Old Home Days return in Enfield after a pandemic layoff

ENFIELD — After a year of isolation and distancing, Enfield Old Home Days returned Saturday. Despite some changes — including new activities that allowed for distancing and a reduction to one day of events instead of three — attendees were happy to be back together celebrating.

“It’s a beautiful day,” said Enfield native and musician Brooks Hubbard. “We’ve suffered enough.”

Hubbard was performing live at the Old Home Day farmers market in Huse Park, where many of the vendors had taken their pandemic pain and turned it into a business.

Selling candles and soaps, owners of Iridescence of Kim Sami Sberna and Daniel Vazquez honored Kim Vazquez, Sami’s mother and Daniel’s wife, who died in February of non-COVID-19 causes. Kim was “obsessed” with candles, Sberna said, and her death was the catalyst for finally starting the waxy venture they’d long talked about, including bits of Kim’s favorite things in the names and scents of the products.

“She was a beautiful soul, and we just want to share her,” Sberna said.

Across the market, Canaan resident Jennifer Kierstad sold flower arrangements and vintage items. Vintage and Blooms was her “COVID project,” a new business that blossomed from quarantine boredom.

Canaan resident Glorie Galpin was there selling bikes, many from her late father’s collection of over 100. When her husband lost his job due to the pandemic, they worked together to refurbish and sell them.

“It’s fun finding a new home for them,” Galpin said. “It was sad at first selling my dad’s stuff, (but) a lot of them have been just sitting in his old basement for years. And they don’t like it; they want to be on the open road.”

While in many ways Saturday was a return to normal for Old Home Days, there were also new sights and sounds after the one-year layoff. Two new events aimed to engage the community while keeping people somewhat distanced: a fishing derby and an app-guided scavenger hunt.

Nine-year-old Enfield angler Theodore Wadland won the fishing derby with a 1.6-pound largemouth bass that measured 15½ inches long, according to Enfield Old Home Days Committee co-director Stephanie Hill. Wadland won $25 to spend at Mascoma Lake seafood spot The Baited Hook and $50 for fishing gear retailer Bass Pro Shops.

Other events around town included self-guided hikes and tours, a craft sale, canine get-togethers at the dog park, and archery and air rifle demonstrations at the Enfield Outing Club.

At Lakeside Park, bluegrass band Cardigan Mountain Tradition played at the new pavilion, and ice cream was served in the afternoon, sponsored by the Enfield Public Library.

Mother-son scavenger hunters Kelly Rose and Kaden Jatczak followed a clue to get a picture with Enfield House of Pizza owner Lori Bliss Hill, who was catering with pre-ordered lunchboxes for the community picnic. Bliss Hill also gave out little pizzas for free to anyone who came by. Kristin Harrington, an Old Home Days organizer, said it was a thank you to the community for helping EHOP survive the pandemic.

Although Rose said she normally takes part in portions of Old Home Days, the scavenger hunt helped her get more involved than usual.

“We’ve been in Enfield for seven years now, but we’re finding things we’ve never heard of before,” Rose said.

Jasmine Taudvin can be reached at jtaudvin@vnews.com.

Clarification

Kristin Harrington, one of the Enfield Old Home Days organizers, said Enfield House of Pizza owner Lori Bliss Hill was giving out little pizzas for free at Saturday's event to thank people for helping EHOP survive the COVID-19 pandemic. An earlier version of this story misattributed where the information came from.