NEWBURY — Newbury Town Day made a triumphant return over the weekend with Saturday’s festivities bringing in the largest crowd in the event’s history.
The Central Green bash drew approximately 1,000 people who enjoyed the sunny weather and wandered around the green, much to the delight of the Newbury Cultural Council, which organized the event along with the Recreation Committee and support from the town.
“It was awesome,” Ellen Daly, a member of the Newbury Cultural Council, said of Town Day. “It was a beautiful day, so that of course helped. And, people were just really excited.”
The purpose of the event, which originated in 2022, is to show off everything the town has to offer and the festivities did just that, with the event consisting of a number of fun activities and live performances.
The entertainment was catered to all ages, with children being able to interact with reptiles at a show put on by Rainforest Reptile Shows, and adults having the chance to visit the Artists Village, which featured numerous vendors selling artisan goods.
There was also a performance by local rock cover band Revel Up, which Newbury Cultural Council Chair Robin Lawson said was a massive draw.
“They loved it,” she said. “Some people brought coolers and chairs, and they were all sitting down there and having a great time.”
Along with the smorgasbord of activities and entertainment, the crowd also had the chance to explore tables full of community resources manned by representatives from organizations such as Newbury Town Library and Friends of the Newbury Council on Aging.
Lawson said she was thrilled with the number of people who checked out the resources available as getting more residents involved in the town aligns with the event’s mission.
“Not only was I impressed and really happy that these people all turned out so enthusiastically and stayed, but the interest in the community resources area was so heartening,” she said. “Because it just demonstrated the interest that people have in learning about Newbury, which is part our purpose, not just to have fun but to showcase our town, and so that was one thing that I was really pleased about.”
Above all else, when reflecting on the event, Lawson said the Cultural Council was glad to see residents enjoying the festivities and connecting with fellow townspeople.
“It makes all of us so happy to be able to make so many people happy,” she said.