MATTAPOISETT — Over her career in the entertainment business, Sue Grace has moved from being the entertainer, to being the mastermind behind the events that she sets up through EncorENTERTAINMENT, a company she owns with Rich Taber. 

Grace grew up in New Bedford and originally wanted to be a painter, but also studied English. Her family was full of performers, with both a father and a brother who were musicians. 

In the early 1980s Grace got her start in the business by performing at children’s events and through launching a balloon business, Spectrum Balloons, with her friend Joy Bertrand. Eventually, both moved in different directions. 

She moved to Mattapoisett in the 70s, and Fairhaven in the 90s before moving back to Mattapoisett recently. She has developed many tri-town connections over the years. It was Grace’s idea to ask one of her actor friends to portray the Grinch at the Marion Holiday Stroll, a role that has been wildly popular with children. 

Though she enjoyed performing for kids, dressing in bright costumes and being a “spectacle,” as she called herself, she also realized that “I loved being behind the scenes and shining the spotlight on other people.” She now uses her English skills in drafting press releases to promote events.  

Grace arranges singers, dancers, magicians or hypnotists or to provide games, virtual reality, sports or other entertainment for parties, holidays, weddings, and other events. But she also organizes the popular “Fitness in Cushman Park” series a fitness series in Fairhaven, and a social event for Buttonwood Park. 

She started organizing the Coffee in the Dell event because some of her family members are founding board members for the Friends of Buttonwood Park, and she holds a board position. The June 9 event will offer coffee, time to socialize outside, and tours of the arboretum at 10:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. 

Though Grace acknowledges that a yoga series and summer boot camp may not seem like the most intuitive projects for an entertainment business, she said the series grew out of a popular request that she got after a previous yoga series in Fairhaven folded over an insurance question. 

She resurrected the series because she loves the work that instructors Jeff Costa and Wayne Goulart do. She has been able to keep offering the summer fitness series for free by calling on community sponsors to cover the costs, one of the only fitness programs in the area to do so, according to Grace. 

Whether participants opt for Goulart’s Thursday boot camp, or Costa’s more relaxed yoga classes, Grace hopes that their commitment to fitness doesn’t end when the summer does. 

“Maybe someone would be just starting out, and say ‘wow, this feels good.’ We hope this will inspire people to keep being active throughout the year,” Grace said. 

Yoga in the Park begins June 18 at 8:30 a.m. and will feature Costa and various other guest yogis. Summer bootcamp will begin Thursday June 20, also at 8:30 in Cushman Park. In the event of rain, classes will be held in the Carousel Family Fun Center.