WENDELL — There was more than just the warm woodland breeze in the air in Wendell this weekend.
Children’s laughter, the sounds of guitars, keyboards and singing, the smell of fresh food on the grill and a hacky sack sailing from foot to foot all marked the small town’s 46th annual Old Home Day Saturday.
Held on the Town Common and throughout the tiny town center, the event offered a parade, tours of the old meetinghouse, artisan vendors, massages, food and more.
And it was all just to celebrate the town’s being.
“We’re not about competition here,” said Karen Copeland, who has organized the event for two decades and acted as master of ceremonies on the musical stage.
“We’re about love and peace, and peace, love,” she added.
The celebration — which started in the 1930s but has only run annually since 1973 — began with a parade, complete with floats, drummers and kazooists.
Later in the day, the Wendell Chorus kicked off musical performances, and was followed by a ritual ringing of the meetinghouse bell.
Locals running tents offering henna tattoos, food and art were joined by activists, including those from Wendell Climate Action, who displayed pamphlets on local energy-conserving, environment-protecting measures.
The young and old enjoyed the sights and sounds on the Town Common lawn, and set up picnic blankets, conversing and sharing stories while listening to the invited bands — including the local duo 2 the Moon, which played a number of well known songs re-imagined with just two voices and a keyboard.
“You’ll get to know us a little bit as we go through our set,” said 2 the Moon singer Shelley Hines, while the group’s other half, singer and keyboardist Carrie Ferguson started playing “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera on the keys.
“This one is about loving ourselves,” Hines said. “And loving ourselves no matter what anyone does or anyone says, that’s what Wendell is all about.”