Get ready to dress up your biggest, funkiest zucchini. The West Stockbridge Zucchini Festival, a decade-long West Stockbridge tradition that went dormant for years, will spring back to life on August 12.

“Covid wiped people out so much that they are just looking to have a good time,” says organizer Marjorie Powell.

According to Marjorie, the event ran out of steam nine years ago when the volunteer pool dried up. We can’t imagine what squashed their enthusiasm!

“It takes 150 volunteers to put on the festival,” says Marjorie. But the good news, she says, is that “over the past year or two, the kids that experienced the Zucchini Festival are now married and having kids and they are into chipping in. And we’ve had some new people move in.” At this writing, there were 60 committed volunteers, and Marjorie felt certain that more would sign on. Some of the “old-timer” volunteers from past festivals are passing along their expertise to this new generation of volunteers.

The festival begins with a pet parade at 10am and all pets and their people are welcome (there was even a goldfish one year). Daytime activities include the much anticipated rubber duck race on the Williams River, a zucchini weigh-off , prizes for best-decorated zucchinis, and vendor booths lining Depot and Center Streets. Marjorie says she has commitments from Orient Express, Amici, and SOMA and expects others as well. At 4pm, the adult fun kicks in with live music, including a samba band. Fingers are crossed for fireworks, pending town permission.

If you’re game to volunteer, Marjorie would love to hear from you, so drop her a line at ws********************@***il.com.