Approaching Donati Park in Hooksett N.H. the incessant buzz of children’s excitable screams and cheers becomes clearer. A smorgasbord of amusements covers the field ranging from rock walls to craft tents. The heat has everyone back in their shorts and sweating because of the glimpse of fall the week before. Wind has everyone holding onto their hats, holding down their vendor tents or holding onto their small children to keep from being swept away.
The large crowd is gathered to celebrate Hooksett N.H’s 86th Old Home Day. The focus of Old Home Day has always been on the community and family fun, but each year is a little different. The theme of this year’s celebration was “Preserving the Past.”
According to the community guidebook, the tradition of Old Home Day has always been to, “put work aside and celebrate our pride in Hooksett with friends and family.” The atmosphere was very family oriented, there were many activities for children such as, rock climbing, bungee jumping, face painting, basketball, drum circles, sand art, relay races, bounce houses, sewing crafts, and arcades. Bad Fish, a local rock back played acoustic tunes on and off throughout the day.
The Old Home Day tradition was started in New Hampshire over 110 years ago as an original economic stimulus plan. It was Gov. Frank Rollins who founded the event in 1899. He started by inviting all New Hampshire natives to the event. In 1899 he wrote, “When you think of the old home, you bring back the tenderest memories possessed by man; true love, perfect faith, holy reverence, high ambitions."
The goal of the celebration was to revitalize the spirit of the population and also the finances. By putting on the event Gov. Rollins invited natives to come home, to buy summer homes or to just visit for the day.
At one point there were 120 Old Home Day celebrations throughout New Hampshire, now that number has dwindled to less than 80. The guidebook for the day’s events mentions the reason to continue celebrating Old Home Day, “in an ever-changing world, we are grounded and comforted by traditions. Remembering our past helps us value our roots, and guides us as we look ahead to the future. Thus, the perfect reason to celebrate Old Home Day”!
In recent Old Home Days, the message isn’t so much, “welcome home” but “welcome.” While natives might feel a sense of reminiscence, newcomers can meet new people and feel a sense of community.
Many local organizations and businesses set up vendor stands on the grass of Donati Park. Vendors ranged in variety. There were, woodworkers, painters, quilters, jewelers, candle makers, and basket weavers. Cathy Steele said that this was her 20th year attending Old Home Day and her 2nd year selling her custom artwork at the celebration. Her business, Cally Marie Designs sells custom acrylic paintings, note cards, and prints. Steele said that the vendor fee was very reasonable and the event was great for networking, “its just a fun day to come out and see a lot of people from town you might not see otherwise.”
There were also upwards of 30 food vendors, ranging from ribs and chicken to ice cream and cotton candy. Linda Larochelle, owner of The Northern Red Popper, a gourmet kettle corn company said, “this is my 2nd year coming to Hooksett’s Old Home Day to sell my kettle corn and I love it, it’s my favorite event. I think everybody enjoys it. You see so many families and schools getting involved. I’m very happy with the turnout.”
This year crowds of people flooded the field exploring all that the event had to offer. Throughout the day there were different activities, scavenger hunts, pie-eating contest, cookie eating contest, relay races, talent shows, t-ball games, and a classic cars showcase. Local musician, Chris Gendron, 20 performed a few times throughout the day, he said that Old Home Day, “provides a non-political day of fun for families in and around Hooksett”. The day’s festivities concluded with a firework show.
Despite the heat and wind, it was pleasant Fall day that made Hooksett’s Old Home Day a fun place to be. With so much going on in the country these days, it was a great way to come together, put aside work and celebrate something old-fashioned yet timeless. The combination of friends, family, good food and tradition was the perfect way to spend the day.
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