The Greenfield Beat: Jesseca Timmons – Festive fall fun

Fall is always the busiest time of year in Greenfield! The Oak Park Committee is hard at work organizing the third annual Pumpkin Fest on Oct. 28, with a rain date of Oct. 29. Pumpkin Fest has been a huge success, drawing hundreds of people in past years. The Children’s Costume Parade judging is at 4:30 p.m., with awards at 5 p.m. Oak Park Committee is looking for volunteers, including judges for the children’s costume parade and kitchen help after 5 p.m.; and for people to participate in Trunk or Treat. No registration is required for Trunk or Treat — just show up at Oak Park with your trunk decorated and full of goodies! The Oak Park Committee will be selling food from the kitchen. Please check the Greenfield Community Forum Facebook page for more information.

On Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., Greenfield’s own Rob Hannings will bring his collection of vintage and contemporary baseball equipment to Stephenson Library. Hannings’ collection traces the evolution of baseball equipment from the origins of the game to the present day. Hannings, who was born in the Bronx, is still a Yankees fan, even after living over 40 years in New Hampshire. Hannings was an All-American slugger in the 1980s, and is also known as the Mitt Doctor, repairing and replacing baseball gloves for hundreds of area players. Baseball and collecting vintage baseball memorabilia have been Hannings’ lifelong passion. Don’t miss this very unusual event right here in Greenfield!

The Friends of the Meetinghouse, now that we are recovered from Oktoberfest, are presenting a free storytelling by Sebastian Lockwood, who will be reading “Caesar: The Man From Venus,” in honor of the upcoming election season, on Thursday evening Nov. 16. This event is sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. The Friends will be selling a homemade Italian dinner starting at 6 p.m. (yes, there will be Caesar salad!) and Sebastian’s performance starts at 7 p.m. Sebastian and legendary NH storyteller “Papa” Joe Gaudette have just launched the Monadnock Storytelling & Spoken Word Circle on the third Wednesday of every month, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Dublin Community Center. The event is an open mic for participants to share “stories, poetry, rap, comedy, truly any kind of spoken word, going round the circle.” All are welcome, participants and listeners! Coffee and tea will be available, and byob is welcome.

The Greenfield Fire Department is already working on this year’s Fire and Ice event on Dec. 2. This year’s parade theme is Christmas Spirit! Fire and Ice is a really special event because it involves about every organization in town, with activities at the Meetinghouse, the library, and Historical Society, leading up to the parade, which culminates in a celebration at Oak Park. The Fire Department is providing ornament kits for town residents to assist Mrs. Claus in decorating the tree at Oak Park after the parade. To register for the parade or if you have any questions, please email gfdnhfireandice@gmail.com.

In other community news, the Hancock Recreation Department and the Well School are co-hosting a Winter Gear Swap on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Hancock Meetinghouse at 47 Main St. Gear can be dropped off on Friday from 8 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., or it can be dropped of Saturday. Gear should be in good working condition and is not intended for resale. Children and adult ski equipment, snow shoes, skates, and outdoor apparel are all welcome. For more information, please email hancockrecreation.com. And finally, the Crotched Ski & Ride Fall Block Party has been postponed to Oct. 28 from noon to 3 p.m., behind the main lodge. Henniker Brewing Company and Downeast Cider will be passing out free samples for guests over 21, and beer and cider will be on sale, too. The event will have a DJ, fall photo op, job fair, pumpkin painting, hay ride and more. Information is available at www.crotchedmtn.com.

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