Over 60 vendors greet “Wells River’s “So Long Summer, Hello Fall!”
Bernie Marvin
Lined up along Main Street in Wells River for the end of summer gala festival held last Saturday, September 5, 2026, are, left to right, John Hunt representing the Old Church Theater, and three members of the Cohase Chamber of Commerce Board, Gary Scruton, Joe Mitchell and Darren Sherburne. It was a busy time for all vendors stretching along Main and Railroad Streets. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Wells River, VT – Car and truck traffic on Route 302 and streams of people traffic on the sidewalks marked the 14th Annual “So Long Summer, Hello Fall” Festival, the happy child of the Wells River WRAP Program that has been growing larger ever since it began 14 years ago with just 10 entries.
Event honcho Richard Roderick announced on Saturday noon, September 5, 2026 that he has been “in town and on the street for every event for the past 14 years and this year is the biggest I have seen yet,” he exclaimed to The Bridge Weekly as we strolled by his table under a tent that protected him from the sun’s rapidly heating rays.
He said the businesses and organizations that have been a part of the gala have enjoyed it over the years. He said this year he counted over 60 of them had signed up, a full 10 more than last year.
And it showed. Traffic through town slowed as walkers used both the sidewalks and roads to mosey up and down Main and Railroad Streets taking in the wide variety of everything imaginable that was presented to the public that day between 9AM and 2PM.
At 11AM, a super show of farm tractors, end to end came slowly through town on route 302 in the west and proceeded to parade over to the Wells River Chevrolet parking lot where they assembled for the crowd to visit and inspect the ag giants.
He was helping hand out tickets for three different raffles, one including the July 4th Woodsville/Wells River activities, also the American Legion was sponsoring a raffle, he said, adding that it was always good to see a lot of people and family activity in the Wells River Village as they all say “So Long to Summer.”
Book lovers gather at the Baldwin Memorial Library each festival year to look over hundreds of books placed for sale out front. It was a busy place all day. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
A long line of tractors paraded through Wells River last weekend during the Wells River "So Long Summer, Hello Fall" event, drawing large crowds. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.
Long-time helper and boss Richard Roderick tends the raffle table and information booth during the Wells River "So Long Summer, Hello Fall" Festival held last weekend in Wells River. The weather was perfect, and Roderick said it was the largest event in their 14-year history. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.
Author Marianne Kelly, a long-time exhibitor at local festivals, book sales, and author events, sells her books and other goodies during the Wells River "So Long Summer, Hello Fall!" Festival, September 5, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin