Celebration Committee 2024
A Great Year of Celebration of the Town of Newfields!
The Celebration Committee successfully planned and executed the Senior Luncheon, Holiday Celebration and Fall Festival, but our yearlong focus was on the weeklong celebration of our town’s 175th Anniversary. So many volunteers and donors made these celebrations possible. People welcomed friends and new friends into their homes. Surrounding Towns celebrated with us, especially the Town of Newmarket to whom we are linked by our histories. Friendships were rekindled and new friends were made.
- Sunday: The week started with a Historic Home Tour that raised funds for Newfields Historic Preservation. Ten generous Homeowners opened the doors of their historic homes and gave tours highlighting the historic aspects of their homes and barns. The hope of the Home Tour Committee is to use the funds to find a place for Newfields Historic artifacts. The Tour raised just over $8,000 in association with the Newfields Community Fund for historic preservation. It was a fantastic start to the weeklong events.
- Tuesday: So many of our local artists participated in a Newfields Art Show. It was an amazing display of our local talent. Volunteers transformed the Water and Sewer Building into an amazing space that brought people back to the days of the popular Main Street Art Shows. On the same evening the Paul Memorial Library hosted Rebecca Ruhl, renowned New Hampshire Storyteller.
- Thursday: Historic Newfields was an amazing night when the Town Hall was transformed into a Newfields Museum. Amazing artifacts were on display; the original charter for the town, the restored Paul Family Sleigh, and various items manufactured by the Swampscott Machine Company. There was a wood stove made circa 1836 by the South Newmarket Iron Foundry. Newfields Elementary School historic photos, primary readers, petitions for the acquisition of land for the school in South Newmarket and expansion to the school were on display. The Newfields Fire Department provided numerous historical items, and there were blueprints and documents on the history of the Paul Memorial Library, and so much more. Photos of then and now throughout town showed how the town has changed and how townspeople lived in the early years of Newfields.
- Friday: A Community Contra Dance was held at the Martin’s Barn. Dave and Laury Martin allowed the town to invade their working barn to host the town to this fun community event. After a daylong educational program at the Newfields Elementary School teaching students about Contra Dancing, the town was invited to participate in the Contra Dance across the street. Towns people enjoyed learning the dance and socializing in a fun atmosphere.
- Saturday: The yearly Memorial Day Parade and Picnic was enhanced with more wonderful additions to our parade. Bill Tebo served as Grand Marshal. Bill is our Newfields Boston Can Recipient, a World War II Submarine Veteran, and a lifelong Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employee. So many Police, Fire and Military and Sheriff Departments participated. The Shriners came with their Mini Cars and delighted the audience with their driving. The New Hampshire Penny Farthers cycled the parade route, and the 18th Dover Colonial, 2nd New Hampshire Regiment participated all weekend. We were excited to have the White Mountain Regional Model A Club, The Volkswagen Car Club, The Bubble Man, and so many others!
The picnic was a great group of townspeople and visitors that enjoyed hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken dinner, Root Beer Floats, Strawberry Shortcake, games, Police K-9 demonstration, Horse and Wagon Rides, and an awesome
tractor and car show!
- Saturday Night: The Militia camped on Hilton Field and invited townspeople to camp with them. They gave a candlelight tour of the camp and told historic stories and answered historic questions. It was a great night!
- Sunday: The Library Trustees hosted a Pancake breakfast on Hilton Field Sunday morning. So many citizens came out to enjoy a hot breakfast with friends. And some even fired off the cannon!
- Sunday Night: The finale of the weeklong celebration was the Fireworks, food trucks and Beer Tent on Hilton Field. The night was magical. Folks enjoyed the camaraderie of friends and neighbors while enjoying a fantastic fireworks show while sitting on Hilton Field – where the origins of Newfields began!
2024 Celebrations planned and executed:
Senior Luncheon $1,487.48
Memorial Day Parade & Veteran Lunch $3,828.15
Fall Festival $1,360.00
Holiday Celebration $2,291.23
Total Celebration Budget $9,290.00
Total Expended $8,966.86
Total 175th Budget $15,000.00
Total 175th Budget Expended $15,000.00
2025 Celebrations planned & proposed budget:
Senior Luncheon $1,500.00
Memorial Day Parade & Picnic $3,870.00
Fall Festival/Summer Solstice $1,920.00
Holiday Celebration $2,000.00
Total 2025 Budget $9,290.00
Warrant Article 5 will be on the ballot this March to put the $29,121.75 raised through fundraisers and donation for the 175th Anniversary Celebration in an expendable account to be used for future celebrations including our country’s 250th Anniversary in 2026. The funds will be dispersed by the Selectboard at the direction of the Celebration Committee and will replace the current Citizen’s Bank Account where donations and fundraised money has been held to date. We hope you will support this warrant article.
Natalie and I have resigned as Celebration Committee Co-chairs as of 1/1/2025. We have enjoyed our experience over the last 20 plus years, and we are excited to see new and exciting ideas in the celebrations in years to come. We are grateful to Mike Kessler for taking over as Chair of Celebration Committee. We know he will do an amazing job of keeping up with this important part of our town.
If you would like to help with any of the planned 2024 celebrations, we welcome your time and efforts. Please contact the coordinators listed below and welcome to the Celebration Committee!
Celebration Chair Mike Kessler (mkess23 [at] comcast.net (mkess23[at]comcast[dot]net))
Senior Luncheon Amy Sununu (amy.sununu [at] gmail.com (amy[dot]sununu[at]gmail[dot]com))
Memorial Day Parade and Picnic Mike Kessler (mkess23 [at] comcast.net (mkess23[at]comcast[dot]net))
Summer/Fall Solstice Kate Kennedy (katek [at] tripleseat.com (katek[at]tripleseat[dot]com))
Holiday Celebration Kate Kennedy (katek [at] tripleseat.com (katek[at]tripleseat[dot]com))
Submitted by: Amy Sununu & Natalie Fream