By Geena Monahan-For the North Star Reporter
From children lining up for carnival rides to families spreading blankets to watch the fireworks, the 46th North Attleboro Firefighters Kids Day drew thousands for a weekend of entertainment and community tradition.
The annual event spanned four days, from Thursday, July 16, to Sunday, July 19. Friday proved to be one of the busiest as clear skies and comfortable temperatures brought steady crowds. Families moved among rides, food vendors and game booths spread across the grounds of North Attleborough Middle School, with long lines forming for attractions like the Zero Gravity and Super Slide.
Waiting in line for their third ride on the Thunder Bolt were friends Timothy Johnson and Alex Caldwell, who said they attend Kids Day every year.
“We don’t really like the rides that go upside down and make you feel sick,” Johnson said with a laugh. “This one is fun, but not too crazy.”
A short walk across the athletic fields, one of the evening’s loudest crowds surrounded the ring for Northeast Championship Wrestling. Children lined the barricades to cheer the heroes, boo the villains and chant throughout the matches.
One of the biggest reactions came during the match between The Mighty Bosch and “The Premier” Luis Leon. After gaining the upper hand, Bosch dragged Leon out of the ring and asked the crowd whether he should take his opponent to the trash. As children shouted their approval, Bosch hauled Leon to a nearby trash can and theatrically slammed his head against it, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“We see a lot of the same faces every year, which makes it really cool. Families make it a destination for them every summer, so it’s fun to see that.”
-NCW owner John “JC” Howard
For NCW owner John “JC” Howard, returning to Kids Day has become one of the highlights of their summer schedule.
“This is our seventh year here,” Howard said. “Our first time was in 2018, and we missed one year because of COVID. Festivals and fair shows have some of my favorite energy, because the crowds are so excited.”
Howard founded NCW nearly 30 years ago as a high school freshman alongside friends who shared a passion for professional wrestling. What began as a backyard venture has grown into a family-run organization that brings professional wrestling to fairs, festivals and community events throughout New England.
Howard said Kids Day has become a tradition for both NCW and the fans who return each summer.
“We see a lot of the same faces every year, which makes it really cool,” he said. “Families make it a destination for them every summer, so it’s fun to see that.”
The event has also become a favorite stop for the wrestlers themselves.
“Our wrestlers love the opportunity to grab some ice cream, sit down and watch the fireworks,” Howard said. “That’s become a ritual for us. Every year we come back, we see new fans, and they discover us and hopefully follow us along to other shows.”
Live music continued throughout the day, with Wicked Petty, a Tom Petty tribute band, performing before headliner Fevah Dream took the stage later in the evening.
Fevah Dream paused its performance to introduce the North Attleborough Community Band, whose appearance had been moved to Friday because of the threat of storms Saturday. The band performed during the Pyrotecnico fireworks display before Fevah Dream returned to the stage as the celebration continued into the night.
Longtime resident and event organizer Kevin Kelleher spent much of Friday evening serving baskets of chicken tenders and French fries at one of the event’s busiest food tents.
Kelleher said Kids Day had already raised roughly $39,000 through corporate sponsorships before the weekend began. He credited the sponsors, favorable weather and the Community Band’s addition to Friday’s schedule for the evening’s large crowd.
“It’s been busy,” Kelleher said. “We couldn’t do it without our sponsors. Their support means everything.”
For Jimmy Quinn, Fevah Dream’s drummer and the event’s entertainment director, Kids Day is more than another hometown concert.
“My father actually handled the entertainment before I did,” Quinn said. ‘Now I book all the bands, the stage and the sound, and we’ve probably played here 10 or 12 times. We play mostly around the Boston area, but getting to play a hometown show at Kids Day is the best.”
Quinn said one of his favorite parts of organizing the entertainment is showcasing local musicians while watching generations of families enjoy the festival.
“It was awesome. It was so much fun,” he said of Friday night’s performance. “When we started Fevah Dream 22 years ago, one of our first shows was Kids Day. Now all of our fans’ kids are out front dancing.”
A North Attleborough resident for more than 40 years, Quinn said Kids Day has become an annual reunion.
“My favorite part is booking as much local talent as we can and getting them up on the big stage,” he said. “But it’s also seeing everybody around the fairgrounds. I’ve lived here my whole life, so it’s catching up with people you haven’t seen in a while. Even people who have moved away come back for Kids Day.”