Sip and Stroll brings smiles to Middleboro
Sep 17, 2023
Lenny the service dog shops for a new bandana at the Wags N’ Wigglebutts booth. Photos by Taylor Fruzzetti
Thaddeus and Ambrose Haugh of Middleboro show off their new hats.
Christopher Rosado of Coffee Milano grills street corn.
The Middleboro Town Hall lawn turned into a shopping extravaganza.
Stella Dees, 9, holds her new stuffed animal from Designs for Lilly.
Kelly Totman’s handcrafted wood flower arrangements.
MIDDLEBORO — From street corn to cozy blankets, vendors sold wares to meet a variety of tastes at the Sip and Stroll Harvest event on Sunday, Sept. 17.
According to event organizer Lorna Brunelle, despite having to move the event to Sunday due to wind gusts from Hurricane Lee, the Sip and Stroll garnered the attention of approximately 3,000 guests.
“There’s a trickle effect,” said Brunelle. She explained that shops and restaurants in Middleboro have seen “triple” the amount of customers during past Sip and Stroll events.
“What I think is really cool is that people who aren’t from around here will come back and visit all the shops that they fell in love with,” she said.
Patrons strolled through a maze of 84 vendors at Middleboro Town Hall and perused homemade goods from local artisans such as Kelly Totman’s handcrafted wood flower arrangements.
“The biggest misconception is that people look at [the flower arrangements] and think that they are fresh flowers,” said Totman.
Totman of Middleboro was inspired to create Knotty Totty’s Designs by the wooden flower arrangements at her own wedding.
“The caliber and the quality has come such a long way,” said Totman referring to the creation of wooden flowers.
According to Totman, the thin wood used to form petals comes from tropical trees. Totman said that she hand-dyes the wood to create custom color combinations.
Other vendors such as Ella Morrison of Ella’s Lemonade Shop, saw the Sip and Stroll as an opportunity to give back to the community.
Morrison said that she started Ella’s Lemonade Shop to raise funds for her best friend Hailey Olson who was diagnosed with DIPG cancer in elementary school.
“I decided that I wanted to do something to help her and other families that are going through the same thing,” said Morrison.
According to Morrison, proceeds from her lemonade stand support kids in Middleboro with cancer.
The proceeds of the Sip and Stroll benefited The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts, an organization that aims to provide an inclusive atmosphere catering to aspiring artists of all ages.
