SALISBURY — Soon, thousands of residents of all ages will gleefully take part in the countless activities and events scheduled as part of this weekend’s Salisbury Days festivities.
The local extravaganza is a weekend worth of events dedicated to celebrating the town and showing off all it has to offer.
This year, residents will notice countless fan-favorite events on the schedule, like a car and motorcycle show as well as the fireman’s muster. But there will also be a substantial addition to the weekend in the form of a parade to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
But the start of the festivities, which are organized by Salisbury’s Department of Parks and Recreation, will be marked by Friday’s opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. at Lions Park.
Salisbury’s Parks and Recreation Administrator Jenn Roketenetz said the ceremony will serve as a chance to hand out awards to the recipients of this year’s Salisbury Shines Awards, which are given out to residents who make the community better.
“This part of Salisbury Days is really for the community. It’s a part where we gather together and recognize people in the community that shine,” she said, of the opening ceremony.
After the heartwarming start to the event on Friday, there are a myriad of events on the docket for next Saturday, including the popular car and motorcycle show.
The show, which will be held in the area of the beach center, will consist of countless cars, motorcycles, and even children’s bikes, which will be competing for a variety of trophies, Roketenetz said.
Regardless of who takes home an award, Roketenetz said between the prime location and all the show has to offer, it will be a fun afternoon for everyone present.
“The site is really beautiful. There’s really no better site than to do it on that Broadway circle. It’s so nostalgic, it’s so pretty to be right there by the beach, and we have the motorcycle portion of it as well. So, we have such a great space, we have good food, tons of family-friendly activities. So, it’ll be a great day,” she said.
Then, on the final day of festivities will come the much-anticipated parade in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, which will start off at the Salisbury Police Department and conclude at the end of Beach Road. The parade will include a marching band, antique fire trucks, military vehicles, Miss Massachusetts Military Star and more, Roketenetz added.
“It’s a great variety of participants that I think are sure to entertain everyone,” she said.
There will also be a number of other events on Sunday, including the much-loved fireman’s muster, where a number of men and women will gather around antique fire pumpers and compete to see who can shoot their water the furthest, and mini golf at the Salisbury Public Library.
Salisbury Public Library Assistant Director Joan Cox said they are glad to once again be home to an indoor mini-golf course, and to take part in the Salisbury Days festivities.
“It’s just showing our love of the community, and that we like to participate when any event is happening,” she said of the importance of participating in Salisbury Days. “Because we are supported by our community, so we like to support them when we have a chance,”.
But, whether it is mini golf, a beer garden or the parade, Roketenetz said all of the events on the docket show the best of what Salisbury has to offer, which is what the weekend is all about.
“It’s an opportunity for Salisbury to really shine. There’s so many beautiful places in Salisbury. We visit each of them throughout the weekend. And highlighting the different events and the different people is just a great opportunity for the community to shine,” she said.