Community gathers for Walkersville Day

(5/22) On May 21, the Walkersville community was once again able to celebrate their annual Walkersville Day festival after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Walkersville Day offers local churches, businesses, and residents a setting in which to connect via food and fellowship.

Glade United Church of Christ, one of the town hotspots during the event, hosted their famous breakfast and luncheon, a yard sale, and several local vendors. "I love seeing the camaraderie of the church," said Bonnie Ogg, a member of Glade UCC since 1981. "[Walkersville Day] is a chance for people to see that anyone can come to the church at any time."

Especially post-pandemic, the significance of community-wide events such as this are not lost on Walkersville residents. Glade UCC member Ron Rough says, "It’s great to have everyone back. We’re meeting a lot of people here and hopefully we’re able to continue."

Laura Rasband, owner of Aunt Dade’s Handmade Soaps was a first-time vendor at Walkersville Day. "I’ve been away at college and coming back I’m realizing how great it is here—there’s been so much growth but it’s still a small town," she said. Rasband hopes to return with her business for future Walkersville Days.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church held its popular Strawberry Festival, complete with their famous strawberry shortcake tent. While they did host a successful festival last year, church member Betsy Galliher pointed out that it was much different due to the pandemic. "Money is not the goal; it’s fellowship," said Galliher, "so it’s great this year that we’re seeing a lot of people we haven’t seen in a while."

At the Walkersville Fire and Rescue Companies, volunteer firefighters and cadets connected with people of all ages through games and close-up looks at some of their equipment. Mike Marchesani, former captain of the Walkersville Rescue Company and current member of its Board of Directors, said that Walkersville Day is "a great chance to educate people and promote volunteerism."

This was not the only educational opportunity of the day. The Walkersville Branch Library hosted a performance by the KanKouran West African Dance Company. Many families who frequent the library came to observe the performance. "We love that the library exposes children to different cultures and experiences," said Janice Thomas, who watched the performance with four of her own children. "It’s very family-friendly."

The library also set up their own book sale booth and farmer’s market, sharing their space with several other local vendors selling pastries, carved wood pieces, and artwork. Mary Klotz, owner of Forestheart Studio in Woodsboro, handed out "pleasant thoughts" to festival-goers as they walked by the library. "With everything going on in the world and in the news, we need more stuff like this," Klotz said.

In addition to local organizations and businesses, residents also had a chance to set up yard sales throughout the town. Between these and the numerous bake sales, plant sales, and food tents, attendees at Walkersville Day were able to refresh themselves for what looks to be a hot summer.