It’s been 250 years since Ludlow, Massachusetts came into being. The Hampden County community celebrated its “Incorporation Day” back in February, but the real party got started over the weekend.
A parade lasting nearly three hours, a block party that went all-night and fireworks were all part of the festivities Saturday as thousands of people celebrated Ludlow’s founding.
Situated east of Springfield and Chicopee, the town’s charter was signed in 1774.
Like nearby West Springfield, which is also celebrating its semiquincentennial this year, the area was once part of Springfield – separated by the Chicopee River and referred to at one point as the “Stony Hill district.”
Ludlow would later split off and become a hub for mills and home to numerous groups of immigrants. It’s also one of the main stops on the Mass Pike west of Worcester.
“Having the mills come in here and Ludlow manufacturing brought in immigrants from Portugal, Poland, Scotland and French Canadians, and people of all stripes and colors came here, and then we had our second kind of revolution that came with the Mass Pike – [in] the 1950s,” State Senator Jake Oliveira of Ludlow told WAMC. “The culture and fabric of Ludlow is really steeped in people who have come here from someplace else and have made it their home, made a better life for themselves made a better life for their children, and that's something that Ludlow continues to do, is to embrace those from other communities.”
Organizers said the event had some “150 parade units” taking part as it stepped off from the high school and headed two miles down Chapin and East streets before arriving at Veterans Memorial Park.
Thousands of people lined East Street as fire trucks, parade floats and groups like the Chester Fife and Drum Corp. spearheaded the event.
Among those taking it all in was 1-year-old Mya Charles, along with her father Deon and mother, Amanda Leone.
Mya’s grandmother, Tina Leone, referred to Ludlow as a tight-knit community, with Amanda adding a lot of Portuguese heritage can be found in town.
Home of Lusitano Stadium and its fair share of Portuguese bakeries, restaurants and churches, Ludlow boasts a large Portuguese-American community.
It’s also home to one of the largest mill redevelopments in the area. The Ludlow Mills off of State and East streets have been converted into housing and centers for businesses.
Managed by the Westmass Area Development Corporation, the complex encompasses over 50 buildings spanning some 130 acres.
The effort is ongoing, including a project to rehab the iconic Ludlow Clock Tower, which is featured on the town’s seal.
Just across the street were other local businesses taking part in the festivities, including the “e-Cyclist” shop. Selling drinks to passersby, co-owners Abdu Bahira and Tammy Darling say since opening in late 2023, Ludlow has been welcoming spot.
“I recently moved into town and, honestly, it's been awesome across the board – living [here] and then obviously starting a business - it's been great,” Bahira told WAMC. “The community has been awesome, the town has been great. The events that they put on - across the board, has been really, really awesome.
“Ludlow is a small town - you get that small town feel with a lot of support from the community,” Darling added. “Whether it's business wise or personal, they really do try and step up to help everyone out and - satisfy their needs.”
Slated to start at 10 a.m., the parade was still going well-after noontime before morphing into a block party in the park and concerts throughout the day. And capping it all off just before 9:30 p.m. – loads of fireworks.
More events to mark 250 years include a “Cruise Night” and car show on July 16 and home decorating contests for Halloween and Christmas.
