The Chester Festival on the Green is celebrating its 50th year this Sept. 21 and 22. I got to thinking about it in years past. I always knew it as, “The Sale on the Green.”
Over its half-century, it has been run by different organizations, and under different names. It has always been a great get-together. I always manage to wander down.
A number of years ago, Theresa Johnson donated to the Chester Historical Society her collection of The Message newspapers. Theresa and Wes ran The Message for years. These newspapers are boxed by year, beginning in 1982.
I met Carla Westine at the historical society this past week to search the papers for relevant history. Carla took the 1982 box of The Message, I took 1983. We sat apart, reading out loud, when we found mention of the “The Sale on the Green,” or maybe an ad, or news event that piqued our interest. Year by year, Carla and I searched these newspapers. It was fun. It is from these newspapers I can give you some history of changes made over the years.
Our findings
In the June 1982 edition of The Message is a press release that reads in part, “The Summer Sale on the Green is a recent sibling of Chester Chamber’s Autumn Sale on the Green.”
In the same edition was an ad for the July 4 Sale on the Green. I remember when vendors included antiques dealers. There was some opposition about allowing antiques dealers, some said they didn’t want it to turn into a flea market.
The Message in September 1982 offers more information: “The Chester Chamber of Commerce has officially designated Saturday October 2 as the date for the Annual Sale on the Green.” They boasted 30 exhibitors.
The Sept. 30, 1986, edition of The Message has a press release for the October event: “Chester Celebrates Fall with The Sale on the Green…The Sale on the Green has become one of the area’s largest and best attended celebrations of the foliage season.” They boasted 55 vendors.
By October 1989, The Sale on the Green had grown to the point where more space was needed. They thought the answer was expanding to Memorial Field off Cobleigh Street. It was billed as, “The Sale on the Bigger Green,” I remember a few antiques dealers set up on Memorial Field. This field did not work out well. Not many shoppers ventured out back. They soon gave up this location. They boasted 100 exhibitors.
By 1991, it was billed as “Chester Chamber of Commerce Annual Foliage Fair (Formerly The Sale on the Bigger Green…).”
By 1992, another name change came. A full-page ad headline read, “Chester’s Fall Foliage Fair.”
At some point, the Chester Chamber of Commerce gave the venue up. That’s when Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce took it over. It continued under their direction, until it was taken over by Chester Rotary. In 2020, Chester Rotary turned the reins over to the current group.
Today it is called “Chester Festival on the Green.” A committee was formed made up of five volunteers. The committee is known as “Chester Community Events. There are five members: Scott Blair, Lee Whiting, Shannon Parker, Ruthann Batchelder, and Julie Hance.
This year there are two street dances, one in front of the Fullerton, the other in front of Free Range. In older ads I found mention of Ali Lubin playing and singing on the porch of the Chester Inn, and cloggers in the street. I remember these dances. This year, cloggers are back.
They have many food vendors, so you won’t die of starvation. The historical society lawn is for nonprofit organizations. Behind the historical society will be The Vermont Culture Area, where artists and professionals will offer demonstrations, how they do what they do. By the way, Chester Historical Society will be open both days.
This year there are over 85 vendors. Maybe I’ll see you there.
This week’s old saying is a joke I heard years ago. A fellow from the city counterfeited 18-dollar bills, thinking he could pass them in Vermont. He stopped at a general store and asked, “Can you break an 18-bill for me?” “Sure. Do you want three sixes or two nines?”