Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FrIDAy, AprIl 17, 2026 CELEBRATES| FROM PAGE 1 members join us in paying tribute to our town,” Riley wrote. “We just recently received permission from the Iron Works Association to hold our event on the lawns of their park! We will also be looking for many volunteers for help with the BBQ, children’s games, food distribution … etc. This will be a great townwide, old fashioned get-together celebration!” At the most recent Saugus 250th Celebration Committee meeting, held on Tuesday at the MEG Building, the committee unveiled some of its tentative plans for the celebration: • An appearance by somebody dressed up in period costume as General George Washington, who went on to become the nation’s first president • A reenactment of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence • An appearance by an actor dressed as Parson Roby, who will give a speech on his role and Saugus’ involvement in the Revolutionary War • There will be an awards presentation to winners in the Best Decorated Pickup Truck and the Children’s Essay contests. As part of the July Fourth celebration, Saugus students in grades 1 through 5 will be asked to answer the question “What Freedom Means to Me.” • There will be children’s games throughout the Iron Works property: Tug of War, three-legged races, sack races and stilts – to name a few. • The event’s food will include free hot dogs (the committee has already purchased 600), baked beans, popcorn and lemonade. • Patriotic pinwheels and 250th celebration flags will be distributed. • Plans are in the works for a PLANNING A HISTORIC CELEBRATION: Members of the Saugus 250th Celebration Committee gathered for an idea session on Tuesday in the MEG Building. From left to right are Ellen LeClair, Gail Cassarino, Committee Chair Corinne Riley, Jean Swanson and Janice Jarosz. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) reprinting of the patriotic coloring book from 2000 that was authored by Marilyn Carlson, with illustrations by Bob Sacco and Elliot Hurvitz. The 60-page coloring book tells the story of the settlement of Saugus in 1629. It also details how English merchants established the Saugus Iron Works along the Saugus River – the first successful one in colonial America. Several pages provide descriptions of famous people and places in Saugus. One page includes drawings of a few of the commercial landmarks of Route 1, including the Orange Dinosaur, Hilltop Steakhouse, Chickland and Kowloon Restaurant. • Local DJ Anthony Arone will be playing some patriotic tunes during the event, which is expected to last from noon to 4 p.m. • Kids and adults will be able to get photos of themselves with their faces on the head of a piece of artwork of George Washington dressed as he would back in the day. It’s been years since Saugus has had a townwide celebration on the Fourth of July. Saugus families usually celebrate that patriotic holiday by going to the July 3-4 century-old festivities in Lynnhurst, which includes a concert on the night before July 4 and a block party the next morning. If parents want to take their kids to a local parade, they still have time to attend the annual July 4 parade in the nearby town of Wakefield. “We scheduled this event to accommodate everybody,” Riley said of the Saugus 250th July 4 celebration. “People can still go to Lynnhurst and the parade in the morning and then come to the town’s July Fourth celebration,” she said. “We’ve planned this as a grass roots event and are trying to involve everyone in the community. We know how important this celebration is, with everything going on in the country and the divisiveness. We want to get the town together and celebrate it,” she said. CELEBRATES | SEE PAGE 5
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