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   The town’s Recreation Department held its second annual Walpole Day on Saturday, May 16. While the Walpole Day tradition is still new, there was a great turnout for what will hopefully become an established Walpole tradition.

  The day began with a parade at noon, led by grand marshal and lifelong Walpole resident Frankie Brown. The parade included World War II vehicles, the Walpole High School and Youth Girls’ Lacrosse teams, martial arts students, Brownie Girl Scouts, the Dog Rock Coffeehouse, and local politicians.

  After the parade ended, local businesses set up at Stone Field. Booths selling food and offering arts and crafts, games, and face painting littered the field to feed and entertain the crowd. There was also  a moon walk and a dunk tank to keep the kids entertained. The Walpole High School Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams and the Girls’ Lacrosse team all donated their time at the booths.

  Later in the afternoon, the Dog Rock Coffeehouse presented Walpole’s Teen Band Showcase, which was made possible by a grant from the Walpole Cultural Council. The showcase featured numerous bands from around town, ranging in age from twelve to eighteen. The seven bands that performed included the three WHS bands “Red Fox Motel”, “Doomstable”, and “Bite the Bullet”. 

In the evening, a street dance and barbeque kept everyone entertained. 

  For a young event, Walpole Day 2009 set a great precedent for future years.