Lee — The three-day Lee Founders Weekend was held from Friday, September 20, to Sunday, September 22. The event was a celebration of town spirit and a commemoration of the 247th anniversary of the town’s founding.
On September 20, the town held its annual Taste of Lee event, with various restaurants and eateries throughout town participating, along with a fireworks display. On September 21, activities included a parade, a 5K road race, a craft fair, an antique fire truck show, and a skatepark competition. The weekend closed on September 22 with the Lee Lions Club holding its annual “Duck Race” on the Housatonic River.
“It’s very exciting to see everybody in town coming together, celebrating, and cultivating a real hometown feeling,” Lee Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathy DeVarennes told The Berkshire Edge. “It’s just a wonderful little town. Everybody has their heart here, and they all come back. Lee residents are always very welcoming and giving.”
The grand marshall for the parade was Dick Shields, who has lived in Lee for over 80 years and is the president of the Dresser Hull Lumber and Building Supply Company, which has been in town since 1883. “I feel very honored to have been named the grand marshall,” Shields told The Edge. “I think this town is fantastic, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Meanwhile, members of the Sons and Daughters of Italy continued their annual tradition of selling homemade grinders at Church Park. “I was born and raised here in Lee, and I finally came back here after several years away about three years ago,” said Lee Sons and Daughters of Italy President Ellen Whittaker. “To me, Lee is the quintessential small New England town. People get to know each other, and they share with their neighbors. It’s a very close and small, little town.”
During the second day of the event on September 21, hundreds of people attended a vendor fair. One of the vendors was Doug Wilcox, who co-owns the Lee business Sweet Acre Honey with his wife Sally Wilcox. “I’ve lived here in Lee all of my life,” Wilcox said. “If you visit Lee, you won’t regret it. It’ll be one of the best experiences of your life. If you’re willing to look beyond the main thoroughfares and travel the back roads a little bit, you’ll find some nice discoveries. There’s so many great natural resources here, including ponds, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.”
Multiple local and civic groups took part in this year’s parade, including the Lee, Lenox, Lenox Dale, and Sheffield fire departments; the Wildcat Sports Group; Lee Youth Football; and the Mt. Everett Regional High School marching band.
