Spring bash follows Marion's clean sweep
Marion streets were swept clean by more than 100 volunteers Saturday during the long-running Spring Clean-Up. And after that chore was done a celebration followed in Washburn Park where the town’s Spring Fest was held.
For more than 20 years, residents have come together for the event, which was originally held in April to honor Earth Day. The month’s (usually) wet weather caused organizers to move it to May, said Tinker Saltonstall.
Alongside other volunteers, Saltonstall passed out yellow vests, trash bags and street assignments in front of the Music Hall starting at 9 a.m.
Scout groups, families and others spread out to clean beaches, roads and parks. Trash was bagged and left by the side of the road for volunteers to pick up and bring back to the field next to Island Wharf around noon. There, the bags are stacked into the traditional “trash mountain” for the Department of Public Works to haul away, Saltonstall said.
After the work, volunteers and the public were invited to Spring Fest.
Sponsored by the Sippican Lands Trust and the town’s Tree and Parks Committee, the event featured live music, free food, games, a petting zoo and more.
The event drew Peter Nieuwenhuizen and his son Zak from New Bedford. The pair made a game out of jumping into a number of hula hoops laid out on the ground.
“We heard about the event and decided to check it out,” Peter said. “You couldn’t ask for a better day.”