By Geena Monahan and Samantha McCarthy—For the North Star Reporter
Celebrating its 44th year, Kids Day returned to North Attleborough Middle School for a weekend of carnival rides, games, vendors and live music, all to raise money for the community.
Kelly Field was transformed into a vintage car lover’s dream on Thursday, July 24, with a tribute band called Counterfeit Cash welcoming attendees with the sounds of Johnny Cash for the first night of the weekend.
An antique, fully-restored 1931 Ahrens Fox piston pumper fire truck drew crowds, and went on to star in a parade the morning of Saturday, July 26. The grand marshall was the family of longtime Kids Day committee member Skip Paul, who died in February of this year.
Counterfeit Cash’s lead singer, Rodney Brunelle, said the band has attended the event a few times now and loves seeing the reaction to kids hearing and enjoying Johnny Cash’s music for the first time.
“It is such a great fit for the opening night with the car show” said Brunelle. “My favorite moment was witnessing the reverence of the crowd as I recited Johnny Cash’s poem, ‘Ragged Old Flag.’”
Kevin Kelleher, a lifelong resident of North Attleborough and volunteer at Kids Day for the past 18 years, was in attendance with his family on Thursday night and said the weekend was off to a great start.
“We have more corporate sponsors this year than we’ve ever had, so it’s a great way to start everything,” said Kevin Kelleher. “We’ve hung all of their banners across the main stage, and we’re hoping for a great turnout this year.”
“My favorite ride is the one with two arms that goes back and forth across each other,” said Kinsley Kelleher, Kevin’s 8-year-old daughter, in reference to the “Top Gun” ride. “My brother (Kolby Kelleher) mostly likes to play the games where you can win a prize.”
Prior to the second band of Thursday evening, a Fleetwood Mac tribute called Little Lies, an announcer took to the stage to recognize a community project that came to life in the months before Kids Day: the restoration of the Kim Ganley memorial wall.
The wall was erected in 1995 in memory of Ganley, who died the previous year at the age of 16, but had become worn and faded after years of exposure to the elements. In conjunction with North Attleborough High School’s art department and students, the wall was repainted this year as a focal point for the event, complete with hand-painted fireworks and the wall’s original slogan that reads “you only get one shot.”
Saturday drew perhaps the largest crowds of the weekend, with temperatures in the high 80s. Sarah Wilson and Shane McDonald, two high schoolers waiting in line for the “Warrior” ride, said they always look forward to attending Kids Day each year with their friends.
“We mostly come for the rides and games and those types of things,” said McDonald. “This is the second night in a row we’ve come.”
The “Warrior” is Fiesta Shows’ newest ride, replacing “The Freak Out,” and had a steady line of carnival-goers ready to be propelled up into the air.
Live music began at 5 p.m on Saturday night; School of Rock out of Attleboro kicked off the evening to showcase the talent of local teens, followed by Dr. Slick, a New England based cover band that played a wide range of hip hop, R&B and pop songs before the fireworks started shortly after 9:15 p.m.
The fireworks show was the second, and final, of the weekend put on by Atlas Pyrotechnics, bringing with it a line of cars snaked all the way down to the intersection of Landry Avenue and Mt. Hope Street.
Kids Day raises money to support the youth and families of North Attleborough who are in need of financial assistance for a variety of reasons. Late in the afternoon on Saturday a red flashing light atop the middle school, resembling that of those on a fire truck, began blinking to signal that enough funds had been raised to “pay the bills.” The remainder of money raised throughout Saturday night and all day Sunday will go directly to local charity.
“On behalf of the entire Kids Day community, the Kids Day committee, thank you guys so much,” said committee member Shawn Pierce, who took to Facebook Live after the firework on Saturday night to show his appreciation for the outpouring of support in 2025.
A community spirit
Kids Day North Attleboro wrapped up this past Sunday with families and friends getting the full summertime experience. Thrill-packed rides like ‘The Zipper’ and ‘Top Gun’ brought those seeking adrenaline to a local, family oriented event right in town.
“One thing we look forward to is just that everybody comes down,” said Scott Langille, spokesperson of the Kids Day Association. “You see a bunch of people and families out there having a good time, it’s very family-oriented,” he continued.
“A lot of our donations will go to people in need in the community, within this area. It could be a local person that’s going through some health issues that needs some kind of assistance, we tend to gravitate towards those types of things,” Langille said.
Langille also talked about this year’s crowd and what the most popular attractions were. This year, as per usual, the rides drew in a large amount of people, and the fireworks Friday and Saturday night did as well.
Maddie Gouck, a rising junior from Tri-County, has been volunteering at the food tent at the fair for the past four years and stressed the importance of people her age volunteering.
“We’re trying to get more people to get involved, it’s just getting harder, so I want to raise a little bit of awareness with that,” she said.
Families enjoyed the firework display from various areas around town, with a small crowd gathering at Angle Tree Brewery, a local business.
With Sunday marking the last day of the annual event, families got to enjoy the ‘Touch-a-Truck’ sponsored by Achin’s Garage. Alongside this was a craft fair with local vendors and a performance from Dave Webber Acoustic, providing entertainment and an exciting, community-boosting experience.
Langille stated the event would not be possible without the help of the volunteer committee. They have not yet met to discuss any changes for the future, but mentioned some impacts with the construction of the new North Attleborough High School.
“It’s just fun to see, you know? It really always makes you feel good to do something good for the community,” Langille said.