By Dakota Antelman, Contributing Writer
Hudson – Hundreds of area residents packed Hudson’s South Street and the surrounding area June 9 for the 32nd annual Hudson Community Festival.
The event featured more than 150 local vendors. Beyond that, it placed local bands and other musical acts on sound stages at Cellucci Park and at one sponsored by Avidia Bank. The festival also hosted a used toy sale at Liberty Park next to the Hudson Library.
“This is one of the biggest events, I’ve seen,” said Kerson Cooper of New England Martial Arts, a company that held a booth at the event. “If I could find more events like this, it would be awesome. The people in Hudson are superb. They’re welcoming, very interesting, and they’re open minded.”
Anchoring the entire event was the rubber duck race. Now named in honor late organizer Skip Conrad, attendees bought rubber ducks to be thrown off the Washington St. Bridge into the Assabet River below. The owners of the first ducks to reach the Broad St. Bridge shortly downstream win prizes.
While events like the duck race attracted energy and attention, the festival also featured lesser known but still celebrated attractions.
State Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) hosted a booth helping register attendees for EZ Passes to streamline payments of highway tolls. The festival also included a “nonprofit row” of more than 30 nonprofit organizations offering attendees the opportunity to get involved in activism.
“[Overall, this event] gives an opportunity, not only to the vendors on South Street, but it brings traction to downtown businesses,” said Justin Provencher of the Hudson Rotary Club. “People are walking down South Street and down Main Street. It’s just a great opportunity for interaction with people and involvement.”
(Photos and video by/Dakota Antelman)
