Vreeland takes the reins of Salisbury Fall Festival

SALISBURY — Larissa Vreeland, manager of the General Store on Main Street, led this year’s Salisbury Fall Festival, taking over from Jeannette Weber after her 14 years at the helm.

Weber took the initiative in festival planning back in 2011 when it was primarily a church function held by the Salisbury Congregation. Weber spent the next decade expanding it to include more events and garnering more participation from the townsfolk; even starting the coveted scarecrow competition among local businesses.

“Every year it just gets bigger and bigger, and I just heard this morning we now have 40 scarecrows this year,” Weber said on Friday. “Every year there’s more people involved and some more events are being offered.”

Weber said she was ready to “pass the baton” to the next generation when Vreeland offered to take over the duty this year.

“Larissa is one of those people who is just very enthusiastic. She really has been trying hard to get the business community working together,” Weber said. “I saw in her that enthusiasm, connection into the community, knowing lots of other young women and men in town. She has that wonderful ability to get people involved and that’s what you want to do when you’re dealing with volunteers.”

Having helped Weber with the festival for the past 10 years, Vreeland brought both experience and fresh ideas to the role.

Starting back in August, Vreeland began reaching out to her network of friends and fellow small business owners. Vreeland said her goal was to expand the weekend withmore to do and include even more local businesses in the festivities.

“It’s been a lot of work, but it will be all worth it and it feels good to give back to your community,” Vreeland said.

Vreeland has enjoyed the Fall Festival and has been assisting Weber for 10 years now. After taking charge, Vreeland found the logistical side of planning, including making signs, closing down the road and ensuring parking for the 1,000+ attendees, to be the biggest challenge. However, Weber remained a close confidant whenever she had questions, even helping with publicity for the event.

Vreeland, a mother of three with the youngest just a year old, said taking over the logistics was difficult to fit into her schedule and required plenty of evening phone calls after closing down the General Store for the day. Despite a “full plate” being a mother, running her store and even operating a vaccine clinic, Vreeland was up to the months-long challenge.

Originally from Mount Vernon, N.Y., Vreeland moved to Connecticut after marrying Salisbury native Matthew Vreeland. She manages the nearly 100-year-old general store. Since moving here with her family, Vreeland says she’s come to love the town and its people and considers it an honor to be able to plan the festival this year and in the years to come.

“I do love and care about this town more than anything,” Vreeland said. “This community gives us so much, we’re all so lucky to live here and raise children here. If this is what I can do for them, then I would do it again and again.”

As the festival grows to include more people, both Vreeland and Weber attest it’s a celebration for the small town itself, as the entire affair plays an important role driving more business and attention to the local stores and artisans who participate. Weber is grateful to be able to witness each generation enjoying the festival she helped build up and knows that it will be safe hands with Vreeland.

“I think the main thing that I’ve so enjoyed is seeing people laughing, the big smiles, and greeting each other on the sidewalk,” said Weber. “But it’s great to be able to see another generation coming along… mentoring them so that they can achieve and be successful, but also enjoy it.”