Super Sale Is Planned
Katie Landeck
News Staff Writer
GARDNER The Experience Gardner Festival and Sidewalk Sale will be held this weekend, with organizers hoping it will bigger than ever before.
“Now that we’ve been doing this for 76 years, we’ve gotten pretty good at it,” said Gardner Square Two President Pattie Bergstrom. “We’re able to expand.”
The downtown streets will be closed to traffic once again as people look for deals or check out the special events and activities.
New to the sale this year will be a video recording booth for people to share their stories about Gardner. The interviews will be turned into a movie “It’s a Wonderful Life in Gardner.”
“We want to hear people’s happy memories,” said Ms. Bergstrom. “Anyone is welcome to come sit down and share.”
To help people along, Steve Wendell of WGAW 1340 will be on hand to interview people. The video booth will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. at “Memory Lane” — also known as 24 Main St. — on Friday and Saturday.
In addition to the nostalgic film, there will be dance performances, princess lessons, parades, food and plenty of shopping.
“We’re very excited,” said Ms. Bergstrom. “It’s going to be fabulous.”
On Friday at 11 a.m., the Superhero Parade will return this year, with a twist. At the end of the march through the downtown, there will be a brief ceremony to recognize local heroes in the schools, public safety departments, and hospital.
The hope is it shows people that while Batman is a hero, so too are many of the adults in the community.
“We want to celebrate the real local heroes in our community,” said Ms. Bergstrom, who named the event “Heroes Among Us.”
On Saturday at 11 a.m. there will be a storybook parade where all characters are welcome, led by Cinderella. The parade will culminate in Princess lessons.
When the festival first started, it was just a sidewalk sale for the downtown businesses. Over the past 20 years, it has grown into an event, but the sale is still a major part of the event.
New businesses to the downtown, such as Prestige Barber Shop, and the Chair City Oral History Book Series and Community Art Center will be rolling out major promotions.
“We have been getting a woodcut poster ready on the letter press and folks will be able come in during the sidewalk sale and pull their own Chair City-inspired print to take home,” said Tracie Pouliot, a local artist who is teaching parts of her craft to others.
The Sidewalk Sale is hosted by the downtown association Gardner Square Two in conjunction with the city of Gardner and various sponsors. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information, visit GardnerSquareTwo.com
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday
11 a.m.: Superhero Parade - corner of Parker and Connor streets
11:30 a.m.: Heroes Among Us Awards Ceremony – Bank of America Stage
Noon: Just Dance! Performing Arts Center show – 42 Parker St.
1:30 p.m.: Downtown Dance Party – Bank of America Stage
2 p.m.: Free Cupcakes to first 80 people at Paramount Cafe - 46 Main St.
3:30 p.m. The Dance Center of Winchendon Show – Bank of America Stage
4 p.m.: Music by Clayton Phelps – Bank of America Stage
Saturday
10 a.m.: Central Mass. Country Dancers – Bank of America Stage
11 a.m.: Princess Parade – corner of Parker and Connor streets
11:30 a.m.: How to be a Princess – Bank of America Stage
11:30 a.m.: Just Dance! Performing Arts Center show – Bank of America Stage
Noon: Chair City Cloggers – Bank of America Stage
1 p.m.: Fashion Show – Bank of America Stage
2 p.m.: Limbo Party – Bank of America Stage
No comments:
Post a Comment