GRANBY — Each year, locals don dinosaurs or Flintstones costumes constructed from cloth and cardboard to boogie together at the Dino Dance, the biggest prehistoric-themed soiree in Massachusetts.
But this year’s party, part of the annual DinoFest in Granby, not only encourages dinosaur costumes, but summer tie dye in honor of DinoFest organizer Dennis Doucette’s son Joseph Barnoski III, who died earlier this year.
“What would make my day is if we can get some of his friends to dance to at least one song,” Doucette said.
The Dino Dance, along with the many festivities at DinoFest, will once again wake the dinosaurs on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Church of Christ Congregational, 235 State St., in Granby. The craft fair and end-of-summer event packs the September day with games, food and fun for families.
Even with the memorial aspects of the year’s festival, the day promises a joyful celebration of family and love, organizers say.
“We try to run it like a family reunion,” Doucette said. “Our motto is hugs and smiles. It’s nice to see crafters run across the field and hug each other.”
Barnoski, who died in August at 38 years old, was the one who named DinoFest when Doucette revived the craft fair more than a decade ago. An avid festival attendee, he pointed out the event had all the elements of a festival: food, activities, competitions and its green T.rex mascot Zippy the Dinosaur.
“He said, ‘That’s a festy! Why don’t you call it DinoFest?’” Doucette said.
Originally titled the Granby Arts, Crafts and Music Festival, DinoFest began in the 1980s as a craft show with agricultural fair activities sprinkled throughout. Each new organizer added different family events to entertain children while shoppers perused craft offerings. When Doucette took it over, he incorporated the Pioneer Valley’s primordial claim to fame.
This year, 53 crafters, nonprofits and public services will table around the church property. The event typically attracts between 800 and 1,000 people who wish to shop and play. Doucette said there used to be more than 100 vendors, but the size became a “local traffic hazard.”
“I couldn’t have asked for better advertisement, but it was strongly suggested to downsize,” he added.
The six-hour festival is packed to the brim with activities. For families anticipating the leaves changing color, there is pumpkin painting, an apple pie contest and an antique car show complete with Granby Fire Department’s 1938 fire engine. A tin can raffle will donate its proceeds to the Church of Christ Congregational’s youth group and local food pantries like Granby To Go.
Children wishing to hold onto the remaining summer rays can skirt down the inflatable slide, pull hard on the tug-of-war ropes and chow on some hot dogs and hamburgers. The chocolate pie-eating contest, a fan favorite, will also return.
“I had a father-and-son team enter the last couple of years,” Doucette said. “One year the father won, but he had a full beard and his face was covered in cream (when he finished).”
New activities have been added to the line up. Brie’s Balloons will create inflatable creations, including a special bracelet in honor of Joseph. The band Soular Eclipse returns from noon until 1 p.m. to accompany the party, and following them will be 1970s hits from Grateful Dead, Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder.
Eventually, Doucette would like to move the festival to Dufresne Park to become the little sibling of Charter Day, Granby’s early summer festival commemorating its founding.
But for now, the event stays on the Church of Christ Congregational grounds as a way to connect the church to the community.
“This is not a church event. It’s a community event,” Doucette said. “It’s the church joining the community.”
