Small towns can be fun. They can muster up pride and feelings of contentment. Small towns can also be boring and even depressing. Small towns are also places where community groups often make up the fabric that hold people together. One such group is the Branford Historical Society. Having been a member for many years, I finally decided that I wanted to get involved on a deeper level back in 2008.

At that time, I became involved as the programs chair. Several times each year, I had the privilege of pursuing speakers for our public events. It was a job that I thoroughly enjoyed, often working closely with the speaker to make sure everything was in place. In addition, many community groups have that one signature event, trying to raise funds for their organization. Ours is the annual Strawberry Festival.

In 2018, we rolled out strawberry shortcake for the 39th consecutive year. This one-day festival is run in conjunction with the Branford Festival on the day before Father’s Day. For those working that day, it is both exhausting and exhilarating, at least for me.

Preparation begins well before the shortcake is dished out, with board meetings, phone calls to vendors, and supply checks, just to mention a few of the many activities. Strawberries are picked up locally the day before the festival and delivered to volunteers ready to wash, hull, and cut the berries. Many veteran hullers connect with friends and neighbors, chatting and enjoying each other’s company while doing their thing. This is camaraderie at its best.

The day of the festival is a marathon starting early in the a.m. picking up supplies and then setting up everything on the green. As the day wears on, a steady stream of volunteers shows up, each with a task to do. By the end of the day, after everything has been broken down and the supplies have been put away, the workers are exhausted, firm in the knowledge that we have put forth their best effort to provide a treat for the festival goers and to raise a few dollars for our cause of keeping history alive in the town of Branford. Throughout the day, it is gratifying to hear so many people who tell us that they wait all year to taste the delicious shortcake.

Branford, with a population near 30,000, is not a small town in the truest sense of the word, but when so many come together for a common cause, it is a wonderful thing to be a part of.

Mike Russo is a Branford native and would love to hear reader ideas for future articles. He can be reached at totoket42@gmail.com.