A Day in the Village to mark 28th celebration of family fun, food and festivities
by Tina Cole-Mullins
Mark your calendars for Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17 for the 28th annual A Day in the Village celebration. Sponsored by the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce, the festival is held yearly on the Friday and Saturday before Father’s Day.
A variety of fun, food and festivities for the entire family can be found between Veterans Memorial Park and the Town Square in Stockbridge. Arts, crafts and food vendors will be available Friday on the Town Square from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The food vendors at the park open at 3 p.m. Friday evening’s entertainment features classic rock, performed by the band Flyte, beginning at 7 p.m. The Father of the Year Award will be presented at 9 p.m. Fireworks, sponsored this year by The State Bank, will finish out the evening.
Saturday’s festivities begin at 9 a.m. with the Positively Chiropractic 5K Run. Events at the Town Square and Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday include kids’ inflatables, Peddle Pullers, balloon guys and food vendors. The SRSLY 3X3 Basketball Tournament returns this year and is open to students in grades four through 12. Events end at 4 p.m. in both locations.
At the start of 2023, the festival faced an uncertain future. Its main sponsor, the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce, also hit a rough patch as President Mike Klimkiewicz became the lone board member after several terms expired in 2022. This led to some early rumors and speculation on social media that ADITV celebration and fireworks might not be held this year. But Klimkiewicz was not discouraged and began recruiting others to join him on the Chamber by taking a new open committee position.
“We have put together a new Chamber and we are making ADITV a more family-friendly event,” Klimkiewicz said. “I would like to introduce the people that are donating their time to make this event happen and keep the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce going. I don’t think people realize how much volunteer time goes into planning this event.”
Klimkiewicz said he is eager for everyone to see the energy behind the new Chamber.
“We have Carrie Graham as our new vice president, Shannon Sandecki, Joey Lentine, Donnie Anderson and Andrea Place,” he said. “We have also created a committee specifically for A Day in the Village, which consists of all the above, along with Cindy Gales, Stephanie Dunn of Kona Ice and Emily Stewart of SRSLY Stockbridge.”
If you would like to support the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce or be a part of this year’s A Day in the Village, contact Mike Klimkiewicz at Stockbridge Bowl or the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce.