Springfield’s Market Madness street fair is Saturday

The fifth annual late summer celebration, Springfield’s Market Madness, will be held Saturday with an abundance of food and family-friendly festivities.

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File Photo Springfield’s Market Madness will return to downtown Springfield this Saturday. Published August 18, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Springfield’s Market Madness street fair is Saturday By SUSAN SMALLHEER SPRINGFIELD — The fifth annual late summer celebration, Springfield’s Market Madness, will be held Saturday with an abundance of food and family-friendly festivities. For the first time, there will be a dunking booth, with more than 30 local celebrities volunteering to get the wet treatment, said Carol Lighthall, executive director of Springfield On The Move, one of the organizers of the event. She said that the dunk tank would be set up on Main Street in front of People’s Bank. Co-chairman of the event Buddy Dexter has 30 people lined up, she said, including Town Manager Tom Yennerell, members of the Select Board, School Superintendent Zach McLaughlin and members of the School Board. “We also have chamber board members, SOM board members. Buddy is working on having lots of people,” Lighthall said. She said a schedule of who is being dunked would be posted that morning near the dunk tank. Dexter and his co-chairman Tom Hernon are also on the dunking list, she said. Also new this year, she said, is the date. The street fair was held last year during Labor Day weekend, which she said conflicted with many family late-summer activities, so it was moved up to Aug. 20. There will be a bounce house and fitness-class demonstrations sponsored by the Edgar May Recreation and Health Center, she said. There will be music at several different locations around Main Street, with a stage set up on Main Street and different musical acts on the hour. In addition, there will be karaoke on Park Street, and Johnny O’s band at the Masonic Temple. There will be a Kid’s Corner, with local clown Troy Wunderle, and carnival games and face painting. Other activities include a kissing booth sponsored by the Springfield Humane Society, a quilt raffle, an ice cream social and demonstrations put on by Gallery at the VAULT. There will be classic cars and some antique tractors, she said, since the market is competing this year with the Cornish, New Hampshire, fair. Sherry’s Place is hosting the local brewery, Trout River Brewery, while 56 Main Street will be serving Harpoon beer on tap, as well as offering a barbecue. Also for the first time, there will be activities held at the Springfield Plaza, not just downtown Springfield. She said the Springfield Elks chicken barbecue would be held at the plaza, as well as a cross-fit weight-lifting contest, organized by Ian Currie. The Springfield Boxing Club will stage demonstrations at the plaza, she said. Connecticut River Transit will be running a shuttle bus, connecting parking at Riverside Middle School to the plaza and then to Main Street, she said. Market madness starts at 10 a.m., and runs until 6 p.m. Vendors will be allowed to start setting up at 8:30 a.m., she said. Main Street will be closed near the Claremont Savings Bank starting at 10 a.m., allowing limited access to the bank and the Springfield Post Office. On the northern end, Main Street will be closed at the Hanley building, she said. In addition, portions of Park Street, Summer Street and Valley Street, closest to Main Street, will be closed for the festivities. http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160818/NEWS02/160819582