WENDELL — Chatting with friends, perusing vendors’ wares and watching children play, Wendell residents celebrated their space on Earth during Saturday’s annual Old Home Day.

“Wendell has always been a place where fiercely independent people live,” said Historical Society President Ed Hines. “People who don’t mind working hard, but at the same time, who are very aware of our place on the planet.”

The tradition, dating back to the 1930s when it was first started by the Wendell Ladies Aid Society, became annual in 1973 and was held for 46 straight summers until the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a brief hiatus. This year’s festival continued renewed momentum from 2022, bringing together food, games, music, hundreds of attendees, and more than 30 vendor and organization booths.

“We’re really thrilled,” said head organizer Kathy Becker, who is part of the Old Home Day Organizing Group. “With Wendell Old Home Day, you never know what is going to happen because it belongs to the people. The people make it happen and it’s a joy.”

One thing that has never changed is how the occasion has breathed life into “land that is in its natural form,” Hines said. Each year, he said, Old Home Day is a confluence of “people who really cherish what we have here and are determined to protect it.”

Among the most dedicated of these people is Open Space Committee Chair Dan Leahy, who was named Citizen of the Year during one of the festival’s marquee events. Selectboard Vice Chair Gillian Budine recognized Leahy for his land preservation efforts alongside town and state officials, which included working “tirelessly for the conservation and protection of Wendell’s landscape and ecosystems in the face of development” by composing the town’s 419-page Open Space and Recreation Plan.

“It’s been a joy to work with my friends and neighbors in Wendell, which basically includes everyone who lives in Wendell,” Leahy said in a brief speech. “To work with you, to protect this most beautiful community and to protect the places that we love … we greatly appreciate, and I greatly appreciate your participation.”

He ended his speech with a call to keep up the good fight.

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“Onward and upward in protecting Wendell,” he said, eliciting applause.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

An earlier version of this article provided an incorrect title for Gillian Budine. Budine is vice chair of the Wendell Selectboard.