54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival set for this weekend

Greenfield resident Margaret Boone will sell her woven African fabric baskets at the First Congregational Church of Ashfield during the 54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival next weekend.

Greenfield resident Margaret Boone will sell her woven African fabric baskets at the First Congregational Church of Ashfield during the 54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival next weekend. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Greenfield resident Margaret Boone will sell her woven African fabric baskets at the First Congregational Church of Ashfield during the 54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival next weekend.

Greenfield resident Margaret Boone will sell her woven African fabric baskets at the First Congregational Church of Ashfield during the 54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival next weekend. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

The 54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13.

The 54th annual Ashfield Fall Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13. STAFF FILE PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Staff Writer

Published: 10-09-2024 3:18 PM

ASHFIELD — The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping and the leaves are changing color. Fall is back, and it’s bringing with it the annual Ashfield Fall Festival this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and Oct. 13.

For 54 years, the festival has been celebrating its residents, their creativity, community spirit and cooking skills, along with everything else the town has to offer. This year will be no different, according to Riley Sampson, who is assisting with publicity for the Ashfield Fall Festival Committee.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, the town center will be transformed with tents, creating a temporary shop for more than 50 vendors. This includes a showcase of local artists and their work, ranging from hand-crafted jewelry to pottery, even woven African fabric baskets made by Greenfield resident Margaret Boone.

Attendees can buy Boone’s baskets at the First Congregational Church. To make the baskets, Boone wraps ¼-inch rope with fabric to create coils. She then winds the coils into baskets of various sizes.

“I may start out with an idea for a particular piece of fabric, but once I begin to coil the rope, the basket tells me what it wants to be,” Boone, who has made 64 baskets since April, said in a statement.

Perhaps what makes her baskets most unique is the fabric she uses. Boone was given an assortment of African fabrics from fellow church member Carolyn Smith. Smith’s daughter served in the Peace Corps in Rwanda and returned home with a collection of vibrant fabrics.

The First Congregational Church will also showcase art made by other local craftspeople, including Ann Taylor Gibson’s pottery, Roberta Evans’ knitted hats, Dianna Bennett’s beaded jewelry and Tony Cappabianca’s clay work. The church will serve apple crisp, corn chowder and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sampson said her favorite part of the festival is the wide range of amazing food. There will be the St. John’s Episcopal Church’s blueberry cobbler, the Boy Scouts’ apple cider doughnuts, the Hilltown Snowmobile Club’s kielbasa grinders, the Ashfield Rod & Gun Club’s chili, and apple pie with cheese at Town Hall. More food will be available at Elmer’s Store, Community Hall and Ashfield Hardware & Supply.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

‘Poverty wages have to go’: Some 200 rally at UMass flagship, calling for fair pay and full staffing
‘The magic that existed back then’: Academy of Music to screen time capsule film of New Year’s Eve 1984 concert at The Rusty Nail
Bittersweet Bakery & Cafe in Deerfield reopens with smaller menu, renewed focus on dinners
Area property deed transfers, Dec. 6
UMass football: Joe Harasymiak formally introduced as Minutemen’s next head coach
Back on her feet with new store at Westhampton’s Hanging Mountain Farm

The town common will also offer plenty of games and activities, including a fidget ladder, a pirate’s toss, catapults, marble mazes, pumpkin decorating and more. The popular pumpkin games will be held at noon on Saturday.

Throughout the weekend, festival attendees can also enjoy the Belding Memorial Library’s annual book sale. The library will be selling from its collection of fiction and non-fiction books for readers of all ages. Profits support the library and its programming throughout the year.

Attendees will not want for music, either. This year’s live music lineup is as follows:

Saturday

■11 a.m. — The Hilltown Ham Hocks.

■Noon — Pumpkin games, including relays and bowling.

■1 p.m., Ashfield Community Band.

■2:15 p.m. — The DiTrani Brothers.

■3:30 p.m. — Morris dancing.

Sunday

■11 a.m. — Fiery Hope chorus.

■Noon — One Part Luck.

■1 p.m. — Jim Matus and Antique Vehicle Show.

■2 p.m. — Lui Collins.

■3 p.m. — Over Easy Jazz.

■ 4:15 p.m. — Barn Rocket.

Those who have attended the festival before may notice a few small changes, though. Sampson said this year the Ashfield Fall Festival Committee is hoping to be more eco-friendly, and is asking attendees to bring reusable water bottles and bags. Water bottle fill-up stations will be available.

Additionally, parking will be limited, as the field off Meadow Lane will not be used. Guests are encouraged to walk, bike and carpool if possible. Parking will be available at the Upper Park off Main Street, the tennis court and beach lots off Buckland Road, the playing field off Buckland Road and the Ashfield Community Preschool lot on Baptist Corner Road.

For more information, visit ashfieldfallfestival.org.