COLRAIN — West County Fix-it Day is coming back for 2026, and it’s going to be the biggest year in the event’s history.
Colrain Central School will be home to West County Fix-it Day on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the event is expected to be the largest in the 10 years it has been held, thanks to a state grant received by the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District. The grant means there will be more fixers and menders at West County Fix-it Day, according to organizer Nancy Rich Turkle.
“The people from Colrain are incredibly talented and skilled fixers,” said Rich Turkle, who serves on the Griswold Memorial Library board of trustees. “We have all kinds of new people, and chainsaw sharpening, that’s new this year.”
Last year was the first year that Fix-it Day wasn’t held at the Griswold Memorial Library. It moved to Colrain Central School, and the turnout was a bit lower than previous years, potentially due to the change in location.
In 2024, 140 people came to the event and 112 items were repaired, according to Rich Turkle. This year, she said she’s expecting a lot more people.
“It’s very hard to predict what kind of things people are going to bring,” Rich Turkle noted. “All of the repairs are repairs that can be done in like 20 minutes or so, because the whole event is only three hours. Although every now and then, the fixers, they don’t like to let go of something until it’s done. But we try to encourage people not to bring huge projects.”
Aside from repairs, there will be an opportunity for children to learn what certain tool functions are, and how to use those tools to make repairs. Kids will also have the opportunity to make puppets using recycled materials and put on a puppet show. For adults, there will be a raffle. Those who enter could win a bicycle, computer, a toolbox filled with tools and more. Crocheting will also be available to those who are interested.
Redistro, a free store in Greenfield, will have a pop-up tent filled with free items. The fifth and sixth graders at Colrain Central School will have a bake sale to raise money, and Doug Johnson and Scott Randall will perform music.
“These repair events are a lot more popular now, and I think of lot it is about the neighbors helping neighbors, community spirit,” Rich Turkle said. “Shout-outs to the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, Griswold Memorial Library and Colrain Central School for hosting, to [the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection] and the library for funding, to Aubuchon Hardware for supplies, to Redistro, [and] all of the generous volunteers and the super skilled fixers.”
