Salisbury celebrates 69th Fall Festival

SALISBURY — Beautiful weather drew crowds to downtown Salisbury on Saturday, Oct. 10, as the town celebrated its 69th Fall Festival, a three-day event held Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9–11.

Cars were parked on both sides of Route 44 west of the Scoville Memorial Library, well past the junction with Salmon Kill Road.

The library lawn was crowded with children decorating pumpkins and receiving temporary henna tattoos.

Inside and behind the library, book lovers browsed the Friends of the Scoville Library book sale. This year, the Friends added a tent behind the library for more display space.

Across Library Street, by the Congregational Church, magician Peter James wowed the crowd with illusions, including the “Chop-A-Lot,” which magically sliced carrots but not fingers.

Inside the church was the annual quilt show in the worship space and a massive tag sale in the community room at the rear.

A highly arbitrary sample of items for sale: a fondue pot, an air purifier, assorted fabrics, baked goods of every description and a set of wooden salad bowls.

The quilts had also provided a backdrop Friday at noon for the church’s regular monthly musical performance. Solo cellist Jakob Nordlinger played an all-Bach program, surrounded by quilts hanging over the pews and from the railings.

Moving along Main Street, the church’s hot dog tent was doing brisk business, enlivened by stalwart parishioner Barbara Wiggins in a hot dog costume.

Next door, the Lakeville Hose Company Ladies Auxiliary tent was equally busy dishing out “comfort food,” mainly variations on chili and macaroni and cheese.

Next to St. John’s Episcopal Church, Will Trowbridge of Sharon provided visitors with an ongoing blacksmithing demonstration.

Someone asked if he was using coal.
“Yes, that’s coal,” said Trowbridge. “And you see where it’s fluffy? That’s coke.”

Coke, a fuel formed as coal heats, burns hot enough to heat iron for shaping.

The visitor asked whether the coke could be used to fuel the forge.
“Oh my yes,” replied Trowbridge, lifting a red-hot piece of iron out of the fire.

At the town green at the intersection of Undermountain Road and Main Street, protesters were holding a “No Kings” demonstration.

Nearby, the musical group The Joint Chiefs was setting up.
On the White Hart lawn, Salisbury Handmade artisans offered goods ranging from woolen shawls to ceramics and leather goods.

People sat at tables on the lawn enjoying lunch and the fine weather.

As the clock approached 2 p.m., Darcy Boynton and Amber Cameron of Blue Studio Dance politely asked diners to move their tables back a bit from the White Hart porch so a dance program could begin.

Everybody was agreeable, and most stuck around for the show.

Sunday dawned chilly and wet, forcing the cancellation of the Pet Parade in Lakeville.
But the Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s Brew Ski event at Satre Hill went ahead.

Attendees sampled beers and ales, including “Roadsmary’s Baby,” described by the brewer, Two Roads of Stratford, as a “rum barrel-aged pumpkin ale.”

Ethan Gee of Salisbury shook his head when told about the pumpkin ale.

“No. Pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. That’s it.”

With the unpleasant weather, Main Street was largely deserted Sunday afternoon, but the Friends of the Scoville Library book sale was still going strong.

Lisa White of the Friends said sales were on track to beat the previous record set in 2024. The proceeds support library programming.

All weekend, everywhere one looked in Salisbury and Lakeville, there were scarecrows.

Some elaborate, some simple, some bearing messages, some just for fun. The winners of the scarecrow contest were announced on Monday.

Madi Long

Children enjoy pumpkin decorating on the lawn of the Scoville Memorial Library during the Salisbury Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 10.