We invite you to participate in the
5th Annual Haston Library May Festival
Sat., May 3, 2014 from 10:00 am ~ 2:00 pm.
Haston Free Public Library, North Brookfield
Deadline for registration is April 19, 2014
In the spring of 2010 the Haston Free Public Library held its first May Festival as the culminating event of a two-months-long town-wide reading program entitled, “READ! GROW! EAT! North Brookfield Reads Together”, a Celebration of Local Food, Farms and Gardens. The Festival was very successful and has become an annual event celebrating our area’s wonderful agricultural, food craft, and horticultural resources.
The Festival provides exhibitors with space inside the library or on the lawns of the library and the Congregational Church just across North Main Street. Plants and flowers, maple syrup, soaps, and other items are available for sale and door prizes, donated by participants, also attract visitors. The North Brookfield Cultural Council conducts its annual Plant Swap and local musicians entertain the many visitors who stop by.
Among last year’s participants were B & B Farms, Inishowen Farms, East Hill Natural Soaps, Spencer Greenery, Brookfield Orchards, Shaler’s Sugar House, Rocky Ridge Beef Farm, Positively Perennials, Overlook Farm/ Heifer International, and the East Quabbin Land Trust (EQLT).
Wendemuth Meadows Open House (1:00 ~ 4:00 pm)
This year EQLT and the Friends of Wendemuth Meadow will also hold an Open House at the end of the Festival (1:00 ~ 4:00 pm) welcoming everyone to its new conservation project in North Brookfield—Wendemuth Meadow Preserve on Bates Street.
Again this year the North Brookfield Elementary School is partnering with the Festival to hold its “Marketplace”, the culminating activity for students in grades 4-6 who are enrolled in the TREP$ program at the school. The young entrepreneurs will “set up shop” in the church’s Fellowship Hall and on the lawn outside to sell the merchandise their very own businesses will be offering.
This year we’ve scheduled the Festival for Saturday, May 3rd from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We’re inviting Local Farmers, CSA’s, Nurseries, Wineries, Restaurants, Food Crafters, Grocers, Open Space Preservers, and others to participate in whatever way works best for you—
• by setting up a display to promote your business, organization, or services and to let people know how they can take advantage of your offerings, e.g. sign up for a CSA, w/ you or a representative there
• providing informational materials for people to pick up, if you can’t be present
• selling products and/or services
• offering samples and/or giving away coupons for future use
• giving a short talk, presentation, or demonstration
• donating a door prize
• or any other way you’d like to participate that we haven’t thought of!
Our family-oriented festival will be well-publicized and, we expect that it will attract many enthusiastic visitors at the beginning of the growing season. Participants will set up inside or outside the Library, which is right on North Main Street. The Cultural Council will hold its Free Plant Swap in front of the library. Inside the library visitors will be invited to register to win one of the many door prizes donated by participants.
3rd Annual TREP$ Marketplace (10:00 am ~ 2:00 pm)
North Brookfield Elementary School students will hold their TREP$ Marketplace in the Congregational Church’s Fellowship Hall and at outdoor spaces on the church lawn.
The 2014 May Festival registration form is attached. The library’s website ( http://www.northbrookfieldlibrary.org ) will list all participants and give more details and links.
We look forward to your participation in our May Festival. If you have questions please contact Ellen Smith, smithe_01535@yahoo.com (508-867-8935).
northbrookfieldlibrary 