HOLLIS Hollis’s traditional Old Home Days will be back this fall on September 10th and 11th at Nichols Field, with rides, a parade, live entertainment, exhibitor booths, artisan market, great food, heritage demonstrators and fireworks.

After a hiatus from the traditional Old Home Days in 2020, where residents enjoyed a Saturday evening fireworks display and live band performance, things will be a bit more back to normal this year. “We are spacing out booths a bit more and following current state guidelines,” said Board Chair Corinne Beaubien, “but we are thrilled to be organizing this community event again this year.”

Festivities kick off on Friday September 10th with DJ Carryl Roy, food vendors, and carnival rides, and continue Saturday with a parade at 10:30 a.m. and the full Old Home Days festivities from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday. The Parade features many community groups, antique cars and trucks, equestrians and the Hollis Town Band. Exhibitor booths on the midway will be open from 10-5, Artisan market from 11-5, Pet Pageant at 3 pm, and live music, food vendors, raffle and rides extending until the fireworks at dark on Saturday night (approx. 8:15). The shuttle will not be available this year so parking will be on site in both South Hardy field on Depot Road, and the field off of Orchard Drive.

This year, Hollis celebrates 275 years since it was officially chartered as “Holles” back in 1746. Old Home Days in New Hampshire was started in 1899 by then New Hampshire Governor Frank W. Rollins to entice young people, then fleeing family farms for city jobs, to come back home for a week of festivities. The Hollis Historical Society will display a timeline of important dates in the town’s history at their booth, and an art activity led by Wild Salamander will feature a “Hollis 275” theme. Heritage Demonstrators include blacksmith Garry Kalajian, cooperage barrel maker R.P.Raiselis, and also pottery, embroidery and smocking. Ongoing activities also include Lizzie’s balloon making, and visiting farm animals from Carriage Shack Farm, and the Robotics Club RoboCow Patty Bingo.

Saturday entertainment highlights include the following:

Hollis Equestrians (11:30- 2:00), the Hollis Town Band (12-1),

Granite State Disc Dogs (1-1:30 & 3:00-3:30), Lexi Louise (1:30-2:00),

Off the Vine (2:30-3:00), Pet Pageant (3:00 pm) Synchrony Barbershop Quartet (3:30-4:00), McGonagle School of Dance (4:00-4:30)

Coyote Bleux (4:30-5:15) This’ll Take a Minute Improv Troupe (5:15- 5;45)

and pre-fireworks show featuring Joe Birch (6:00-6:30 pm) and the Slakas (6:30-8:00 pm) followed by the fireworks display.

Sponsors for this year’s event include gold sponsors: Atlas Fireworks, Seasonal Specialty Stores, Boston Billiard Club & Casino and silver sponsors Hollis House of Pizza, Amherst Orthodontics, Valicenti Pasta Farm, Hollis Brookline Rotary, Focused Eye Care, Brookdale Fruit Farm, NHOMS, Tulley Automotive, Gertz Electric. Bronze sponsors include Buckley’s Market & Café, Monument Sq. Market, Morin’s Landscaping, Keefe Family Foundation, Udelsman Associates, Hollis Veterinary Hospital, Hugh R. Phillis, DMD and Hollis Family Chiropractic.

Find out more about this year’s event at: www.hollisoldhomedays.org