ANDOVER — The usual traffic was once again traded for tents, tables and thousands of people for the return of the town’s largest annual event.
Back again, Andover Day took over Main Street on Saturday, piling the downtown area with local businesses, nonprofits, local vendors, live entertainment and everything people could have asked for.
“It is just a wonderful day,” said Diana Kiesel, a member of the Andover Chamber of Commerce. “It is amazing how people are always coming out. We’ll have anywhere — even on a bad day, or a rainy day — around 10,000 people.”
Now in its fifth year under the Chamber of Commerce, the festival featured a record 265 vendors and community booths — the biggest celebration to date.
The downtown community festival closes down Main Street from Central to Locke streets, while portions of Chestnut Street, Punchard Avenue and Post Office Avenue were also blocked off.
Families strolled downtown, stopping among what seemed like a mile of vendor tents, chatting with local organizations, dining and listening to music.
Andover Day has existed in some form for more than 30 years, Kiesel said, but the event has really taken off significantly over the past half-decade under the chamber. The Andover Downtown Business Administration previously had the reins, but the chamber took over in 2022.
This year, sunny skies were overhead, and that surely helped draw more folks to the downtown attractions.
The main stage behind Old Town Hall featured performances from musical groups such as The Radio, Mass Ave, Slow Burn, Jump Street and BlondeDog, while the community stage offered a wider range of talents. There, spectators saw the Andover Golden Warrior Marching Band, the Andover Chinese Charm Circle, North Andover School of Dance and many more.
At Elm Square, there was a 20-feet LED movie screen that hosted a “Just Dance” interactive dance party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The huge screen overhead called the festival’s youngest attendees to bust a move.
Little ones also skittered off to the kids zone, which was set up between Caffe Nero and U-Burger. Boys and girls were treated to a Touch-A-Truck experience by T&B Landscaping, a remote-controlled car race track, free pony rides, chamber mini-golf and other games hosted by Andover Youth Services.
Nearby, the Andover Farmers Market was also held throughout the day at the Town Common off Bartlet Street.
New features and entertainment joined the oldest of traditions, as Kiesel said that the chamber listens to feedback from residents and vendors when deciding how to make Andover Day bigger and better each year. That feedback is what shapes the festivities, from including the new health and wellness area, the addition of pony rides and the return of the RC car racing.
Once again the center of town became a place to browse, dance, eat, shop and catch up with neighbors — with the streets belonging not to the cars, but to the community and its connection.