A magic show, live music, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, a dog parade, and plenty of local vendors will be among the highlights of the Hamilton Wenham Fall Festival on September 18. A total of 55 local businesses and community organizations will be participating, making the event one of the town’s biggest this year.
“We always look forward to this festival,” says Jan Soolman, president of Local HW, a small business nonprofit that is one of the event sponsors. “It’s a fun event where our community can come together to meet small business owners, learn about what they do, and just enjoy a day of music, good food and drink, and fun.”
The festival, which is free to attend, will take place on Railroad Avenue in Hamilton from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Booths and stores will be open throughout the event.
Kicking off the day’s entertainment will be a magic show sponsored by the Hamilton Wenham Mothers Club at noon. The beer and wine garden, hosted by Essex County Brewing of Peabody and Ipswich gourmet and wine shop Cellar Door, will open at 12:30 p.m., and live music by rock/Americana group the Satch Kerans Band will start at 1 p.m. At 2:45 p.m. Sweet Paws Rescue will present a Paw-Rade, an adorable procession of dogs in costume – anyone with a dog is welcome to join in the canine fun.
Between events, visitors can wander the festival, enjoying a snack from a food truck, meeting local photographers and artists, browsing the shops, and learning more about the work of local community groups.
A complete list of vendors and schedule of events is available online.
“We live in a gorgeous and special place,” Soolman says, “and this is a great day to come together and celebrate our community.”