Asparagus, flower heritage festival to be held May 15

Quaboag 350^th table auction set

WEST BROOKFIELD - The West Brookfield Asparagus and Flower Heritage Festival will be held on Saturday, May 15 (Rain date Sunday, May 16) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the town’s historic common, at Routes 9 and 67. More than 90 local growers, vendors and craftsmen will gather for a day of festivity and fun, celebrating all things green, spring in New England, music, dance, and especially, asparagus.

Deiderick Leertouwer who, brought asparagus here from Holland and lived in West Brookfield, will be represented. He will be in costume, to welcoming everyone.

New this year will be strolling asparagus person – could be “AsparaGUS”, or “MISSparagus” – there not telling.

This year there will not be a children’s’ parade, but there will be more children’s’ games; additionally, Ed the Wizard will be present all day. He is a colorful character who performs magic tricks and enchants children and their parents as well.

Dick Chase will perform live music, and fiddler Samantha Gillogly, will perform. She will also accompany the May Pole dancers. Their enchanting performance of this beautiful and colorful tradition is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The main attraction will also be there. Yes, the lovely green vegetable, featured in chowder, grilled, and prepared in numerous other scrumptious forms. A cookbook will be available for purchase- a great compilation of recipes from local and famous cooks, returned by popular demand.

The frog jumping contest will take place at 1:30 p.m. Bring your own frog, and hope for a prize-winning performance.

Live animals will be on hand for admiring, and free pony rides will be offered between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Cowboy boots are not required for this, but hats are a nice touch, and great for photo ops.

There will be wonderful asparagus stand-up for a memorable picture taking.

This is the year of the Quaboag 350^th celebration, and the asparagus festival committee wants people to know what else will be going on this year in the six towns that comprise the historic Quaboag Plantation area. There will be information available, and people who can answer any questions. On Sunday, June 13 there will be a croquet social, played on the common with period croquet equipment, with players in period costumes and free refreshments. Following the croquet social, also on the common, will be a banjo and fiddle contest and a supper at the Congregational Church across the street. Look for that information and more at the asparagus festival.

There’s to be an auction at the West Brookfield Town Hall at 4:30 p.m. on May 15. The beautiful coffee tables, constructed by local craftsmen, painted by local artists and branded by a local blacksmith, will be auctioned. The 20 tables to be sold at auction were constructed especially for the Quaboag 350^th Ball, held January 2 in the town hall. They are beautiful, and will doubtless be highly collectible and treasured items. The brand has been donated to the Quaboag Historical Society, and will never be used again; the paintings are one of a kind. There will be photos of the tables at the festival, or they may be seen at the auction preview that afternoon from 2:00-4:30 p.m. at the town hall in the center of town.

In addition to the tables, some decorative and other items from the ball will be auctioned; New Braintree Auctioneer Joe Craig will handle the gavel.

Proceeds from the sale will be given to the Quaboag 350^th Committee, to be applied toward the celebration expenses.

For information about the asparagus festival and these other events, go to http://www.quaboag350.com, or, specifically for the asparagus festival, call Barbara Rossman at 508-867-5934 or Amy Dugas at 508-867-5428.