The Family Fun Day & Fireworks on August 4 was presented by Suffield’s first responders: Fire, Police, Ambulance, and Highway, coordinated by the Department of Emergency Management. The event was a new mix of the National Night Out observed here for the last three years and the traditional Firemen’s Carnival.
On the Spaulding School parking lot were the various interesting machines of the first responders: fire trucks, ambulances, off-road rescue vehicles, and more. Kids also enjoyed playing “patient” in the Ambulance Association’s power-elevated gurney or trying to manage that hefty nozzle firing a major stream of water into the Fire Department’s portable pond.
On the grass field, there was an abundance of bounce houses, a dunking tank, the challenging climbing tower, and the Roaming Railroad, along with face painting and balloon sculpting and plenty of food trucks. And the helicopter rides introduced with the National Nights Out were back again, and still popular.
Yes, there was no fire truck parade and no carnival rides or Ferris wheel or raffle prizes or Bingo, but such things had become unsustainable in this context, and Family Fun seemed a good compromise.
For the fireworks, however, there was no compromise. With the generous support of Windsor Federal Savings, which aspires to become another “hometown bank” for Suffield, the extravagant evening display was as big as ever, and it ended in a fusillade of powerful explosions that seemed to light the sky brighter than ever. Thank you Mr. Hermann!
Lester Smith
Youth Services Coordinator Nikkii Lengyel, left, watches as Adrianna Gomes, wearing glasses that simulate drunkenness, tries to walk the white line. Her sister, Caili, behind, watches as well. Adrianna did quite well in spite of the glasses.
Lester Smith
Payton Davis, 10, scampered up to the top of the climbing tower like a well-trained athlete.
Lester Smith
Young Caili Gomes doesn’t flinch as Avery Martin adds careful detail to her face painting art.
Lester Smith
Big enough to extend down behind the tress, this final cluster of explosions with a stray neighbor was LOUD!