This weekend! The 48th Festival of the Hills!
Welcome to the 48th annual Conway Festival of the Hills, our annual showcase for this unique American town. This year’s Festival will be held October 4th and celebrates “Conway’s Small Town Treasures.”Conway has a range of treasures, apparent as well as hidden. The Field Memorial Library is certainly one, an impressive temple of books donated generously by native-son Marshall Field. Please visit and see the artwork exhibited there (Conway’s artists and craftspeople being another treasure). While in Conway center, you may also want to visit some less opulent structures, including a general store that would make “Mayberry” proud, a welcoming inn, and a range of new shops and businesses which have emerged like placer gold in a 49er’s pan. For the more adventurous among you, our townland offers some less obvious and hidden treasures, including secluded waterfalls, swimming holes, snowmobile trails and wildflower walks.
So WELCOME to Conway! For forty-eight years the Festival has provided friends and neighbors from far and near the opportunity to admire the natural beauty of Conway and learn about its centuries-old history. So, as you watch the parade, visit the Historical Society and Field Memorial Library, and participate in the many unique activities offered at our Festival, we hope that you will learn something about us and keep us on your list of special places to visit.
Ninety-four years ago, a group of townspeople gathered to organize the first festival of the hills in order to commemorate 100 years of peace with England. In 1961 the Festival was revived as a fund raiser for upcoming town bicentennial celebrations. Today, the Festival has broadened its mission to support the educational needs of Conway’s students. The 2008 Festival provided $10,100 to sixteen deserving students. In addition, tax-deductible contributions to this fund support a growing number of students who face soaring education costs. On the day of the Festival, contributions to the scholarship fund may be made at the Festival Information Booths. Throughout the year, contributions may be made out to the Festival of the Hills Committee and sent to Town Hall, Conway, MA 01341.
