Wellesley this past weekend threw an early 250th birthday party for the USA during the town’s annual celebration of veterans and all things community.
The all-volunteer Celebrations Committee kicked things off with an ambitious patriotic concert on Thursday night that united some of Wellesley’s most talented musical groups and featured special guests.
That led into Saturday’s non-stop roster of activities, from the annual Kiwanis/Key Club Pancake Festival to open houses, trail walks, and doggie fun.
New this year was musical ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll (aka, Paul Revere and Friends), who was joined at Town Hall by Celebrations Committee and other familiar Wellesley faces, in retelling the story of Paul Revere’s famous ride and the Signing of the Declaration of Independence during Revolutionary-era America. Nearby, at Morton Park in between Town Hall and the Police Station, Royal Irish Artillary reenactors shared history at a military camp.
On Saturday night, Sgt. Pete Jones (U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Commander of the Wellesley American Legion Post 72) fired in the first pitch before the Little League All-Star Game. Jones is shown here receiving the game ball from Grayson Guigli, who proudly wears the dog tags of his great grandfather, Korean War Veteran Sgt. Ernesto Guigli, U.S. Army.
Sunday got started fast with the 12th annual Wonder Run 5K and Kids Fun Run, sponsored by the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club, and an Antique Car Show, “Wheels of Wellesley XIII,” right in Wellesley Square.
Things then slowed down to parade pace for the 58th Annual Wellesley Veterans Parade.
@swellesleyreport58th annual Wellesley Veterans Parade
We hunkered down this year in Wellesley Hills, rather than across from the Town Hall like we usually do. For us it was all about getting a good backdrop for our photos, and Clocktower Park did the honors spectacularly.
Lots of kids ran…and biked…and scootered around at the park, prepped to score bags full of candy and other giveaways from parade participants.
We enjoyed seeing the creative school floats, obligatory clown antics, politicians, the town’s oldest veterans, and an impressive line-up of MLP vehicles (no outages to deal with on a beautiful summer-like Sunday other than an unusual one we’ll mention further down…).
Honorees, such as Wellesley Public Schools Athletic Director John Brown, local restaurants like Yama and The Cottage, and the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution, got big ovations.
We saw all we expected to see and more, other than that big balloon that the town got to vote on and that we expected to be looking up at.
When we spotted the Celebrations Committee car at the end of the parade, we asked Committee Chair Roy Switzler where the balloon was. “It popped,” he said.
With further investigation on Monday we learned that the balloon, a giant patriotic star, didn’t make it to the start line. The balloon was inflated inside the MLP garage, then carried outside by a group of Wellesley High athletes. “Unfortunately, as the parade units lined up, strong winds pushed the balloon into a pointed area on the top of the Aleppo Clown Car, causing it to pop,” said Carl Nelson of the Celebrations Committee. (Carl may now be on the list of people who have clown nightmares…)
Still, a flat balloon didn’t burst the bubble for Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend. It concluded with picnicking, music, and rides at Hunnewell Field, followed by a dazzling fireworks show.
See more photos below and Wellesley Media video here:
Great shots!!!!