The Goffstown Edge

Thank's From The Goffstown 250th Anniversary Committee

The 250th Committee is thinking about adopting—and slightly modifying—the Post Office’s motto for our own: neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night stays these committee members from their appointed celebrations!

After a day of glorious fall weather, who would have thought that our parade would be marching through wind and rain? As if having Hurricane Irene bear down on our Block Party in August wasn’t enough, our hearty band of parade revelers preserved through the sudden squall on Saturday afternoon to be rewarded by the cheers of a couple thousand people who had lined the parade route.

Thanks to all who made this last event of the 250th celebration a success.

Lt. Bill Connor, Chief Rich O’Brien, and the Goffstown Fire Department helped coordinate the event, drafted and enforced safety regulations, rounded up their colleagues from surrounding communities, and brought a huge contingent of fire trucks to participate in the parade.

Bobby Marcoux and the Goffstown Police Department provided the logistics that allowed us to hold the parade. A special shout-out to Tom Hammond and Kerry Steckowych for leading the parade and bringing up the rear, respectively.

Members of the 250th Committee who marched in the parade included Judy Leclerc, Marie Boyle, Leslie and Doug Doster, Meg Cronin, Sue Soule, and Colleen Charest. Diane Ryan brought her beautiful 250th cake to the parade too for one last public viewing. And Colonial Tim (Tim Hogan) finally got to ring his bell to his heart’s delight!

Selectmen Dave Pierce, Steve Fournier, and Nick Campasano joined us as well and kept up the spirits of those of us at the front of the parade when the rain came down.

Goffstown Challenge winners Mike and Sally Smith and Tracy Wyman also joined in the parade, Mike and Sally from their mustang and Tracy up front holding the 250th banner.

A special thank you to 250th Committee member Carole Huxel and GTV’s Pam Manney for capturing the event for posterity on film and video, respectively.

We also want to thank Sue Soule, Carole Huxel, and Jennifer Theroux for manning the 250th booth at the Pumpkin Regatta, even though we couldn’t get Jennifer to join us in the parade. Hope everyone got their 250th t-shirts before we ran out!

The folks at the Goffstown Main Street Program not only organized another stupendous Pumpkin Regatta weekend but also helped us coordinate the parade so the two events would work together.

Sousa Signs and Brown Graphix generously donated signage and banners for the parade.

Kathryn Fisher at Town Hall helped organize the parade and keep all the paperwork straight.

And of course, we want to thank all the groups that participated in the parade: the Goffstown and Pinardville Lions Clubs, the Goffstown High School Marching Band and some cast members from Seussical, Boy Scout Troop 99, Cub Scout Pack 99, the American Red Cross, the Goffstown Community Garden Club, Girl Scout Troops 11128, 22628, 11129, 20871, and 20744, the Antique Fire Truck Association, Goffstown CERT, Ameri-kids Baton & Dance Studio, Destination Imagination, the YMCA Allard Center, the NH Giant Pumpkin Growers and Goffstown Main Street Program, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Profile Automobile League, Merri-Loo Preschool, Rep. John Burt, the General John Stark Scenic Byway Commission, St. Matthew’s Church, Goffstown Christian Fellowship, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Friends of the Rail Trail, and of course, Goffstown’s own Grammy-nominated singer Judy Pancoast.

And thanks to everyone who braved the rain and was there to watch the parade!

Cheers, Elizabeth Dubrulle and Scott Gross
Co-chairs, 250th Committee

250 Wishes For Goffstown

October 16, 2011
“Touching the Future”
for Goffstown

“250 WISHES”

Collected from the citizens of Goffstown for the
 Goffstown’s 250th Anniversary / Birthday.
By Diane K Ryan

Volunteer / Town
• Please rebuild the Covered Bridge. (6)
Put a walking bridge where the town’s huge Covered Train Bridge was.
• More events in town (3)
• Main Street Program continues.
• More Pie events from Friends of Library
• Finish the Rails on Trails (3)
• Rest and relaxation for all volunteers.
• Another Block Party.
• Thanks for the community spirit.
• More community projects (eagle scouts)
• More festivals (3)
• I wish we could all join together and pull weeds/plants on Rt.114
• Goffstown has a winter celebration like Old Home Day.

Shops/Businesses
• To have another Hotel on the top of Mt Uncanoonuc. (2)
• To have a Bed & Breakfast.
• I wish Goffstown would have a 5-star Hotel.
• I would like a Store for Huskies and
that Jo-Maries Store would come back.
• To have a Toy Store that has Candy. (2)
• Like a Dairy Queen in town (2)
• An Animal Shelter
• Fabric Store.
• Arts and Crafts store. (3)
• A Creative General Store.
• Quilt Shop
• I wish for a Music store.
• A community garden, where we could buy Fresh Produce.
• Farmers Market
• Game Shop.
• Bus service from the Village to Pinardville & Manchester Mall.
• I wish for a Clothing Store in Town.
• A new Big Lots in Town
• A Café with a side walk tables and Books
• Wish for more new businesses to come to town. (2)
• A Mill that is full.
• I’d like to see a Movie theatre here & store
• I’d like a Fun World arcade.
• Wal-Mart, Mall
• Outlet Shops

Town & Goffstown 250th Committee
• To have a Time Capsule made for 350th Anniversary. (4)
• Have Christmas Postcards of Goffstown.
• I wish that Goffstown would have a FREE ice cream sundae party
for everyone it would be awesome
• More Fireworks in town.
• Lower Taxes. (4)
• No special exceptions for any tax payers-equal playing field
• Affordable Housing w/ handicap accessibility (2)
• Bring the Train back.
• A Senior Center & Hospital
• More Jobs

The Arts
• I wish Goffstown was a destination for Creativity and Art.
• I wish for and Art Center in town.
• I wish for more open mics at Apothica.

Historic
• Make the history of Goffstown more, well known.
• For the youth to remember the town’s rich history.
• For the Town to keep it’s Historic Look. (2)
• Re-hab the trolley on Mt. Base Road.
• Old photographs be put in a photo history book of town.

Library
• 250 more good years and a healthy library.
• Better books in Library
• More new books for kids.

Environment
• Wish for a clean environment.
• Keep Glen Lake clean. (4)
• For no littering.
• I wish every one would do all they could to help the
Environment-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!

Education
• That MVMS keeps it’s music dept.
• I wish is for our teachers to stop getting cut by price cuts.
• I wish for the community to value & invest in Education.(2)
• A gifted program in the schools
• Crafts after school at Maple Ave
• A new middle school principal.
• I wish Goffstown High was a better school
• Wish there were School buses for all the children to take to school.
• For the school system to get its full support.
• Prosperous Youth
• No cut backs for schools.
• We always invest in our schools

Police / Fire
• That the town stays safe.
• No fires in town.
• I hope Goffstown never has a Tornado. (3)
• I wish for no big disasters.
• No War (2)

DPW
• I wish there wasn’t so much traffic thru town.
• Painted crosswalks with signs in the middle of the street, to show we are serious. (2)
• A dead-end Sign at the end of Katherine Street.
• Less traffic on So. Mast St.
• I wish Goffstown would get its roads paved.
• A stop light at the end of Elm Street, High @ Library (7)
• No Round about at the Library
• A Round about at the Library
• No brown water on Church St. Please!
• I wish that Hermsdorf Ave and Rte 13 get paved.
• To have a Bi-Pass around the Village.
• I wish the fountains would work.
• That Lesnyk Road would be paved.
• Get the bumps out of Shirley Hill Road.
• More traffic lights and less traffic circles.
• Take trees off Dam. (3)
• More parking so business could thrive.
• Parking for scooters and bikes.
• A clean & peaceful town
• A traffic light at Wallace and So. Mast instead of a circle.
• No bumps on Kennedy.
• Fix Sidewalks for wheelchairs. (2)
• Shirley Hill Road fixed – no more bumps
• Remove all the roundabouts.

Good Wishes
• I wish Goffstown a GOOD birthday.
• Wish everyone a healthy life.
• Health and prosperity for all citizens! (2)
• I wish the Goffstown and the whole world has Peace.
• That our community stays strong and beautiful.
• Health and Happiness.(2)
• A happy summer and blessings for all.
• I hope Goffstown is here for millions and millions of years.
• Harmony, Peace & Laughter every day.
• That the community stays close-knit and keep it’s small town feel. (4)
• For better times ahead.
• In the future there will be a lot of good stuff.
• For all animals and kids to be treated with care and respect.
• Americans will help Americans.
• Money to help the homeless.
• Unity within the Community.
• I wish everyone to be happy and enjoy life.
• Here’s to another 250+ years for continued success to Goffstown and its residents.
• I wish for Goffstown would prosper and be here for another 250 years
• Keep it the way it is. (4)
• I wish Goffstown great success for years to come.
• To be a peaceful place.
• No matter how large the town grows that it keeps it’s friendly welcoming spirit never dies.(2)
• I’d like Goffstown to prosper and be a great community.
• I love Goffstown.
• That no more people from Goffstown has to fight in any war and that there will be more Peace.
• The spirit of the Lord will fill us all.
• That Goffstown will continue to grow
• I wish for world peace, especially in Goffstown
• Best Wishes for a wonderful 250 years and more-
• Happy Birthday, Goffstown.
• Paradise
• For Goffstown, to thrive.
• Goffstown is beautiful.
• Let’s keep Goffstown a tight-knit community.
• For animals and kids to be treated with care.

Children’s Wishes
• I hope the town has a magic snow.
• I wish my family will get a bigger pool. (try: Barnard Park Pool)
• To have everything to be fun.
• To have more Chuckie Cheese.
• I’d like a puppy for my birthday.
• At 16 the car will buy you a car.
• My wish is that my _____(s) cancer doesn’t come back.
• That all the people in town would get along.
• win the lottery.
• I wish for purple.
• I wish for owls
• I wish for rainbows
• I wish for animals to never die.
• Bruins are #1
• I wish I was Dad.
• I wish Goffstown had a Star.
• Audrey want all the flowers for herself.
• I wish for a new home in Goffstown
• I wish someday a Grammy winner lives in Goffstown.
• I want Goffstown celebrates Elephants on Sept. 22
• To have a Town Pool (please tell them there are 2 in town already)
• Abby wishes for Cake
• I wish my Mom and I had what we want.
• I wish for a Birthday Party.
• I wish I ate all the Cake.
• I wish to make it to Gofftown’s 500th celebration.

Parks & Recreation
• I wish for a Go-cart Rink.
• A water park at Barnard Park. (3)
• A place in a park where little kids can play. (3)
• A dog park. (6)
• Keep dogs on leash
• A place for Teens to gather. (3).
• A bigger Skateboard Park. (3)
• More children’s activities in town.
• A skateboard park for younger children.
• To have a wooden Pirate Ship at the Playground w/water.
• A water shooting gallery
• Petting Zoo (2)
• For a central park
• Better bathrooms at Barnard Park’s Pool. (2)

Goffstown 250th Anniversary Block Party Map

WEATHER UPDATES CLICK HERE

Download your copy of the Goffstown 250th Anniversary Block Party Map HERE

Download Goffstown 27 August Event Map (media)

IT'S FINALLY TIME FOR THE GOFFSTOWN 250th BLOCK PARTY!!!!!!!

Block Party and Fireworks
Saturday, August 27, noon to 9 pm
in Goffstown Village

When: Saturday, August 27, from noon to 9 pm
Where: Goffstown Village, behind Town Hall (see map)
Why: We're celebrating Goffstown's 250th anniversary—this is the big celebration of the year!

What's going on?

1) Music and Entertainment:

There will be four stages of music and entertainment: a Main Stage off of Kendall Hadley Row, a Kids Stage in the Town Hall parking lot, a stage in the Village Trestle on Main Street, and an outdoor stage behind the Village Trestle. For a full listing of all performances, see the Stage Schedule.

2) Kids Zone:

The Kids Zone, located along Depot Street, will have inflatable slides, obstacles courses, bounce houses, a dunk tank, a Velcro wall, sumo wrestling, and jousting.

Tickets: Each activity in this area costs 1-3 tickets, and tickets will be on sale for 50 cents each at the Ticket Booth located near the Kids Zone. They are only available on the day of the event; there are no presales. Many Goffstown schoolchildren received a bright green flyer about the Block Party right before school got out at the end of June. By turning this flyer into the Ticket Booth, they will receive five free tickets.

3) Vendors:

There will be more than 25 vendor booths located in the Town Hall parking lot. Some will be offering games, activities, or crafts. Others will be selling festive and fun things like balloons or feather hair extensions. Others will be selling Goffstown memorabilia, including t-shirts, hats, stickers, posters, books, etc. And still others will be offering professional facepainting, temporary tattoos, and caricatures.

4) History of Goffstown Exhibit:

Stark Hall will host an exhibit, coordinated by the 250th Committee and the Goffstown Historical Society, about the history of Goffstown, which will feature a timeline, lots of photos, and many, many artifacts.

5) Food Vendors:

There will be more than 15 food vendors, located along Church St., offering things like:

* Mexican food, pizza, German sausages, chicken kebobs, Chinese food, sushi, bbq ribs, pulled pork, and chicken, fish sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, and onion rings

* Whoopie pies, cookies, watermelon, popcorn, fried dough, cotton candy, sandy candy, ice cream, German pretzels, rice krispie treats, apple crisp
And much more!

6) Fireworks:

The fireworks will be launched over the Village at 8:30 and should be visible to everyone in the Village area.

Where Should I Park?

Parking in the Village will be very, very limited. There will be some handicapped parking available in front of Town Hall and in the SAU parking lot. Everyone else is encouraged to park:

At one of the outlying parking lots such as Maple Ave. School. Note that many of the parking lots around the Village will be reserved for vendor or volunteer parking. Any cars using these lots will require a special parking pass.

At Goffstown High School, Parks & Rec, Villa Augustina's Normand Rd. parking lot, or Barnard Park. The Goffstown Truck Center will be running shuttles from these locations throughout the day and as long as need be after the fireworks to get everyone back to their cars. The shuttle stop for the Village will be in front of St. Lawrence Church.

Please leave the parking spots on Main Street for the customers of businesses located there, many of which will be open that day. Note that any cars left in Ace Hardware's parking lot after 6 pm will be towed.

Where Do I Get My Stamp for the Goffstown Challenge?

The Block Party and Fireworks is a wild card event for the Goffstown Challenge. You can get your stamp by stopping by the 250th booth in Town Hall parking lot. The 250th booth is where we will be selling the official 250th Anniversary t-shirts.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend the Block Party?

There is no charge to attend the Block Party, listen to the music, enjoy the entertainment, peruse the booths, visit the History of Goffstown exhibit, or watch the fireworks. Each activity in the Kids Zone costs between 50 cents and $2. And naturally if you want to buy any food, commemorative items, or anything on offer at any of the vendor booths, there will be a charge.

Are the Block Party and Fireworks Just for Goffstown Residents?

No! We're happy to have anyone attend, so invite your friends and relatives in other towns to come and enjoy a great day in Goffstown!

What If It Rains?

The 250th Committee will make every effort to hold the Block Party and Fireworks as planned. In the event of substantial rainfall, though, as much of the Block Party as possible will be moved to Goffstown High School. A notice to that effect will be posted on our website and on the 250th Committee's Facebook pages. If the fireworks cannot proceed because of inclement weather, we will make every effort to reschedule them for some future date.

Can I Come to the VIP Party?

The VIP Party will be for 250th volunteers and sponsors only. Tickets are not available for sale, and those who are supposed to receive them have already done so. This party, a 21-and-over event, is being held in the parking lot of Ace Hardware and will run from 8 pm to midnight.

Can I Reserve a Booth for My Business or Organization at the Block Party?

The deadline for booth space was several weeks ago, and no additional space is available.

What If I Still Have Questions?

You can email the 250th Committee at info@goffstown250th.net, and we will do our best to answer your questions. Please keep in mind, though, that this committee is made up entirely of volunteers, and we are all very busy this week getting ready for the Block Party.

We are proud to announce that the Goffstown Lions Club is the official sponsor for the Block Party. Please see our Sponsors page for a full listing of sponsors for this event.

             

   

 

All-Day Music Festival to Celebrate Goffstown’s 250th Anniversary

  On Saturday, August 27, from noon to 9 pm, the Town of Goffstown is hosting an all-day Block Party and Fireworks festival in honor of the town’s 250th anniversary. Appearing on three different stages located in Goffstown Village will be almost 30 different bands, including some of the most popular musical acts in New Hampshire.
 
On the Main Stage will be appearing Tom Dixon, Mugsy, Borderline 11, Notable Decades, Aldous Collins, Problem Child, and Mama Kicks.
 
On the Village Trestle Outdoor Stage will be appearing Testify, John Erlman, Brian James, Silver Lining, Dave Glannon, Jerry Ray, Fran Calo, Raising Scarlett Duo, and Root.
 
On the Village Trestle Indoor Stage will be appearing Wan-Tu, May Sullivan Band, Johnny Bad’s Band, Fuzzbox, Lee Hawkins, Splash of Blues, Fran Calo Band, Raising Scarlett, and Glen Robertson.
 
A fourth stage will offer kids entertainment, including Balloon Zoo SuperShow, BJ Hickman Magic Show, juggler Mike Miclon, and kids music. There will also be a Kids Zone with inflatable obstacle course, slides, jousting, bouncy houses, and a dunk tank.
 
The festival will feature food from popular local vendors, activities, games, and crafts. The grand finale of the evening will be fireworks launched at approximately 8:30.
 
The Mill (96.5) will be broadcasting live from the event from noon to 3 pm.
 
The Lazy Boy Rockers will be playing at a private VIP Party later in the evening.
 
This event is free and open to the public. Shuttle parking will be available at Goffstown High School, Goffstown Parks & Rec, and Villa Augustina School.
 
The proud sponsors for this event are the Goffstown Lions Club, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Sully’s Superette, Goffstown Ace Hardware, French & Rising Funeral Home, Triple Edge Entertainment, Mountain View Partnership, Friends of Goffstown Softball, Manchester Union-Leader, Stonebridge Country Club, Certified Erosion Control—NH, KRG Motorsports, Sousa Signs, Great State Beverage, Coca-cola Company, Highwood Village Apartments, Tri-Town United Travel Soccer, Rousseau Building Services, the Blondeau Family, Bryan Fournier Landscaping, Fred Fuller Oil Company, and Putnam Fuel.
 
For more information, check out the website at www.goffstown250th.net, send an email to info@goffstown250th.net, or contact Scott Gross (497-5046 / selectscottgross@comcast.net). or Elizabeth Dubrulle (497-4272 / dubrulle@myfairpoint.net).

250th Anniversary Committee Appreciates the Ice Cream Social

Ice Cream Fun!

What a great evening it was of ice cream and music. We hope all of you who came out to celebrate Goffstown’s 250th Anniversary at  the Roy Park Ice Cream Social last Saturday enjoyed the sweet treats while listening to the sounds of The Risen as they played those tunes we love from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Thank you to Rick Wilhelmi and everyone at Goffstown Parks and Rec for co-hosting this event with the 250th Committee. 

We also want to thank the volunteers from Hillside Methodist Church ,the Pinardville Lions Club for setting everything up and scooping up all that ice cream. And a special note of thanks goes out to Jill Healey and Colleen Charest who helped keep everything organized, Ken Laurentz of Triple Edge Entertainment who helped us secure the band, and Kevin, Alex, Cameron and Molly Baines for their help.

And we couldn’t have had the event at all without the generous support of our sponsors: Hillside Methodist Church, the Greater Goffstown Community Association, Blake’s Ice Cream, Don Tucker from DST Electric , Highwood Village Apartments and Jim Beauchemin from Green Thumb Landscaping.

The next 250th event is the Block Party and Fireworks on Saturday, August 27, from noon to 9 pm in Goffstown Village. With over 28 bands, kids games and entertainment, and over a dozen food vendors, don’t miss out on this great event for the entire family.  More information about this event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Elizabeth Dubrulle and Scott Gross
250th Committee

Roy Park Ice Cream Social

Join the 250th Committee and Goffstown Parks & Rec for a free ice cream social and concert at Roy Park in Pinardville on Saturday, July 23, from 6-8 pm (rain date is July 30). We'll be enjoying 60s, 70s, and 80s music from The Risen, a cover band playing mainly British Invasion and classic American music. Our sponsors for this event include Greater Goffstown Community Association, Hillside Methodist Church, Blake's Ice Cream, DST Electric, and Highwood Village Apartments. So bring your lawn chairs and your beach blankets and come on out to enjoy a great summer evening!

Volunteers Needed for the 250th Anniversary Block Party

We are fast approaching the home stretch for the Block Party BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP! The logistics committee has done a great job of mapping out the festival, but we need LOTS of volunteers to help the day run smoothly. Jennifer Theroux, our volunteer coordinator, tells me that she’s only had responses from people who say they can’t help out that day, but she’s heard almost nothing from anyone who actually can help out. This is a very serious problem.
 
So tell your friends, sign up your family members, get people at your church or community group to volunteer, kidnap anyone who looks even remotely competent—we need LOTS of people (as in 70 or 80) to serve in 2-hour shifts at a booth, manning an inflatable, helping people get where they need to be. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE volunteer right now!! Don’t wait. We are ordering crew t-shirts for everyone who helps out, so you’ll get your own commemorative 250th t-shirt in exchange for just a few hours of your time.
 
It’s easy, it’s fun, you’ll get to see a lot of people you know, and you’ll be supporting this great festival that we’ve all worked to create over the past several years. Plus volunteers get preferred parking for the Block Party—another great incentive!
 
Email Jennifer Theroux (jlmtheroux1@gmail.com) RIGHT NOW and tell her you can work a few hours. Scott, Jennifer, and I will be making follow-up phone calls in the next few weeks to make sure everyone is helping out (with the exception of a few of you who are already working at the Block Party for other organizations—although even then, you might be able to squeeze in a shift for the 250th Committee).
 
We’re so close to pulling off an amazing celebration for the community—let’s not drop the ball now.
 
Cheers, Elizabeth

Goffstown 250th Anniversary Committee Hits Fundraising Goal!!

By Elizabeth Dubrulle
info@goffstown250th.net

I’m proud to announce that due to the generosity of many businesses, organizations, and people here in Goffstown, we have met our fundraising goal! Thank you to everyone who contributed, whether you donated money or goods and services. For a full list of our sponsors, please check out our Sponsors page on the 250th website (www.goffstown250th.net).

We’re still accepting donations, with all future proceeds going to support the minuteman statue, which will be placed in the Grasmere roundabout where the town’s original mustering field was located. The Goffstown Historic District Commission has already raised close to $5,000 for this statue, and the 250th Committee hopes to make a substantial contribution to this project. The statue will be a fitting legacy for the town’s 250th anniversary year.

Roy Park Ice Cream Social

The next event on the 250th calendar is the Roy Park Ice Cream Social, which will be held on Saturday, July 23 from 6 to 8 pm. Please join the 250th Committee and Goffstown Parks & Rec for this wonderful event, sponsored by the Greater Goffstown Community Association, Hillside Methodist Church, Highwood Village Apartments, and Blake’s Ice Cream.

There will be free bowls of ice cream and sundae toppings, which you can enjoy while you listen to the sounds of The Risen, who will be playing songs from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. So bring your lawn chairs and your beach blankets for what we hope will be a wonderful summer evening. But in case the weather doesn’t cooperate, the rain date for this event is Saturday, July 30.

The ice cream social is also a Wild Card Event for the Goffstown Challenge, so you can earn a stamp while you eat your ice cream.

Birthday Wishes

It’s not too late to share your birthday wishes for Goffstown’s big year. We’ve posted on our website a long list of the wishes people have already submitted, and there are some very interesting things folks would like to see happen in our town. Check out the list and then add your own.

Goffstown Scavenger Hunt

The 250th Committee is proud to announce the winners of the Goffstown Scavenger Hunt. The competition was pretty fierce, but Team McShea (Tamara McShea, Gavin Bowdoin, Fred and Martha McShea, and Flat Fritz) was declared with winner with 304 points.

A special thanks goes to Dan LaRochelle for creating the scavenger hunt and to the folks at the Goffstown Public Library for organizing the event. We hear all the participants had a great time deciphering the clues and visiting the locations around town. The scavenger hunt clues and answers are posted on our website.

Gala Ball

The Gala Ball at St. Anselm College was a huge success, with more than 300 people in attendance. Photos of the event can be ordered through PRO Photography of New England (www.prophoto-ne.com), which is offering them at cost. Many additional photos have also been posted on GoffstownToday’s Facebook page.

It was a great evening, and the members of the 250th Committee were glad we could enjoy it with so many of our friends and neighbors. We even got to see Scott Gross get hypnotized!

Block Party and Fireworks

The main event of the 250th year is fast approaching—the Block Party and Fireworks, to be held in Goffstown Village on Saturday, August 27 from noon to 9 pm. If you’re interested in being a food vendor or having a booth at this event, please contact us right away, as we are in the process of finalizing all of these arrangements.

We’ll be sharing more information about this huge, upcoming event in the next few weeks, but be sure to mark your calendars now. You won’t want to miss it!

Gala Ball Thank You's from the 250th Anniversary Committee

What a Ball It Was!

We think it’s safe to say that everyone who was there enjoyed the Gala Ball on June 25. Over 300 people turned out, dressed up and ready to have fun. The food, the music, and the entertainment were all terrific, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge the many people who made this event possible.

First and foremost, Meg Cronin was the 250th Committee’s liaison to St. Anselm College, and she did a wonderful job helping us plan and implement this event. Meg made arrangements for the food, the bar, the room set-up, parking—the list goes on and on. Thank you, Meg!

Tammy Gross envisioned, coordinated, and created the decorations for the event, which were fun, festive, and highlighted scenes from Goffstown’s past. Everything was beautiful, Tammy!

We had lots of help from the volunteers who sold tickets and helped us decorate Davison Hall: Judy Leclerc, Ken Richard, Jim Hallene, Cathy Ball, Robbie Grady, Martha and Tom Hart, Eileen and Denis Byrne, Meg Cronin, Jennifer Theroux, and Lauren and Molly Gross. We also want to thank the Town Clerk’s Office, Ace Hardware, Apotheca, Howe’s Pharmacy, the Village Trestle, Bagg Lunch Diner, and Two Friends Bakery for helping people buy their tickets to this event.

Robbie Grady and the folks from the Main Street Program provided crucial assistance, including a donation of the Town Hall centerpieces.

St. Anselm College not only hosted us for this event, but its people provided top-notch, professional service, from the catering service to campus security. Thank you in particular to catering manager Courtney Bogaert.

The events of the evening were captured for posterity by Peter Osiecki, who took portraits and candids during the event, and by Bill Wynne, who took candids and video. Peter Osiecki’s photos can be viewed at his website, Pro Photography of New England (www.prophoto-ne.com). Bill’s photos can be seen at his website, GoffstownToday.com (www.GoffstownToday.com).

Eric Fletcher of DJ Etc. kept us all dancing until the wee hours of the morning. And few people who saw the show of hypnotist Paul Ramsay will forget it, particularly not after the surprise appearance of Goffstown’s own version of Lady Gaga and her fabulous back-up dancers.

Thom Sousa created and donated all the posters and signs for the event, including the historical timeline of Goffstown that so many people enjoyed. This timeline will also be displayed at the Block Party and Fireworks held on Saturday, August 27.

And finally our sponsors: Diver’s Den and Bud’s Auto Repair, who were beverage sponsors, and John Neville, Bryan Fournier Landscaping, GoffstownToday.com, the Goffstown News, and Sousa Signs, who sponsored the entertainment.

If you missed this 250th event, please plan on joining us for the Roy Park Ice Cream Social on Saturday, July 23 at 6 pm, where we can all enjoy ice cream sundaes and the sounds of a terrific band, the Risen.

Elizabeth Dubrulle and Scott Gross
Co-Chairmen, 250th Anniversary Committee