Friday, October 2, 2026

Windham Historical Society’s Fall Harvest Festival offers family fun

By Haley Pal
Special to The Windham Eagle


The Windham Historical Society’s Fall Harvest Festival will be back for its fourth year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10 on the Society’s Village Green at 234 Windham Center Road in Windham.

The Saco River Jazz Band performs during last year's
Harvest Festival sponsored by the Windham Historical
Society. This year's Fall Harvest Festival returns from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the society's
Village Green at 234 Windham Center Road in Windham 
and offers games, prizes, live music, food, a scavenger
hunt and tours of historic buildings. COURTESY PHOTO 
The festival is always one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the historical society, and it is packed with things to do for kids of all ages. At 11:15 a.m., the contests begin and start with relay races. Participants will be competing in the three-legged race, the potato sack race and carrying an egg on a spoon. The games are entertaining to watch, and the kids are very competitive while always maintaining the spirit of fun.

Then at 1 p.m., Windham Town Clerk Anthony Blasi will be judging at the annual pie-eating contest. There will be a scavenger hunt throughout the day and a contest where children guess how many peanuts there are in a jar. Prizes will be awarded to all the winners.

Bands will play live music from start to finish. The Lakes Region Strummers perform in the morning, the Windham Middle School 8th Grade Orchestra at 12:30 p.m. on the gazebo and in the afternoon, the swinging sounds of the Saco River Jazz Band will fill the air.

The Saco River Jazz Band, a group of volunteer musicians, will perform classic tunes from the “Big Band Era,” of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

The historic buildings that populate the Village Green will be open for tours. Tours of Historic Buildings located on the Village Green grounds will be conducted by Windham Historical Society members and will showcase The Old Grocery Store displaying authentic rural mercantile of the late 19th century, The Village School, a one-room schoolhouse with the historical society’s schoolmarm, Miss Hawkes (Paula Sparks) doing lessons, and The Hearse House where an old horse-drawn town hearse is housed.

For the shoppers, a Maker’s Market of talented artists and a White Elephant Table of bargain treasures will share their wares. In addition, the village blacksmith, a stone cutter and a chainsaw artist will be demonstrating their trades.

Food for sale will include hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and homemade desserts as well as Poppie’s Kettle Corn. The event is partnered with Windham Parks & Recreation who will have a booth and oversee some of the competitions and games.

At the Windham Historical Society’s Information Booth, you can try on Colonial-period costumes and get a photo taken as a patriot in honor of our country’s 250th birthday this year. 

There will also be wonderful items up for raffle, including stunning photographs by Brien Richards, a limited edition print of Babb’s Bridge by Windham artist Patrick Corey, a gift basket from On the Docks, a $50 gift certificate from Fire and Ice, and beautiful flowers from Roosevelt Trail Garden Center and Broadway Gardens in Westbrook. 

“It’s a perfect day to get out into the crisp autumn air,” commented Historical Society President Susan Simonson. “You can mix and mingle with other community members, have a bite to eat, and enjoy a nostalgic look back into Windham’s past. We encourage people to bring a chair or a blanket and stay for a while.”

Earlier this year, the historical society conducted a capital campaign to seek donations for further renovation work on the Old Town House, which was not only Windham’s original Town Hall, but also served as a school for many years, and is now the historical society’s headquarters building.

The Old Town House building was remodeled more than 60 years ago to address cosmetic and structural issues with the building. At that time, a raised floor system was installed with a wood-framed suspended ceiling and wall paneling. It covered up some issues with the building but didn’t fit the ambiance of an 1833 structure. Planned renovation work as a result of the successful capital campaign will restore the original 19th century structure and create a building consistent with that era.

Admission to the Harvest Festival is free and open to the public with food, white elephant items, and maker goods available for purchase.

In the event of rain, the festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. <

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your Comments Help Improve Your Community.