Granby Charter Days celebration back after two-year hiatus

June 8, 2022 | Trent Levakis
tlevakis@thereminder.com

GRANBY – Charter Days are here again.

The annual celebration for the town of Granby is coming back the weekend of June 10 to 12 after a two-year coronavirus pandemic pit stop and looks to bring the community together again for fun.

Charter Days Committee Chair Crystal Dufresne is looking forward to the fireworks, but also seeing families in town being part of the community once again.

“I think it means a lot to the community especially the children in our community because it’s a weekend-long fair where they can go and be with their friends in a local setting and they get to enjoy the town fair and I think parents really enjoy it as well because it’s a family event,” Dufresne said. “We try to do a little bit for everybody.”

Dufresne said it’s a goal of the committee to bring back the weekend-long celebration to its full capacity. On June 10, the weekend gets started with midway rides and concession stands opening from 5 to 10 p.m. A rides wristband will be $30 at the door and with a coupon you can save $3.

Alongside the carnival affairs, the Mass Truck and Tractor Pullers Association will be performing truck pulls all night. At 8 p.m., local favorites Trailer Trash will perform music until the night ends.

June 11 events kick off with a Granby Police Pancake Breakfast and the Fishing Derby, both starting at 8 a.m. Rides and concessions will reopen at noon and the afternoon will feature a wildlife show and three different bands through the night. At 9:30 p.m. there will be fireworks, and a rain date for the fireworks will be June 18 at the same time.

June 12 starts with the garden tractor pulls at 9 a.m. and antique tractor pulls starting at 11 a.m. Rides and concessions will be open at noon, and Baird Souls will be the musical guest throughout the afternoon.

The Granby Charter Days celebration began as a celebration of the town receiving its charter and becoming its own entity in 1768. The first Charter Days celebration event started in the 1980s and was only a one-day event. After missing the last two years, Dufresne thinks there will be a newfound appreciation for the celebration and excitement for its return.

“After not having it since 2019, I think people – they need this – they need something to look forward to and they just want to get out of their house,” Dufresne said. “I think it means more now than it did back in 2019 because its like okay this happens every year, kids are always excited, but now that we haven’t had it since 2019, I think a lot more people can’t wait for it to come back.”

The committee is still looking for volunteers interested in lending a helping hand for this year’s Charter Days celebration. The committee is seeking volunteers that can sign up for at least two-hour shifts and help with parking, picking up trash, working different areas of the celebration and more.

Those interested in volunteering are able to get more information and sign up for shifts on the Granby Charter Days Committee’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/granbyvolunteers or on their website at https://www.granby-ma.gov/charter-day-committee.

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