Wareham sips and strolls the afternoon away

Thousands of children, families and furry friends gathered at Besse Park on Oct. 3 for the Sip & Stroll Harvest Fair. Attendants got glitter tattoos and facepaint, shopped from artisan vendors and feasted on autumn foods.

The first Sip & Stroll happened in May 2025. The Harvest fair, which was the third event, hit a record attendance, organizer Lorna Brunelle said.

"This one was my personal favorite because I love the fall, and I love autumn vibes," Brunelle said. "Any opportunity that we have to come together as a community to bring people back to Wareham is what motivates me."

The fire department, for the first time, brought down a fire truck and a ladder to allow people to touch and observe the fire truck. The harbormaster also brought boats down to the harbor, which people could take pictures on.

Many vendors were selling handmade items, such as cork bags, christmas wreaths, candles and crochet animals. Susan Silvia set up a booth with several different types of crochet clothing, such headbands, sweaters, baby onesies and beanies. 

She first started crocheting at 8 years old and recently got back into the craft with making mittens. The hobby has grown into a full-blown small business called Knitting and Crocheting by Sue, and she works on her pieces from August to December to sell at events like the Harvest Fair.

"Everybody tells me they miss their grandmothers' [handmade things]," Silvia said. "Nothing beats homemade. All these are my own patterns. I don't follow [premade] patterns. I just make them up in my head."

Elisa Campanini, who sat outside her mother's booth with sewn items, displayed her full-body dragon puppet, which she has been crocheting for a year now.

"I'm very close to done. I [thought], 'Why don't I show people this?'" she said.

Another vendor, Lauren Liljegren, makes sensory buckets for children. The buckets have homemade playdough and little charms and figurines with themes. The sensory buckets are an old occupational therapy tool used to build finger strength for children, she said.

Cathy Longfield, a Wareham resident who thrifts and upcycles flannels for her business Funky Flannels, hit a record-breaking number of sales, with 25 flannels, about five shirts and many mittens sold in three hours. 

"It might not sound like much, but these are like labors of love for her," Brunelle said. "In the past at other shows, she sells less than half of that with double the time."

Brunelle said the vendors have lost sales opportunities at other shows due to inclement weather.

"They've lost mortgage payments and car payments because if they can't vend, they're not making that extra money," she said. "I was really glad that mother nature understood the assignment and people came out in droves, and they spent. It just makes my heart really happy that we can be part of a movement that not only support our arts and culture, but supports a coastal community."

Many people attended the event with their pets and sat by the harbor with their festival food. Many food vendors had fall-themed snacks and drinks, including caramel apples, cocoa, flavored coffees and pumpkin pie.