Well, two big events are now behind us, what we like to call our “Halloween events,” and we have a few days’ break before we start the “Thanksgiving events.” I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what happened and how it all came together.
Chelmsford doesn’t have a full recreation department like many surrounding towns do, so it’s the residents and community groups who organize most of the events you see. These events don’t have large budgets or resources behind them, but what they do have is a tremendous amount of heart.
Whether it’s a trunk-or-treat, a small neighborhood Halloween parade, or a party and movie night in one of the old town halls, Chelmsford residents have figured out how to make things happen with just a few dollars and a lot of creativity.
The Scarecrow Festival is underwritten by the Chelmsford Land Conservation Trust with help from a ton of volunteers. It runs in parallel with Old Mill Coffee House’s “Art on the Brook,” offering a wider attraction for families. Parlee’s Farm gives a discount on hay for the event because they know it’s a true community effort. They even pick up the hay afterward for composting.
The Pumpkin Armada also has many people behind the scenes you might not think of. Reilly Plumbing donated the rocks for the float weights, Parlee’s Farm composts the pumpkins afterward, Chey Farm loans the stands used for the display in the water, and COSS provided resources and candy. The Chelmsford Council on the Arts even awarded a grant to help fund new floats this year.
Countless volunteer hours go into these events, and what they all share is heart. We may be the size of a small city now, but the remnants of that small-town feel remain strong among our residents.
At both the Scarecrow Festival and the Pumpkin Armada, I kept hearing “Thank you for doing this” and “This is wonderful.” It’s important to remember that it’s not just the people you see out front who make these events happen; it’s all the people you don’t see who make the magic work.
I want to thank every one of those people. It’s these volunteers, year after year, who make Chelmsford the town we all love.