Wilton celebrates Old Home Days beginning Saturday, August 10, with festivities lasting all week through Sunday, August 18. Wilton’s celebration theme is “Damn Near Perfect.”

The theme is a tribute to the long-time chairman of the Wilton Old Home Days Committee, Gary Crooker, who passed away in March 2023. Crooker’s favorite answer to the question “How are you?” was “Damn close to perfect.”

All 23 members of the Old Home Days Committee will wear Hawaiian shirts in honor of Crooker, who often wore one.

The festivities begin Saturday, August 10th with a cornhole tournament on the Whiting Park Flat from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the tournament starting at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $20 per team of two. To register, email [email protected] or text Don Condon at 603-554-7195. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the WJAA.

At 11 a.m., the children’s parade, hosted by Florence Rideout Elementary School and Lyndeborough Central School, begins at the Flat and moves through town. The theme is a tropical/Hawaiian luau.

From 12 to 1 p.m., the local children’s troupe Flying Gravity Circus will perform on the Flat.

At 1 p.m. there will be a “Battle of the Badges” at Carnival Hill, a softball game between the fire department and the police.

At 2 p.m. the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley dance team will perform on the Flat.

Residents can pick up scavenger hunt forms from their homes from 4 to 5 p.m. Scavenger hunt forms must be returned by August 18 at 2:30 p.m. Also at 4 p.m., the city will dedicate the Riverwalk Gazebo, located behind the police station parking lot, to “Doc” Raymond Galloway.

“Anyone who lived in Wilton in the mid-20th century would probably have a story about Dr. Raymond Galloway,” said Richard Putnam, retired owner of Putnam’s Clothing.

Harv Galloway, major donor and son of Doc Galloway, remembers his father saying something that is symbolic of the way he cared for his community: “If a patient comes to me with a dog bite, I don’t charge him for it. If I were to charge him for the treatment and the owner of the dog, undoubtedly his neighbor, could not or would not reimburse him, it would probably destroy their friendship.”

A plaque is unveiled dedicating the gazebo to Galloway. The Galloway family donation helped build the gazebo and enabled the purchase of the weather vane and dome. The boulder was donated by the Wilton Road Authority and the installation labor was donated by Medlyn Monuments in Milford.

“It amazes me how many good people have come together to celebrate our community’s history at this event,” said Jennifer Beck, board chair of the Wilton Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to investing in Wilton. “It’s the perfect time to hold this dedication at the start of Old Home Days in Wilton. I hope people come to tell their stories, because stories are how we remember our history and pass on its lessons.”

The day will be rounded off with a ham and beans dinner at the Second Congregational Church on Gregg Street at 5pm, followed by an official opening ceremony which will kick off the rest of the week’s events on the Flat at 6.30pm. The final event of the day will be a kick-off dance with the Soultown Band, a Motown band, on the Flat starting at 7pm.

Sunday will feature breakfast on the Flat at 9 a.m., followed by a firefighter parade and a touch-a-truck event with public safety demonstrations on the Flat at 11 a.m. There will be a chicken barbecue on the Flat at noon, a firefighting demonstration at 1 p.m. and a food auction at 2 p.m. The Stone Hill Station Band will play on the Flat at 3 p.m. From 3 to 5 p.m., the Wilton-Lyndeborough Women’s Club will sponsor a $10 burrito bar fundraiser.

On Monday, from 5 to 8 p.m., there will be a family evening at the Flat, with a flag retirement ceremony, barbecue at Clinton Lodge, folk dancing with music by the Milford Contra Dance Band, and family games. The Select Board will hold its weekly meeting at the Flat and present the Boston Post Cane to the town’s oldest resident.

There will be an Iron Chef cooking competition on the Flat at 6 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a trivia night at 7 p.m., sponsored by the Wilton Public & Gregg Free Library. Teams of two to six people can participate. Call 603-654-2581 or email [email protected] with a team’s details to register.

On Wednesday, there will be a Scouting America burger and hot dog dinner on the Flat from 6-7 p.m. Also, the AJ Dodge Memorial Car Show will be held from 6-8 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. The Bel-Airs will provide music. Proceeds will benefit the “A Lift from AJ” scholarship fund.

The 14th Annual Wilton Old Home Days Golf Tournament will be held at Crotched Mountain Golf Course on Thursday, rain or shine, starting at 8 a.m. The tournament format is a four-way scramble. Registration is $100 per person, which includes greens fees, cart, driving range access and dinner. Bingo on the Flat, sponsored by the Wilton Fire Department, will be held from 7-9 p.m. It costs $2 per card to enter. Proceeds will be split 50/50 between the winner and the Wilton Firemen’s Relief Association. All proceeds from the “jackpot round” will be paid to the winner.

There will be a horseshoe tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The horseshoe pits are now open for casual play. There will be a tournament sign-up sheet at the pits. You can also reserve a team of two by calling 603-231-0131 or 603-554-6579. The cost is $30 per team.

On Friday, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be a class reunion of Wilton High School and the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative on the Flat.

On Saturday, August 17th, the official Old Home Days Parade begins at 10 a.m. on Riverside Way. The New Magnolia Jazz Band will play on the Flat starting at noon and the Pine Mountain Bluegrass Band will play at 2 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Old Home Days Dance will be held on the Flat with the Jennifer Mitchell Band.

On Sunday, August 18, the Wilton Old Home Days 5K Run and two-mile fun run/walk will be held. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the run or walk begins at 9:30 a.m. There is no entry fee, but donations to the Open Cupboard Pantry are gratefully accepted. The walk/run is sponsored by Ciardelli Fuel Company. For more information, contact Aaron Robins at [email protected]. Race tickets are available at wiltonoldhomedays.com/schedule/fun-run-walk.

Old Home Days will conclude with a music festival on the Flat on Sunday from 12pm-5.30pm. Bands include Bat Magoon Band from 12pm-1.30pm, Hell on Heels from 2pm-3.30pm and Tom Hurley + The Retro Rockers from 4pm-5.30pm.

The closing ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. in the Flat.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, extension 244, or [email protected]. She is on X @AshleySaariMLT.