PRINCETON – Hey Day, the popular family friendly celebration of all things nature, returns this weekend, Sept. 24, to Wachusett Meadow for the first time since 2019.
“We did a virtual celebration during the pandemic highlighting the history of the festival and our agricultural connections, but we are thrilled to welcome new and returning participants, vendors and exhibitors to the sanctuary once again for a day filled with fun and celebration of Fall in New England,” Wachusett celebration of Fall in New England,” Wachusett Meadow marketing coordinator Jennifer Dziejma said.
The Massachusetts Audubon Society wildlife sanctuary’s biggest annual event and fundraiser typically attracts upwards of 500 visitors. Farm related demonstrations, exhibits, baked goods, hands on activities including cider pressing, and live entertainment by Hip Swayers funded by a grant from the Princeton Cultural Council, are just a sampling of the activities that will be offered at the 113 Goodnow Road location.
“Along with old favorites such as hayrides, canoeing and pumpkin painting, we are excited to welcome Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm staff with their live animal education program, and our continued collaboration with Princeton Arts Society, many local vendors and crafters, and community groups,” Dziejma said of what is on the docket for this year.
Hey Day first launched in the mid-1960s and, after a hiatus in the 1990s, started back up around 13 years ago when Wachusett Meadow teamed up with the Princeton Arts Society and the Princeton Agricultural Commission.
“I love the energy that Hey Day brings to the sanctuary,” Dziejma said. “I enjoy seeing families return with their children, as well as new visitors who are experiencing the event for the first time. We also have a terrific group of volunteers who help us prepare and share the day’s events with participants.”
Planning for the fall Hey Day begins in late winter and early spring, and ramps up in the warmer months after the busy summer camp season winds down. Dziejma said she enjoys being part of the important and vital yearly custom, and she and the rest of the Meadow staff are thrilled to once again be able to offer the fun, community-oriented celebration in person.
“Hey Day is a tradition at Wachusett Meadow that has always connected us in such a neighborly and appealing way to our local community and beyond, introducing new visitors to the sanctuary and welcoming back long-time friends,” she said. “And (as) our largest annual fundraiser, proceeds from Hey Day truly help sustain nearly all aspects of sanctuary operations including land conservation, our environmental education, and maintenance of the sanctuary and trails.”
Admission is $10 per person, $30 per carload; children 2 and younger are free. Mass Audubon members receive 50% off in the gift shop during Hey Day.
For more information on this and other events and programs, follow Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow on Facebook.
