Wayland 375th Anniversary Opener on June 15 to Conclude with Barn Dance, Bonfire

Step it up!  Swing Your Partner!

When was the last time your Town invited you to dance?  To conclude Wayland’s 375th anniversary opening-day celebration on Saturday, June 15, Wayland residents of all ages are invited to enjoy an old-fashioned, energetic square dance, followed by a bonfire in a nearby field.  Start time: 7 pm.  Light refreshments will be served.  Admission is free.  Don’t let us – and yourself – down!  Come one, come all (yes, kids, too) !

Festivities will occur on the property of a long-time Wayland family who resides on Old Connecticut Path, near Rice Road.  For this occasion only, parking is permitted along Old Connecticut Path.

“Fads come and go, but square dancing holds our interest,” claims Tony Parkes, New England instructor and popular “dance caller” of traditional American circle-, square-, and line-dances.  “People are more likely to give public dancing a try when a caller directs them,” he stated, adding that his instructions prior to each dance take no longer than 60 seconds.

“No experience is necessary.  Kids as young as seven or eight can dance, and if they’re younger, they can cling to a parent and dance as one person, sharing a partner,” he added.  On June 15, “live” music will be led by Parkes’ colleagues, Amy Cann and friends, on piano, fiddle and perhaps other instruments.  Parkes hopes everyone will try dancing at least once.

Watch Sparks Fly — Bonfire Dedicated to Wayland’s 375th

As dusk deepens, guests are invited to proceed to a nearby field adjacent to a pond to watch a festive “ceremonial burn” prepared for this specific occasion.  The Mythmakers, a team of artists who have created installations at sites reminiscent of American Colonial History – such as Fruitlands Museum, Harvard MA – have constructed a unique sculpture dedicated to an aspect of Wayland375th’s environmental legacy.  The structure artistically symbolizes the North American Leopard Frog, once plentiful throughout Wayland and the Sudbury River Valley during 1600-1800 and now considered to be endangered.  The structure makes use of environmentally ‘green’ materials, such as twigs and sapling fronds.

Wayland resident Allison Tobia, member of the Wayland375 Anniversary Celebration Committee and one of the organizers of the evening’s event, said, “I’ve witnessed one of the Mythmakers’ ceremonial burns and it was most effective.  In fact, it was something I will never forget.”

This ceremonial burn may represent several purposes: it serves to conclude an exciting, event-filled day  honoring Wayland’s 375 historic years; and it represents our appreciation of the way Wayland values its legacies – ecology and history among these.

Additional programs will occur throughout 2013 through mid-June 2014 and will be posted on our website.  Volunteer tasks are posted on the site as well.  Please visit www.wayland375.com

For complete details on opening day, click here.

 

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