Old Home Day Committee

About Old Home Day

Old Home Day is an event held in Charlton, Massachusetts on Labor Day weekend at the end of each summer. Established in 1897, the event brings friends, neighbors, family, and visitors together with a true community spirit. It is a tradition begun over 120 years ago when the citizens of Charlton gathered at the end of summer, before the beginning of the fall harvest and the onset of winter.

The essence of Old Home Day consists of a tradition, which reminds us all that we are part of a community. It offers a chance for folks to join and reflect on the important things required to be a citizen here in a small town in Massachusetts. This day celebrates the town, the people and the past, and it’s so much fun!

The entertainment and many of the activities vary from year to year, but are free of charge. It is a day filled with exciting entertainment, traditional events, friendship and fun to the residents of Charlton, neighboring towns, extended families, acquaintances and anyone who wants to know what Charlton is really all about!

2021 Old Home Day Dates

We are so looking forward to our event for 2021 and are planning on making it the “best ever”.   There will be the usual Fireworks on Saturday night September 4 (rain date Sunday, September 5), a really big parade and about 90 vendors.  We’ll have the horses from Blessings Farm and lots of great entertainment including Liam Coleman!   

Old Home Day will be celebrated on Monday, September 6, 2021!

Thanks to Our 2021 Donors!

508 International 

Alliance Realty -  

Bay State Mobile Veterinary 

Cornerstone Bank 

Country Bank 

Diane Dabrowski, Realtor 

Incom, Inc.

Karl Storz 

Linda Thurston 

Millennium Power 

MTD Micro Molding 

Nichols Enterprises 

O’Malley’s Truck & Auto Body 

Savers Bank

Ted’s Package Store

Old Home Day 2021 Award Ceremony

Award Ceremony to take place at 2 p.m. on Monday, September 6, 2021, in front of the Library

Each year the Charlton Old Home Day Committee seeks nominations for Community Service Awards for Charlton businesses or residents. The awards are intended to recognize the volunteer work in the community, schools and service to fellow citizens. The awards are not intended for those, who during their traditional occupation complete their tasks, but for those who perform the good deeds purely out of volunteerism and civic duty.

Whatever the endeavor, these people deserve to be recognized and applauded for their efforts.

Youth Community Service Award – Established in 2011, this award is intended to recognize the positive contributions of a young member of the community who has altruistically pursued humane efforts in improving the world in which we live. Such an award is to establish an example for others of a young age to follow. Kelli Devlin has served this town as a dedicated volunteer for ChipIn for the past nine years where she has helped with stacking shelves and organizing the food for distribution.  She also volunteered for a short time at Blessings Farm here in Charlton, helping with the horses and goats.

She is a 2021 graduate of Bay Path Vocational and will be attending Curry College in the fall to study Forensic Science. She has been an honors student throughout.

Individual Community Service Award – This award is given to those who have made contributions which have brightened our little corner of the world.

Aviya Singer has collected new toys throughout her high school years and two to three years in college.  She donated them to Child Life Services, the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Unit.  She did an incredible job with these toys to make the children have some normalcy during the holidays.

Frank Morrill

Frank has lived in Charlton for 45 years. He is a retired history teacher and served for 7 years on the Planning Board, 24 years on the Finance Committee, 7 years on the Historic District Committee, 45 years as a member and present President of the Charlton Historical Society.  Frank co-authored 3 books on Charlton History and several on Worcester and other communities.   He has presented numerous historical programs to the community.  

Darlene Emco Rollins

Darlene is best known as Executive Director of CHIP IN Food Pantry since 1993 and continues in that role.  She has served the town of Charlton as a member of the Charlton Firefighters Ladies Auxiliary and raised enough money to obtain their first set of Air Bags to lift weight off of victims in MVAs.   She serves as a member REAS Committee, TRI-EPIC, S.A.L.T Committee, Old Home Day Committee.   She is a C.E.R.T. member and recently initiated the first Summer Feeding Program for the Dudley/Charlton School District.   

Darlene is an RN and graduated from Worcester City School of Nursing and Worcester State University.    She is also a Traditional Reiki Practitioner and gives Reiki Treatments to clients of Hospice and to seniors at Overlook.                                       

Business Award – This award is intended to recognize local businesses, who, on a regular basis, support community events, groups or activities.  Normally there is just one award, but this past pandemic year saw two major efforts.

ChipIn - Established in 1993 for the Charlton community, Chipin is run by all volunteer Board of Directors and volunteers.

They collaborated with the USDA in distributing 61,740 pounds of food during the Farmers to a Families at 4 distribution times this past year and did not shut down during Covid pandemic as other pantries did.  In addition to their monthly outreach, they took on the Town of Dudley as a client base. They are the only food pantry that gives out brand new toys to children for Christmas and birthdays and even distributes cat and dog food to those that need it.  They also opened their pantry to striking nurses.

CHIP IN is opened and ready to give food to whoever comes to their door in need.

Charlton Sewing Center - Jim Philbrook, Director of the Charlton Board of Health reached out to the Charlton Sewing Center at the start of the pandemic and their response was “whatever you need”.  They supplied masks though the entire first year of the pandemic to schools, hospitals, prisons, BOH and never ask for money.  Those financial donations that did come in were donated to Charlton Senior Center to assist the seniors for who needed food.  They enlisted hundreds of people who could sew and they made thousands and thousands of masks, including special masks for all the veterans to be handed out Veterans Day. Their efforts continue to this day.

Honorary Parade Marshall - This award goes to longtime residents who, during their lifetime here in Charlton, have consistently improved our quality of life.

Reverend Jim Chase and his wife Diane came to Charlton and the Federated Church in 1987.  In the 33 years he held that position, he became deeply involved in the Charlton community.  Jim visited Charlton Manor faithfully each month offering communion to the residents, he was Chaplin of the Charlton Fire Department and in that role visited and lent comfort to the 9-11 responders.  He was a loyal supporter of the Charlton Helping Hand Society and, with Charlton residents, led many mission trips to areas that needed the help.  

After health issues hastened his retirement, he and Diane continue to make Charlton their home.

Citizen of the Year – This award would be of the highest honor with consistent presence and repeated acts of major impact.

Clarence Bachand – who at the age of 98 is finally retiring from the Bay Path School Committee, Memorial Day Committee and Veterans Grave Marker Mr. Bachand has served the Town of Charlton as a Constable, Council on Aging, Gas Inspector, Industrial Development Commission, Monument Committee, Municipal Building Committee, Recreation Commission, Sewer Commission, Wiring Inspector, Zoning Enforcement Officer.  

He also served in the US Army and is a WWII Veteran He has been married for 72 years and is the father of 5 children, 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren

2013 - Earned the MA Association of School Committee’s Life Membership Award for Outstanding Service

2018 – First person to be inducted into Bay Path Hall of Fame Charlton American Legion Post 391 – 1946 to present Boy Scouts – 78 Years

Posthumous Award – given to a departed citizen who gave much to the community. 

Dennis Patrick Tully

He is survived by wife of 34 years, Darlene Tully; son Eric; two daughters, Megan and Emily,

He is a Shepherd Hill Regional High School graduate and earned his Bachelor’s degree at UMass Lowell in 1982.

Dennis was a brilliant engineer and for decades, he helped lead Miniature Tool & Die, the business his father, Richard, began in 1972 in his Charlton basement. In 2008, Dennis purchased the business from his father, rebranded it MTD Micro Molding, and repositioned it for the medical-device market, steering it to enormous success. MTD became known around the world for its mastery of highly precise, specialized miniature parts that no other company could produce. Under Dennis, MTD became one of the nation's fastest growing companies and won numerous awards, including being named one of the plastics industry's best places to work. Despite the company's accolades, Dennis was always most proud of his staff, whom he cared for deeply.

Dennis was an incredibly selfless and generous man, always investing time, effort and money into causes he and his loved ones cared about, from cystic fibrosis to the RFK Children's Action Corps to Brake the Silence, the organization he helped lead to end the stigma of mental illness and prevent suicides.

Dennis served 12 years on the Charlton finance committee.

2021 Activities & Events

The Old Home Day Committee of Charlton, Massachusetts announced the dates for the 124th  Old Home Day weekend celebration to be held from Saturday September 4th through Monday, September 6, 2021

All are welcome to enjoy the free entertainment and take part in the spirit of the community!

Information - Gazebo on Common 

Soap Box Derby on Muggett Hill Road at 7 a.m. 

Road Race - 9 a.m. at Common

Liam Coleman - music  at Bandstand

Shepherd Hill Vocalists - at Bandstand

Lee Irish Step Dancers - at Bandstand

Bad News Jazz Band & Blue Orchestra at Bandstand

Awards Ceremony - 2 p.m. at Bandstand

The Singing Trooper - 2:30 at Bandstand

Parade - Steps off from Overlook 3:30

All Day

Stilt Walker - Common

Grizzly Adams Photos - Common near Gazebo

Scottish Highland Games - Field behind Library

Train Rides -

Blessing Farm Pony Rides - Field behind Library