. The event is in collaboration with CHIP, and features community resource tables and activities, such as balloon sculptures with Brie’s Balloons and bug viewing with the University of Massachusetts Amherst Entomology Club.
Neighborhood gatherings are also being planned in Buckland, Charlemont, Shelburne Falls, Gill, Bernardston and more, organizers say.
“We’ve heard from folks all over the county who are stepping up to organize potlucks, walks and open houses,” Audley said in a statement. “The Massachusetts Coalition told us that in 2024 they only heard about one Good Neighbor Day event taking place in Franklin County. We’re confident that our region will be better represented this year.”
