BUCKLAND — The annual Summer Day on the Buckland Common will return to the Old Buckland Common at 17 Upper St. on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year’s event, much like previous ones, will feature local crafts and vendors, food, yard games, activities for children and live, local music all day, closing out the day with the Shelburne Falls Military Band. This summer celebration is free to attend.
“It’s going to have the same things as always, like the kids’ games with the three-legged race, the sack race and the water balloon toss,” Buckland Historical Society President and event organizer Pat Schmidt said.
This is the 11th year of Summer Day on the Buckland Common, with Schmidt saying the celebration is focusing more on the kids. The highlight of the games, according to Schmidt, is a cake walk, with the winner receiving a whole cake, though all children who participate will receive a cupcake. Four cake walks will take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
With the festive atmosphere and games, Schmidt said she hopes children walk away from the event feeling proud to be from Buckland.
“We’re focusing more on the youth, especially with the kids’ games, trying to have the kids engaged, and we’re hoping the live music will be an added incentive,” Schmidt said. “They should be proud of Buckland and what the past has been and what we have to offer. That whole street (Upper Street), the first settlers [of Buckland] are from that street.”
Schmidt said the Mary Lyon Church will prepare grilled food, including burgers, chili, hot dogs and other classic summer cookout food. At the same time, the Buckland Historical Society will have its museum open during the duration of the event, serving blueberry buckle, which is a coffee cake baked with blueberries.
The inside of the museum will feature a colonial washerwoman, a military artifact exhibit, and a quilt and basket raffle.
The Buckland Public Library is another building that will be open and operating as a cooling center, while also introducing its new librarian. Buckland Public Hall will likewise be open as a cooling center, and it will be home to rock painting and numerous raffles.
“In [Buckland Public Hall], there will be vendors selling things, as well as on the entire common,” Schmidt noted. “One of our added vendors this year that I’m kind of excited about is the Red Cross. They’re going to offer some techniques [for first aid] and information, which is kind of exciting.”
The organizations sponsoring this year’s Summer Day on the Buckland Common are the Mary Lyon Church, the Buckland Historical Society, Buckland Public Hall, the Buckland Union Cemetery Association, the Buckland Public Library and the Friends of Robert Strong Woodward. The business sponsor is Greenfield Cooperative Bank.
For a schedule of events, visit summerdaybucklandcommon.weebly.com.
