By Mike Stucka
Staff Writer
June 11, 2009 12:16 am TOPSFIELD — There may have been 40 Topsfield Strawberry Festivals before this weekend's, but don't expect the latest incarnation to be boring. This Saturday's crafts-and-more festival will launch with military precision, as local veterans and Revolutionary War re-enactors parade in a new opening ceremony at 10 a.m. that ends on the Topsfield Common. After the re-enactors, with Colonel Bailey's 2nd Massachusetts Regiment, finish marching, they'll spend the day in camp or drilling, drawing 21st-century people into the habits and life of the 18th century. "There will be a real interpretation of what Colonial life and military life will be, and what Topsfield contributed to it," said Barbara Pratt, a co-chairwoman of the event. Mixed in with the soldierly types are children, wives and others, whose cooking and use of period costume will make the trip back in time more thorough. But there's more new stuff. The downtown is decorated with a dozen street banners designed by Masconomet student Denise Fuller. Town cable access leader Bill Whiting will film a documentary on the festival. Masconomet's a cappella group The Treblemakers will perform. And the Revolutionary War re-enactors near the Parson Capen House are intended to draw more people toward the Gould Barn, which is hosting a history of Topsfield created by Gordon College and historian John Cook's collection of articles and uniforms from the Colonial era. Mixed in with all that is the familiar — including, of course, plenty of the strawberry shortcake that gave the festival its name 41 years ago. "It's just a small slice of small-village America. This is our 41st year, and believe it or not, we still have a couple of the original vendors, I'm told," Pratt said. More than 70 vendors are lined up to work the festival, supplying many people with Christmas gifts and other items. Area nonprofits will also be there. And the nearby library will run its book sale at the same time. Pratt thinks that by the time the festival ends at 4 p.m., perhaps 5,000 people will have gotten their fill. "There's nothing else we can possibly add to this year. We're obviously bulging at the seams," she said. There are no admission or parking fees. Some information is available online at topsfield history.org.
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