The 2022 annual Wilton Blueberry Festival is coming this weekend with events Friday, Aug. 5 through Sunday, Aug. 7. The theme of this year’s parade is “Summertime Fun.” Kay Neufeld/Franklin Journal

WILTON — The 2022 annual Wilton Blueberry Festival, themed “Summertime Fun,” is set for a full return in all of its glory Friday, Aug. 5 through Sunday, Aug. 7.

Events include many of the longtime classics, such as the Wilton United Methodist Church’s bake sale Friday, then the Wilton Congregational Church’s Annual Chicken BBQ plus the fun run and 5/10K running competitions on Friday night; on Saturday, the Lion’s Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast, the morning parade, blueberry-pie eating competition, activities and bounce houses at Kineowatha Park, and fireworks over Wilson Lake in the evening; and on Sunday morning, an ecumenical service with area churches.

In addition, downtown Wilton will be packed with vendors, food trucks, street dancing on Friday night, with live music and outdoor seating at Ambition Brewing and Calzolaio Pasta Co., among other events.

For the first year in its history, the festival is being planned by a town committee and newly-hired events coordinator. In previous years, the events were planned by the Wilton Blueberry Festival Board of Directors with Chairwoman Shannon Smith at the helm.

In 2021, the Board of Directors suddenly canceled the festival due to COVID-19 safety concerns and Smith stepped down as chairwoman. Urged to see the festival continue on after a 2020 cancellation, former Selectperson Tom Saviello, Town Manager Rhonda Irish and others assumed the responsibility of coordinating a tampered-down version just two months beforehand.

After seeing the success of the 2021 event despite its constraints, the Wilton Select Board and Town Manager Rhonda Irish decided to keep the festival running under the town’s hands.

In December, Renee Woodard of Wilton was hired as the town’s part-time events coordinator to oversee the Blueberry Festival and other events.

While it’s the first year the committee is running the show, Woodard said Smith “laid down all the groundwork” and made it “very easy” to take over.

Woodard said she’s been told, however, that she has “big shoes to fill.”

Newer to the process, as well, was significant funding from the town’s 2022-23 budget. Voters at the 2022 annual town meeting approved a $13,000 budget for the Wilton Blueberry Festival.

Additionally, Woodard said the committee has fundraised around $20,000 from local businesses and donors.

“We wouldn’t be able to do it without all the businesses supporting us,” she said.

Woodard is excited to be running an event in the town she’s lived in for over 17 years.

“It’s nice to get to be able to pull together a good event like this that everybody can bring their families to and enjoy,” she said. “[The Blueberry Festival] is very important for our area, for our businesses, bringing people to town.”

All of the festival information can be found online at https://bit.ly/3oFlUdJ and https://www.facebook.com/blueberryfestivalwilton

Other important details to know

The public boat launch at the head of Wilson Lake will be closed Saturday, Aug. 6, with no boats in or out, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Parking will also be suspended at the boat launch.

There will be road closures Friday, 6-10 p.m. from Prospect St. to High Street.

And road closures Saturday on:

• Main St. from High St. to the Post Office, 7-9 a.m.

• Main St. from Prospect St. to the Post Office, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• The Weld Rd. from Colby Miller Rd. to Main St., 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Main St. from the Weld Rd. to Lake Rd., 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Main St. from High St. to Lake Rd., 5-10 p.m.

• Gilbert St., 5-10 p.m.

• Lake Rd. from the bridge to Bass Park, 5-10 p.m.

Shuttles will make continuous stops between: Academy Hill School, Cushing School, 128 Weld Road, Kineowatha Park Entrance, St. Luke’s Church, Franklin Savings Bank and the corner of High Street and Main Street.

Parking will be available at Academy Hill School, Cushing School, 128 Weld Road, Kineowatha Park and the municipal parking lot on High St.