By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Southborough – Despite unseasonable humidity and intermittent rain showers Oct. 9, the center of Southborough bustled with activities for the 44th annual Heritage Day Celebration organized by Southborough Recreation. Festivities began the previous evening when the Southborough Rotary Club presented the 19th annual Light-Up Southborough. Over 100 carved and decorated jack-o-lanterns were still on display along the Common Street stonewall for visitors to view before and after the parade.
A caravan of Southborough Fire Department vehicles began the parade. Other parade participants included town and state officials, political candidates, military veterans, scout troops and school groups. Music was provided by the marching bands of Algonquin Regional High and Trottier Middle schools.
The celebration continued at the St. Mark’s School field with vendors, artisans, refreshments, an inflatable bouncy house and obstacle course, and representatives from nonprofit organizations and businesses. A kids’ soccer challenge was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 19.
Boy Scout Troop 92 offered the popular pie-eating contest with $25 Amazon.com gift cards awarded in three age categories. For the second year, Matt Ansaldi, 11, won in the category for children up to age 12. Morgan Robertson-Dubois, 14, finished first among age 13 to 18 competitors. Jennifer Davis won in the adult category.
A demonstration of the town’s 1868 hand-pump fire engine known as the Falcon took place in front of the Southborough Historical Society Museum. According to literature distributed during the demo, “On April 6, 1896, a special Town Meeting appropriated the sum of $1,800 for the purchase of fire equipment. One of the items purchased with these funds ($150) was the Falcon. The engine was delivered on or about June 25, 1896, and was the first piece of apparatus the town ever received.” The Falcon also rode on a trailer in the parade.
Other activities included a book and bake sale hosted by the Friends of the Southborough Library, where children got a free book. Meanwhile, families attended an open house at the Southborough Fire Department, where kids took a seat in fire trucks and received helmets as mementos. The event concluded with SkyRise Theater performing the musical parody “The Pharaohs Mask” at the Pilgrim Congregational Church.
(Photos/Ed Karvoski Jr.)