NORTHFIELD — Saturday and Sunday will mark the official kick-off of Northfield’s 350th anniversary activities, ushering in the more than 40 events that are lined up throughout the year.

Festivities start with Family Fun Day at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Northfield Elementary School, 104 Main St., and will continue into the afternoon at the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, 99 Millers Falls Road. Families from all over the region are invited to participate in free activities.

Northfield 350th Anniversary Committee member Joan Stoia said this weekend is the beginning of a year’s worth of events celebrating the people and history of Northfield.

“We feel Saturday and Sunday are a great introduction,” Stoia said. “This is the entrance to the Pioneer Valley. … People from all over New England and beyond are welcome to come and celebrate our anniversary with us.”

Anniversary Committee Chair Stacy Bond said the year’s theme is “Reconnecting Northfield,” as people look to reconnect to the community and their town’s history.

“After COVID, with all the lockdowns and everything, we deserve a big party,” Bond said. “The 300th was such a memory for so many people that we want to create the same memory for people of the 350th.”

At Northfield Elementary, families will be treated to a demonstration by beloved raptor expert Tom Ricardi, as well as songs and stories from local musician and storyteller Roger Tincknell. Arts and crafts activities also will be available, along with snacks sold by the Northfield Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization. The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon.

Later in the day, families are invited to the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center from 2 to 4 p.m. for outdoor activities hosted by FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. Folks will be treated to horse-drawn wagon rides, a campfire with s’mores and, weather permitting, winter activities. The Visitor Center Museum will also be open for self-guided tours.

“That’s a really comprehensive family day,” Stoia added.

Saturday’s events will be followed on Sunday at 2 p.m. with a presentation on the earliest inhabitants of Northfield. The talk, titled “The Sokoki: Their Response to Colonization and Their Role in Northfield’s Beginning,” will be given by historian Peter Thomas, who has extensively studied the interactions among Native American and white settler communities throughout the Connecticut River Valley and will serve as the first historical presenter for the 350th anniversary.

“We’re really beginning the story of Northfield at the beginning and paying homage to the people who lived here,” Stoia said of Thomas’ presentation. “I think it’s just really important for everyone to know that Northfield has been a critical [location] in history. … They’ll learn more than they ever thought they could learn about this area and over the generations why it was important to different, successive generations.”

Thomas’ talk will be held at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, 147 Main St., and a reception will follow in the church’s Fellowship Hall, which will feature memorabilia from Northfield’s 300th anniversary in 1973.

Stoia said other historical presentations throughout the year will focus on the town’s agriculture, a commune that was present in the 1970s, the town’s educational history, and its arts and culture. These topics will also be illustrated through an oral history project, where Northfield residents are encouraged to share their stories and experiences.

A full list of events and their dates can be found on the 350th anniversary’s website at northfield350.org.

“We went into this sort of hoping we could match anywhere near the 300th had done 50 years ago,” Bond explained. “We ended up with something much bigger, and that shows the dedication and interest and work that people have put into this.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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