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InTown Fitchburg

Vendors, sponsors and volunteers needed for Halloween event

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FITCHBURG – The calendar may still say August, but InTown of Fitchburg is busy seeking vendors, volunteers, and sponsors for a spooktacular “Trick or Treat on Main Street” celebration, planned for noon until 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, throughout Main Street.

The celebration will feature trick-or-treating at businesses throughout Main Street, along with delicious food from local food trucks, caramel apples, cider, games, entertainment, and activities for all ages.

InTown Fitchburg, a collaborative effort between Fitchburg State University and the city, is dedicated to enhancing the downtown area through events, supporting small businesses, and beautification.

As the event gets closer, activities, event map, parking details, and more will be available.

For those that wish to be a vendor, volunteer, or sponsor for “Trick or Treat on Main Street” please visit trickortreatonmainstreet.simple.ink. Updates on Fitchburg’s events can be found @intownfitchburg or on the web at intownfitchburg.com.

Building Fitchburg’s downtown with art and culture

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FITCHBURG — Culture and art can change perceptions about a neighborhood and neighbors, and that is what is intended by an upcoming event and the organizations that are running it, for the future of Fitchburg’s downtown.

The Market on Main will be shutting down Main Street in Fitchburg to cars from Oliver/Putnam to Grove, making that stretch pedestrian-only for people to enjoy local vendors, food trucks, adult beverages, live art, and family activities.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission and ample parking available on side streets and the Putnam Garage.

It’s a collaboration between the Market for Makers, InTown Fitchburg, and the City of Fitchburg.

“The Market on Main aims to create a vibrant community gathering that supports local vendors, promotes entrepreneurship and economic growth, enhances the cultural and artistic scene, and fosters a sense of community pride and engagement,” said Monique Reverie, Fitchburg’s downtown coordinator for InTown Fitchburg.

Several artists are doing live art during the Market on Main event on Saturday, May 27. One featured artist is illustrator Phoenyx Artt. (COURTESY INTOWN FITCHBURG)
Several artists are doing live art during the Market on Main event on Saturday, May 27. One featured artist is illustrator Phoenyx Artt. (COURTESY INTOWN FITCHBURG)

She added, “The event will take place on Main Street in Fitchburg to showcase the revitalization efforts underway, and to highlight its potential as a regional hub for commerce, arts and culture, entertainment, and community engagement in North Central Massachusetts.”

By being exclusively for pedestrians, strollers, and mobility devices, the Market on Main aims “to create a safe and inclusive environment that encourages social interaction, exploration, and discovery” and is environmentally-friendly.

There will be over 50 local small businesses selling handmade goods, food trucks from the area and tented food from local restaurants, and local breweries.  Evan Goodrow will be playing acoustic music throughout the event. Live art will be made by Phoenyx Artt and The Icarus Shop, which is the creation of artwork and murals in real-time, allowing spectators to witness and engage with the artistic process.

Reverie said that there will be shaded tables and seating available to all, with spaces perfect for a blanket and a picnic, which they “know is immensely helpful for families.” There will be a balloon backdrop for picture taking and many kid-friendly options for food and play as well as everything being handicapped-accessible.

“Offering free admission to the event ensures that it remains accessible to a diverse range of community members, regardless of economic background, promoting inclusivity, and encouraging broader participation,” Reverie said.

It is the first Market on Main, and the first time a roadway has been closed to cars and opened to pedestrians, although InTown Fitchburg and its collaborators are very experienced in community events.

InTown Fitchburg is the lead convenor of Fitchburg’s collective downtown revitalization efforts.

“InTown Fitchburg is an organization focused on promoting economic development, community engagement, and cultural enhancement in the downtown area of Fitchburg. It aims to revitalize and transform the city center into a vibrant destination for residents and visitors,” Reverie said.

The City of Fitchburg regularly collaborates with InTown Fitchburg with the goal of developing a downtown Fitchburg arts and culture district in the heart of the North of Main neighborhood.  They leverage resources and coordinate toward revitalization including joint initiatives, shared decision-making, and strategic planning.

The Market for Makers is a platform and community for creatives owned by local community member Kristyna Belliveau, organizing events in New England to connect makers and showcase their talents.

Collaboration between the three “involves partnerships in terms of event planning, resource sharing, marketing efforts, [and] the coordination of activities to create a more comprehensive and cohesive community experience,” Reverie said.

People from many cultures are making their own unique contributions to the downtown Fitchburg neighborhood by expressing themselves, whether making art, performing, sharing stories, or introducing new foods and traditions.

“Community events, art, and small business are crucial to cities like Fitchburg. Fitchburg is in a period of rebirth, and we know that small businesses have considerable economic impact at the local level. There is something to be said about how the infusion of art provides value to the city in cultural, social, and economic ways. Those local to Fitchburg know just how much one of our murals brighten up a busy street. Public art humanizes the city’s public spaces and reflects the care, talent, and joy that the city holds within,” Reverie said.

InTown Fitchburg hosts a calendar of current events and info for the community at intownfitchburg.com and small businesses, artisans, and creatives can join The Market for Makers at themarketformakers.com to join their collective.

The rain date for the Market on Main is Sunday, May 28.

Reverie said Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time for a “fun, safe, and community- integrated event.”  Although they know some travel during the holiday weekend, she said ”many look for local activities to attend” and it’s the “perfect time of year” with weather that’s warm but isn’t too hot.

The community spoke and we’re listening

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FITCHBURG — On Tuesday, Feb. 7, several members of the Sentinel & Enterprise staff participated in a “Coffee with the Editor” event at Main Street Studios, hosted in partnership with the Fitchburg Cultural Alliance and InTown Fitchburg.

About 30 people attended the event and offered their feedback on the newspaper and shared ideas for how we can better reflect the community in our coverage. In the months ahead, we will look to interface with the community more through events like this and bring these events to each of our local communities.

Here are our takeaways:

Reporter Danielle Ray

The community has spoken and we’re listening.

We were thrilled to meet with dozens of passionate citizens the evening of Feb. 7 at Main Street Studios in beautiful downtown Fitchburg and talk to them about what we can do to better serve the city and greater area through our work at the newspaper. We heard what you said and will be taking your suggestions and requests to heart.

Although we are a small team with limited resources, we are mighty and have a lot to offer — and a lot of talent to pull from. We cover an area of approximately 150,000 people between the Twin Cities and nearly a dozen towns in North Central Mass., with one full-time editor Jake Vitali, who does double duty as the editor of both the Sentinel & Enterprise and the Nashoba Valley Voice; myself, the only full-time Sentinel reporter; and one full-time reporter, Shane Rhodes, who splits his time between the Sentinel & Enterprise’s two other sister newspapers under the MediaNews Group umbrella, Nashoba Valley Voice and the Lowell Sun.

We have some fantastic freelance staff including Community Editor Cheryl Cuddahy, who has been with the Sentinel & Enterprise in different capacities for many years, reporter Sara Arnold, and columnists Sally Cragin, Rev. Wil Darcangelo, Bonnie Page and Kevin Williams. Plus, we have two amazing photographers Gary Fournier and Alan Arsenault.

Several of these hardworking people joined us just within the last year and are helping to expand our reach and capabilities and we are looking to add even more freelancers. In addition, we are currently working with Fitchburg State University to finalize a plan to bring on journalism student interns.

We cover hard news, breaking news, feature stories, human interest, businesses, fundraisers and important events, milestones including wedding anniversaries and birthdays, run press releases and community calendars, and so much more. We feature people of color, female and minority owned businesses, diverse groups and nonprofits, guest columnists from all walks of life, and are always on the lookout for good stories — feel free to reach out.

Here’s to working together to continuously strive to make the Sentinel & Enterprise better and more focused on what people are asking for. I have no doubt we can deliver and then some. Onward and upward!

City Editor Jacob Vitali

The passion people have for the city of Fitchburg is electrifying. People want strong communities and in turn, they desire a strong newspaper that reflects their community.

For a strong newspaper, we need the community’s support. We hope you will tell us the types of stories you want us to cover, what is happening in your neighborhood and who your local heroes are — if something is happening, we want to hear about it.

We also want to encourage you to get involved by sending well-argued letters to the editor, photography and writing. If the newspaper is going to reflect the community, it should have community voices at the forefront.

In the future, we will take steps to maximize our output of local news with the resources we have available. We will be more selective about the stories we borrow from our sister publications and work to localize them for the North Central region. We will also look to grow our relationships with local school districts, nonprofits and small businesses to ensure everyone feels they are represented fairly and as though you have the information you need.

As the city editor of this newspaper, I am committed to doing all I can with the resources we have to create the best product possible. I am also committed to spending more time than ever in Fitchburg and our surrounding communities, meeting you, and hearing your stories. I want to curse at the same potholes you curse at, dine at the restaurants you dine at, and immerse myself in this area like never before. I am also hoping to become a full-time resident of Fitchburg or a surrounding community in the near future.

As we move forward, we know that the Sentinel & Enterprise holds strong roots in Fitchburg but it also must best serve the communities of Leominster, Lunenburg, Ashburnham, Ashby, Lancaster, Shirley, Townsend and Westminster too. Moving forward, we plan to sit down in these communities and listen to your feedback.

Senior Editor Bruce Castleberry

The turnout in downtown Fitchburg sent a message that we all felt afterward: there is a place, even a desire, for what the Sentinel & Enterprise can provide.

The more than two dozen government officials, business leaders, and interested parties made us not just feel welcomed, they provided faces that made us feel connected to the community. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say every one of us left the building with a heightened sense of responsibility to report and deliver the news that matters to the people of the area.

Sometimes you can get a little tunnel vision and not know how you’re being perceived. This was the best possible positive reinforcement. These people care about the business environment in Fitchburg, including the little newspaper that could. We’re even more determined now to succeed.

Reporter Shane Rhodes

We are a small team and our jobs, given the restraints placed upon on us are not always easy. But the people of Fitchburg have made it clear that there is a want, a need for strong, continued and consistent local coverage and we the few that contribute to the Sentinel & Enterprise every day will continue to deliver to the best of our ability.

To do that, however, we need the involvement and support of the community. Yes, we invite readers to share ideas, ask what it is, exactly, that they want to see when they read the paper every morning, but we need more: we need people who are passionate for and truly care for their community.

And it’s clear that Fitchburg has such personalities in spades.

As brief as our conversation may have been, it has been made abundantly clear to me that there are people out there who care for and are passionate about not just the Fitchburg community, but their local paper and local journalism on the whole. Readers out there actively root for us because, on some level, they understand that our successes are their successes — the news can facilitate growth and/or change in the community, but our work can shine brightest only when we have access to and can truly connect with the best parts of that community and ourselves.

The modern world has not been kind to journalism, nor journalists. But that there are people out there who continue to support us in our endeavors is truly inspiring and can make our role that much easier, fulfilling and worthwhile. As we move forward and continue to ask for your feedback, I know us here at the Sentinel & Enterprise will continue to work diligently to deliver the best product we can.

Fitchburg muralist showcases art throughout the city

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FITCHBURG — The handiwork of Jon Allen can be viewed all over the city, vibrant, large-scale murals and other creations that have given the talented artist avenues to share his creative vision.

“I love using art to enhance and celebrate community,” the 46-year-old city resident said. “Outdoor murals bring art to the people and celebrate the community that we live in and I love bringing that creative positivity to the people.”

His most recently completed project is a piece commissioned by Tacos Tequilas owner Elmer Melendez, a colorful 87-by-25 feet mural located on the back side of the Main Street eatery. Allen had help from two fellow artists with this latest venture, Magic Treasures owner Keila Jardim and New Hampshire based Chris Kairnes.

“She is a talented artist in her own right, and her store is an enormous supporter of local artists who show and sell their work in her space,” he said of Jardim and her Main Street shop, adding that they are developing a business model for a possible venture called Magic Murals. “It is our artistic mission to work with local businesses and to use our creative talents to bring beauty to the city of Fitchburg.”

Fitchburg artist Jon Allen painted the vivid Putnam Pileated Mural on Boulder Drive last year in collaboration with InTown Fitchburg and the city. (COURTESY JON ALLEN)
Fitchburg artist Jon Allen painted the vivid Putnam Pileated Mural on Boulder Drive last year in collaboration with InTown Fitchburg and the city. (COURTESY JON ALLEN)

Allen said he has been an artist for as long as he can remember, and like so many creatives, he feels deep down that “it wasn’t really a choice.”

“I was born an artist,” he shared.

He has been creating murals since 2006, the first one was in New York City where he lived from 1999 to 2009. The first mural he created in Fitchburg is the 140 feet by 26 feet Nashua River Mural that depicts environmentalist Marion Stoddart and fish swimming underwater.

“My first (city) mural was completely pro bono and initiated by my own initiative to share Marion’s mission and work,” Allen said.

He wrote on his website that it was the first large scale mural he undertook and shared a photo of a smiling Stoddard standing in front of it.

“After learning about the activism of Marion Stoddart, I was compelled to make a mural commemorating her amazing environmental activism,” Allen penned. “In the 1960’s the Nashua River was one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Marion decided to take action, and after organizing public support, she helped enact legislation that began the cleanup process of this beautiful river.”

His “Greetings from Fitchburg” mural, which has since been taken down due to new construction, was commissioned by NewVue Communities in 2017 as part of a public initiative to use art to revitalize the city. The following year he created a 70-by-13 feet piece on a sidewall on Main Street dedicated to turn-of-the-century industrialist Iver Johnson, who worked in Fitchburg and manufactured some of the first bicycles in the country.

Jon Allen created a 70-by-13 feet mural on Main Street in his hometown of Fitchburg dedicated to turn-of-the-century industrialist Iver Johnson, who worked in the city and manufactured some of the first bicycles in the country. “Fitchburg…has a rich history I like to celebrate with striking art,” Allen wrote. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

“Fitchburg … has a rich history I like to celebrate with striking art,” Allen wrote on his website beside a photo of the Johnson mural.

In 2021 he painted the vivid Putnam Pileated Mural on Boulder Drive in collaboration with InTown Fitchburg and the city and in the spring of this year Allen again worked with the city as well as Commonwealth Murals, GoodSpace Murals, and the Montachusett Community Branch YMCA to create a mural at the east end of Boulder Drive depicting students in the after-school Spartacus program.

His art can be enjoyed at other various spots around the city and beyond, including the American flag on a wall at Mill City Pub, a mural in Worcester, a painting adorning a wall at Thirsty Robot Brewery, and more, nine creations in the city total and counting.

He and his team began the colorful Tacos Tequilas mural project in September and finished it a few weekends ago. Allen said he enjoys having his work showcased all over his hometown, an honor the Littleton High School art teacher does not take for granted.

“Sharing my work in the town I live in is amazing and I love the opportunity to be able to make the city look better and to use art to promote small and local businesses,” he said. “My goal is to continue to do this locally while also branching out into different regions of Massachusetts or any place in the world for that matter looking for public art that is in line with my talents and vision.”

PHOTOS: Fitchburg celebrates annual Holiday Tree Lighting

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Fitchburg held its annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Sunday complete with a parade down Main Street. The Fitchburg High School Band played festive music, while the Stratton Players sang carols. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus even made a special trip all the way from the North Pole. The festivities were a collaboration between InTown Fitchburg, Fitchburg Cultural Alliance, Fitchburg Holiday Lighting Committee and other downtown stakeholders.

Fitchburg awarded $10,000 grant to support pop-up shops

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FITCHBURG — The city has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation to support the development of pop-up shops for local artisans, crafters and entrepreneurs to sell products in the community.

In a press release, NCMDC said the pop-up shops are expected to start in December. To prepare, InTown Fitchburg has been working with the city to identify feasible locations including vacant storefronts downtown. The goal is to choose locations which can generate economic activity for the properties and interest in the storefront.

From Dec. 1 to Dec. 23, InTown Fitchburg will be partnering with Bonfire Books to lead a retail pop-up market. The pair will also offer a post-holiday week event with additional discounts from Jan. 2 to Jan. 6. The pop-up will be located at 37 Boulder drive.

Throughout the pop-up, Bonfire Books will be selling new and used books. The store will also host vendors who will be featured throughout the pop-up schedule. Vendors will include local paper artists, woolens, and those selling winter accessories, custom cards and calendars, stationary and stickers, locally made soaps and candles, and other art, gift and craft items.

“A pop-up shop provides a tremendous benefit to the business owner while also helping to develop vibrant downtown areas,” said Roy Nascimento, president and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “This funding will help support the ongoing revitalization efforts of the downtown Fitchburg area by bringing together local small business owners to share their work with the community.”

NCMDC also said placing pop-ups in existing businesses has the potential to attract and new customer base and could lead to future collaborations with those featured.

“As we continue our work to revitalize the downtown area, we are excited to open up our vacant storefronts for our local small business owners to share their products with the community through this program,” Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale said. “It’s always wonderful when organizations come together to create unique opportunities for our business owners, and through this collaboration with the city, InTown Fitchburg, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, and the property owners willing to participate in the program, we are able to provide spaces for local artists and entrepreneurs to grow their business while we grow our downtown.”

Additional details, including opening times and updates for these pop-up shops, can be found by visiting intownfitchburg.com or following Bonfire Books on social media.