Sutton Massachusetts may be a small town, but we take our community events very seriously. People come from all over Massachusetts, and neighboring states, to enjoy our celebrations! Throughout the year, we have so many events to enjoy. The Memorial Day Parade (in May), Coffee with Cows (in June), 4th of July Parade and Festival (in late June, every few years), Chain of Lights (in December), and our two fall events, Water’s Farm and Oh My Gourd!
First, on October 19 and 20, from 10 AM – 4 PM, we have our 44th Annual Water’s Farm Days Festival! Come to 53 Waters Rd in Sutton, MA to enjoy our various attractions. First, we have many different foods! Baked potatoes, french fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, fried dough, cookies, soup, ice cream, and so much more- including our famous apple crisp! We also have many activities. Craft tables, bounce houses, tractor train and games are great, especially for kids. There are many other cool things to check out like the tractor pull, tractor show, car show (on Sunday only), Animal Showcase, 4H Club, Boy Scouts, house tours, wagon rides, sugar shack, blacksmith and many different farm animals like donkeys, horses, cows, goats, alpacas and sheep! This year there will be a dog and cat adoption event on Saturday morning. On Sunday there will be Costume Contests for both farm pets and house pets sponsored by Gustafson Plumbing and Rising Sun Dog Walking. In addition, vendors will be selling clothes, toys, and other goodies! We probably have it if it’s related to the country and farming!
Our second fall event on October 26, 2024, from 3 PM until the the fireworks display at 7:30 PM, is our 4th Annual Oh My Gourd Pumpkin Extravaganza! Come to the Common in Sutton MA and check out the pumpkin and scarecrow contest, tractor parade, tarot card reader, cemetery tours, food from the Sutton Lions Club and cotton candy! Take a shuttle bus to Sutton Elementary School for the Trunk or Treat! Sutton Friends of PTO, parents and volunteers will fill their car trunks with candies while kids dress up and trick or treat. These are the perfect joint events to get in the Halloween spirit!
I interviewed some volunteers who helped make these events possible. Paul Shafer, a volunteer at Water’s Farm since 2002, “was first introduced to the Farm when my wife, Cheryl, asked me if I would accompany her for an apple peeling event at the barn next to the farmhouse…We had just moved to Sutton and were very interested in historic places and events.” Since Water’s Farm is famous for many different things, it is hard to pick a favorite part. “What would a farm be without animals? I LOVE to see the cows, oxen, horses, donkeys, lambs, goats, alpacas, chickens, and the families that raise them…The Tractor Pulls were new to me, and I still find them fascinating… It crosses generations. (In other words, a family event).” Last, “I would like to thank the community of Sutton for the support that they have shown for the Farm over the years. This is a true treasure…It is a property of such significant history and importance to our nation’s history, and it is ours.”
April Brown, an avid volunteer, in town is the co-founder of Sutton Fourth, Inc., along with Jon Rocheleau. We “created the Oh My Gourd event as an additional offering for the town to enjoy alongside the July 4th activities.” Many can agree it is beautiful “driving by the common and seeing it all lit up for Halloween. I love watching the pumpkins illuminated and the ghosts swirling around the bandstand. Many of these pumpkins are carved by our townspeople, so it’s really fun to see the community come together.” April explains “What began as a pumpkin showcase has transformed into a huge community event with numerous organizations participating. In addition to pumpkins, we now offer a scarecrow contest. The Sutton PTO hosts trunk or treat, the Sutton Library provides activities for the kids, the Sutton Historical Society conducts graveyard tours, the Sutton Agricultural Trust features an illuminated tractor parade, and the Witches of Sutton perform a dance. We will have local food vendors, and we’ll top the night off with fireworks sponsored by Unified.”
Jon Rocheleau says the Jack-O-Lanterns will “always be my favorite part of the event. I love simple pleasures, and walking around the Common at night in the cool air, with the smell of fall leaves, looking at all the pumpkins people carved makes me happy. It makes Halloween feel “real” for me again.” To enter your carved pumpkins or scarecrows in the contests, visit www.thesuttonfourth.org. Both contests are FREE to participate and cash prizes are awarded to the winners.
Danielle Wence, (and her family) “have participated in the event every year carving pumpkins, but this is my first year helping to coordinate the Oh My Gourd Pumpkin Extravaganza. On behalf of the Sutton Agricultural Trust, I am coordinating the newly added Harvest Parade sponsored by United Ag & Turf.” She says, “I love autumn In New England! Carving pumpkins and decorating for fall just makes me happy. A parade of illuminated tractors feels so Sutton. It is so wonderful to see so many different groups from town come together to create a fun event for families and residents.” To enter your tractor in the Harvest Parade visit thesuttonfourth.org.
Doug Matthews, who runs Trunk or Treat, “started volunteering in 2020… I have been the Trunk or Treat event coordinator, along with Jessica Clement. It has been great to get Trunk or Treat back to a traditional (post-COVID) mode and watch it grow every year… the horde of costumed kids barge into the parking lot… hundreds of mini-monsters and superheroes and all kinds of characters swarming through about 30 amazing trunks – it’s hilarious.”
In conclusion, there is a lot to do in Sutton Massachusetts this fall. Hope to see you there!
