25th GeraniumFest is May 19 in Lynnfield

LYNNFIELD – Lynnfield?s GeraniumFest will reach its silver anniversary this month, but it may not continue with its annual regularity due to a lack of volunteers.Frances Fleming, president of Townscape, the nonprofit that runs the GeraniumFest, recently came before the Board of Selectmen to discuss how the spring celebration is in jeopardy.She told the board that there are only six people left on the Townscape board.?If we don?t get more involvement, this will be the end of GeraniumFest, but not Townscape,” Fleming said.GeraniumFest, Townscape?s annual fundraiser, is held each May on the common in town, and includes a grilled luncheon, music performances from school groups, a used book sale, an art show and a flea market. This year?s celebration is on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Townscape holds a sale of geraniums each spring prior to the celebration and the money goes toward planting new trees in Lynnfield. A trolley tour of the trees planted by Townscape is done each year at GeraniumFest.Fleming said at the board meeting that 800 trees have been planted over the 25 years and that work will continue even if GeraniumFest cannot.In a recent interview, Fleming said the absence of more volunteers to help plan and run the GeraniumFest has made the work “exhausting” and “overwhelming.”Therefore, Fleming, who has been involved with the celebration for the past 12 years, said this year will be a trial to see if the GeraniumFest should be limited to possibly every other year or every five years.?We?ll see what kind of a response we get,” she said. “We?re hoping to get other groups to take over different parts of it.”So far, Fleming said she has reached out to a number of community groups, such as the Lynnfield Rotary Club and the Girl Scouts, who have agreed to run the children?s games.Fleming said she would also like to have help to tag all of the trees planted by Townscape before GeraniumFest.?Because there?s so few of us, we really just do the main areas,” she said. “But if we get more people volunteering, I think it would really be fabulous to have 800 trees with ribbons on them.”At the board meeting, former chairman Arthur Bourque said to Fleming that Townscape?s troubles are evidence of a declining volunteer spirit in town.Fleming said the problem is not unique to Lynnfield.?It?s really understandable. Both parents work, the kids are all so busy. ? My generation, PTO meetings were standing-room-only. Now we can?t even get anybody to attend. People are busier. I guess it?s a sign of the times,” she said.The other reason that GeraniumFest is suffering, Fleming said, is because most of Townscape?s former members were senior citizens, who have since passed away.Fleming said that volunteering for GeraniumFest is not a time-consuming activity, and that she started out just collecting money from the lunch.?If everybody can just do a little bit,” she said, “then maybe we can keep this going.”For more information on Townscape and GeraniumFest, visit townscapelynnfield.webs.com.Sarah Mupo can be reached at [email protected].