6-12-08

Old Home Days to Engulf Walpole

Celebration of Town Life Past, Present and Future

By Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer

            Walpole Old Home Days, a once every three years extravaganza of small town history, fun, culture and entertainment is set to engulf Walpole Wednesday, June 25 through Sunday, June 29 at venues throughout the village.

            “No matter what your age or interests,” said co-chair Cindy Westover last week, “ We have several events and opportunities to engage friends and neighbors and to have a great time in our town!  It’s just amazing what a committee of two dozen people have organized for this action packed weekend!”

            Beginning with a town “Block Party” sponsored by the Connecticut River Bank N.A. and the Hubbard Family at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, the events are non-stop.

            On Thursday evening at 7:30 the Walpole Players raise the curtain at Town Hall on “You Can’t Take It With You”, the classic Moss Hart/George Kaufman family comedy. The play that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1936 is as relevant today as when it debuted because it focuses on strikingly funny family situations.  Playwrights Hart and Kaufman in this play built the model on which later sitcoms were based and their intent was simply to entertain.  As Newport Opera House Director Charles Massey noted last fall, “there is a lot of valuable wisdom inherent in the script. This family makes it through the Depression by being a family.”  He added, with a laugh, “They were also Hippies before there were Hippies!”  “You Can’t Take It with You” also runs Friday and Sunday evenings, June 27 and 29 at 7:30.  (Tickets are available at Burdick’s Café, Galloway Real Estate, and Real to Reel Video.)

            Friday events feature a 4-6:00 p.m. Strawberry Shortcake at Murray’s to benefit Walpole Youth Baseball, a 4:00-7:00 p.m. Talent Show with Adult and Youth Divisions and prizes at Town Hall, a 7:00-11:00 p.m. Street Dance with music by Weathered Roads and a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.

            Saturday, the 28th opens with a 7-9:00 a.m. breakfast at the Academy for all who attended school there and a 5K road race and children’s fun run at 8:30 a.m. at the Town Hall.  At 10:00 a.m. the town’s biggest, most amazing parade ever departs from Walpole School to circle the center of the village. 

Other Saturday events include:

·                    9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Walpole organizations exhibiting their activities on the Common.

·                    11:00 to 4:00 p.m. Antique Car show on the Historical Society Lawn

·                    11:00 to 12:30 p.m. Basketball shoot-out in the Savings Bank of Walpole parking lot

·                    11:30 a.m. Jim Collins, author of “The Last Best League”, the story of the Cape Cod collegiate baseball league, reads from his book at the Walpole Town Library

·                    12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. Pet show with multiple classes for adult and youth pet owners

·                    12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Hayrides around the Common provided by R.N. Johnson

·                    1:00 to 3:00 p.m.  Firefighters challenge

·                    All-day music on the bandstand on the Common

Sunday’s activities begin with a public breakfast fundraiser for the Historical Society on the Academy lawn from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m.  From 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. tea and refreshments will be served at Hastings House, and a jazz concert in memory of Lou Andreoli will be held at the Unitarian Church.  From 3:00 p.m. until it is sold out, the Congregational Church will be offering chicken BBQ and the trimmings at the church.  At 5:30 p.m. Bob Cunniff and his Orchestra will entertain in the bandstand on the Common before the 7:30 p.m. curtain for the play.

For further information, call Cindy Westover at 756-3661 or co-chair Joan Devault at 756-3295.

                                    --30--