HUDSON – A first-ever downtown festival called Celebrate Hudson is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17 from 1 to 9 p.m.
Celebrate Hudson will feature a 50/50 raffle drawing to benefit the nonprofit Hudson Cultural Alliance’s Armory Project to repurpose downtown’s armory into a community arts center. This marks the second raffle for the cause organized by the Hudson Downtown Business Improvement District (BID).
“The BID has been very interested in increasing the district’s cultural arts footprint,” BID administrator Richard Braga Jr. said. “Having an arts center would attract folks from across the region to downtown Hudson.”
Showcasing award-winning downtown
Planning this festival began soon after Hudson won the national “America’s Main Streets” contest in December 2021.
“Downtown Hudson was successful before winning the contest, but it gave us a tremendous amount of media exposure that helped get even more people to visit our shops and restaurants,” Braga noted. “Winning the contest was our impetus to start thinking about how we can celebrate downtown Hudson.”
Led by the BID, the festival’s planning committee also includes representatives from the Hudson Business Association, Hudson Cultural Alliance and Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Vendors, activities, food, beverages
Artists’ creations will be displayed on Church Street while other vendors will be stationed outside the Town Hall and on Main Street sidewalks from 1 to 5 p.m.
Among afternoon activities taking place at Main Street Bank’s parking lot is a live petting zoo, face painting and a balloon artist. A scavenger hunt for children up to age 12 will begin and end at this lot.
Cellucci Park’s afternoon attractions are an inflatable slide, miniature golf and library readings at the gazebo.
Popcorn, cotton candy, bubble wands and crayons will be available at both Main Street Bank’s lot and Cellucci Park.
Afternoon cornhole games can be played at Avidia Bank Financial Center’s parking lot on Church Street. Games will continue in the evening at Avidia’s South Street parking lot.
A beer, wine and canned cocktails garden will take place at Avidia’s South Street lot throughout the eight-hour event. Proceeds from these beverage purchases will be donated to the Armory Project.
Additionally, food trucks will be parked at Avidia’s South Street lot throughout the festival’s duration.
Entertaining festivalgoers
Musicians will entertain attendees at several locations around the district.
A fire dancer will perform outside the Town Hall at 5:45 p.m. and at Avidia’s South Street lot at 7:45 p.m.
Also at Avidia’s South Street lot, iconic blues guitarist Ronnie Earl will perform along with the L&M Rhythm Kings at 7 p.m. A four-time Blues Music Award winner, Earl has shared stages with legendary artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Carlos Santana.
The L&M Rhythm Kings are returning to Hudson after performing earlier this summer at the BID’s Downtown Music Series. The band has also entertained for many years at the chamber of commerce’s Hudson Community Fest.
To allow festivalgoers easy walking access between Main and South streets, Market Street and the South Street Extension will be closed to vehicular traffic.
Envisioning armory as arts center
The planning committee is exploring the possibility of having activities on the armory grounds, depending on various logistics.
State Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) will draw the 50/50 raffle’s winning ticket at the Town Hall at 6 p.m. A ticket buyer and the Armory Project will both win.
In the meantime, raffle tickets are available at Avidia Bank, CroseNest, Hudson Appliance & Mattress Gallery, Main Street Bank, Mullahy’s, Serendipity and Wright Jewelry & Design Company.
“We encourage everybody to come downtown to Celebrate Hudson,” Braga said. “We hope it’s successful and becomes an annual event.”
Follow the BID at discoverhudson.org and facebook.com/DiscoverHudson.
