Old Home Week wraps up for another year

Woodstock tradition saw successful turnout throughout the week

And just like that, Old Home Week is over until next year. From July 30 to Aug. 6, Woodstock saw the return of its annual week of festivities. While some Old Home Week events have occurred in the past couple of years, this is the first summer the event has been back to its usual self since the arrival of COVID-19.

Attendees got to enjoy various events throughout the week, including lawnmower races, the annual Old Home Week parade, concerts, boxing and wrestling, the Miss New Brunswick and Little Miss Woodstock pageants, fair rides at the midway, and more.
Old Home Week committee president Graham Briggs said it was “very exciting” to bring the festivities back this week. He said the turnout was equal to previous years, if not better.

“People seem excited to be out and about,” he said.

Old Home Week committee treasurer Mandy Boone McCartney said this year’s festivities included new events, like the truck and tractor pull, the Summer Shindig, and live boxing. She said this year’s most successful events were the tractor pull, lawnmower races, demo derby, and concerts.

“Those are always huge, huge events,” she said.

Briggs said all the week’s activities had successful turnouts.
“The lawnmower races last weekend had a good crowd,” he said. “Miss New Brunswick and Little Miss [Woodstock] had a great turnout.”

While this year’s Old Home Week was a huge success, McCartney said one thing she would change next year is how much time the committee has to plan for it. While the organizers typically take the entire year to prepare for Old Home Week, the group put the events together in just four and a half months this year.

“We know we definitely need the full year to do our planning,” said McCartney. “I don’t feel anything got shortchanged, but it was a lot to do in four and a half months.”

Briggs said the committee is looking to potentially add more new events to the Old Home Week lineup next year.
“We’re probably going to do a poll, throw a few events on Facebook [and ask] what people might like to see or what people would like to see come back to Old Home Week,” he said.

The committee president said organizers are also looking for more volunteers next year.

McCartney thanked Old Home Week’s sponsors, partnering non-profit organizations, and volunteers for helping plans come together.
“It really takes the great group of volunteers that we have to make it happen,” she said.

She added that the committee is happy the event gave people a chance to celebrate.

“It’s nice to see that even with everything that’s happened in the last two years, we can all still get out together and enjoy ourselves and celebrate our community,” she said.