Good Neighbors of Groton: Riverdale Farm
Local pumpkins. Community spirit. And a little bit of New England fall magic.
Some neighbors have a wonderful way of making community feel like community.
They answer when you call. They contribute what they can. They show up when there is an opportunity to bring people together. And, year after year, those contributions become part of the traditions and memories that make a town special.
For GrotonFest, Riverdale Farm is one of those neighbors.
As we continue our Good Neighbors of Groton campaign leading up to GrotonFest Fall 2026, we're celebrating the businesses, organizations, and people who don't simply live or work alongside us, but actively contribute to the experiences that bring our community together.
And Riverdale Farm has brought a particularly wonderful touch of New England fall to GrotonFest.
WHEN GROTONFEST NEEDED PUMPKINS...
Last year, while preparing for GrotonFest Fall, we had an idea.
We wanted beautiful pumpkins to help create one of our fall photo displays—a place where families and friends could stop, take pictures, and capture a memory of their day at the festival.
And who better to call than a local farm?
We reached out to Riverdale Farm, asked if they might be able to help us with pumpkins, and they were immediately willing to step in.
Before we knew it, beautiful pumpkins were being delivered for us to use at GrotonFest.
Those pumpkins became part of the festival scenery, helping us create the warm, colorful New England fall atmosphere that makes GrotonFest such a special day.
But what stayed with us wasn't only how beautiful they looked.
It was how readily Riverdale Farm was willing to help.
That's the kind of relationship we want to celebrate through our Good Neighbor campaign—local businesses and organizations that see themselves as part of the community and are willing to contribute to the traditions that bring all of us together.
THIS YEAR, THE PUMPKINS ARE BACK IN A DIFFERENT WAY!
For GrotonFest Fall 2026, they're coming to the festival with something especially fun for our youngest visitors:
A pumpkin decorating and painting booth!
Children will be able to stop by, get creative, and decorate a pumpkin as part of their day at GrotonFest.
It feels like the perfect next chapter to last year's story.
Last year, Riverdale Farm helped us decorate GrotonFest. This year, they're bringing pumpkin decorating fun to our community.
And we absolutely love that.
A LITTLE PIECE OF NEW ENGLAND FALL
There is something special about having a local farm be part of a community festival—especially in the fall.
Pumpkins are more than decorations around here. They're part of the season.
They appear at farm stands and on front porches. Families pick them out together. Children carve and decorate them. They become part of the traditions that tell us fall has arrived in New England.
Bringing that experience into GrotonFest gives children another opportunity to enjoy something grown close to home while connecting with a local farm in their own community.
And maybe, years from now, some of our youngest festival-goers won't remember every booth they visited that day.
But they may remember decorating their pumpkin at GrotonFest.
Those are the little traditions from which community memories are made.
GOOD NEIGHBORS HELP CREATE GREAT COMMUNITY EVENTS
GrotonFest isn't created by one person, one organization, or one committee.
It comes to life because an entire community participates.
Local businesses support it.
Organizations bring activities and information.
Vendors create wonderful booths.
Volunteers give their time.
Neighbors invite neighbors.
And businesses like Riverdale Farm bring something uniquely their own to share with everyone else.
That's what makes GrotonFest feel less like an event being presented to the community and more like a celebration being created by the community.
Riverdale Farm's pumpkins may have helped create the backdrop for photographs last year, but their involvement represents something much bigger.
It represents a local business choosing to participate, contribute, and help create experiences that families can enjoy together.
THAT'S WHAT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR IS ALL ABOUT
Throughout our Good Neighbors of Groton campaign, we're celebrating the many different ways people and organizations contribute to the place we call home.
For Riverdale Farm, that means sharing a little piece of what they do best with all of us. Last year, they answered our call and helped us bring the colors of fall to GrotonFest. This year, they're coming back and giving our children an opportunity to create something of their own.
We are incredibly grateful to Riverdale Farm for their generosity, their participation, and their willingness to help make GrotonFest Fall a special day for our community.
So when you join us at GrotonFest Fall 2026 on Saturday, September 26, be sure to find the Riverdale Farm booth.
Bring the kids. Decorate a pumpkin. Say hello to some wonderful neighbors.
And take home a little piece of GrotonFest fall magic.
Thank you, Riverdale Farm, for showing up for GrotonFest and helping us create traditions and memories for our community.
That's what being a Good Neighbor is all about.
