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A New Tradition
Daniel Fowler, Herald New Staff
Reporter - 6/28/2004
A tradition has to
start somewhere, and Green Futures, a local environmental group,
hopes a tradition began Sunday afternoon at Britland Park with
the first annual Quequechan River Festival. The group sponsored
the event in an attempt to bring attention to the "hidden"
river that flows through the city and from which Fall River got
its name.
People of all ages attended the festival that had an old-fashioned
fair theme and featured field games, pony rides, archery, kayak
rides on the Quequechan, a rock-climbing wall, arts and crafts,
kite flying, jugglers, musicians and a variety of other entertainment.
"I think older Fall Riverites remember the Quequechan falls,
but in the 1960s it was covered over and I don't think younger
people understand the significance of the river," said Green
Futures Community Director Everett Castro. "We wouldn't
be here" in Fall River "without" the Quequechan.
Castro said he was pleased with the turnout for the event, but
hoped for even bigger Quequechan River celebrations in the future.
"If we could build on this, it would be even better,"
Castro said. "I think next year, word of mouth will get
out" about the festival "and this could be an even
bigger event."
Stuart and Joanne Bullivant, who live near the park, said they
decided to come to the festival because it was a beautiful day.
"It's good for the kids and it's good for the adults,"
Stuart said. "Our grandson down in New Mexico is coming
up next week and he'd love something like this." Though
the couple said they missed their grandson, part of the reason
they enjoyed the afternoon was because they were able to watch
other children having fun. "Take a look around and look
at the expressions on the kids' faces," Stuart said. "It's
priceless."
Cindy Tupaj brought her two grandchildren to the festival and
said such an event is good for community building. "It brings
everybody together," Tupaj said. "There are a lot of
things for children to do here. I think they should have it every
year."
Tupaj also said the event made people aware of the Quequechan
River. "It makes people come down and see it," she
said.
Kerriann Haye, 15, who came to the festival with her two younger
sisters, also liked the community building aspect of the afternoon.
"I think it's cool that everyone you don't know can come
together and click," she said. "It's a great way to
meet people. Just to do something like this for the adults and
kids is very nice." Haye said she particularly enjoyed shooting
a bow and arrow. "It was so awesome," Haye said. Her
9-year-old sister, Keyana, said her favorite part of the festival
was getting the chance to go rock climbing. "I'm used to
heights," she said. "I went on the Superman ride at
Six Flags."
The event was free and open to the public.
"The festival is part of a larger educational effort which
has as its goal the realization of a greenbelt along the upper
Quequechan and the 'daylighting' and restoration of the river's
falls," Tim Bennett, president of Green Futures said earlier
this week.
The river's falls were once located in the downtown area, across
from The Herald News on Pocassett Street. The river flowed through
downtown and in the vicinity of where Plymouth Avenue is now
situated. But, in 1962, the river was put into a culvert and
directed through pipes to make way for Interstate 195. For the
last several years Green Futures and the city have been working
to restore the water fall and parts of the river.