The Fourth of July Jamboree
Celebrate American Independence with Us!
The Jamboree is back & better than ever!
Please join us on the East Woodstock Common for our 69th annual Fourth of July Jamboree.
The Jamboree is a much-anticipated community event and the biggest fundraiser for the East Woodstock Congregational Church.
Our Jamboree is an old-fashioned celebration of our country’s birth. Activities include hay rides, a cake walk, Attic Treasures and book sale, pipe organ sing-a-long, parade and so much more! Stay tuned for a Schedule of Events and our generous Sponsors.
Years We've Hosted the Jamboree
Hours of Activies
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Amount of Fun
The Fourth of July Jamboree has been held on East Woodstock Common since July 4, 1957.
This old-fashioned celebration reminds us of a simpler time. So come with us and step back in time as we celebrate the brave people who have gone before us.
The public is invited to come and enjoy live entertainment, children’s games, contests, food, and much more. The Jamboree is a major fundraiser for the church; all the money raised supports our programs of Christian education, music, and community outreach.
It all began in 1957 with the Village Circle. This group was made up of working people who could meet in the evenings. The members were divided into 4 groups; each group was responsible for a seasonal fundraiser. The Jamboree was to be the summer fundraiser for 1957 and was started by Barbara Barrett, Nancy Lyons and Betty Wells. They decided to hold a Chicken BBQ with a few booths, including a craft table, on July 4th. The money raised was given to the church to use as the congregation saw fit. It was initially supposed to be a one-time event!
The conditions were quite different from today – Fellowship Hall had not yet been built and the church had no running water, so a hose was run from a neighboring house to the brick schoolhouse building. Various homes around the common were opened so people could use the bathrooms. The Jamboree was such a huge success, that it became an annual event which has grown and evolved over the years into our biggest and most well attended fundraiser. Hundreds of people from local communities attend each year to enjoy a good old-fashioned 4th of July.
Volunteers Needed!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B45AEAC22A7FCC70-49707075-jamboree
Booth Chairs
Attic Treasures – Judith Wong
Book Tent – Syd and Nancy Blodgett
Children’s Games – Carilee Integlia
Coffee and Baked Goods and Ice Cream – Emily Nester and Cherra Wheeler
Hot Dogs and Sausages – Jameson White
Hay Rides / Cake Walk – Jessica Boose
Pulled Pork – Peter and Nancy Green
Silent Auction – Diane Morin
Snow Cones – Amy and Windsor White
Strawberry Shortcake – Angela Young and Erica Hermonot
Walking Tacos / Beverages – Anne Sorenson and Christine Armstrong
Set up and Clean Up (Jamboree Co-Chairs)
DeEtta Spalding: 860.450.9533 – dspalding@sp-financial.com
Lynn Looby: 860.942.7584 – llooby01@snet.net
**We also need paper/plastic bags and small boxes for Attic Treasures and the book sale!**
ATTIC TREASURES DONATION POLICIES
We welcome your clean and gently used items for the Jamboree’s Attic Treasures sale. In response to today’s times, we kindly request your understanding about our donation policies:
- If you have saleable and cleaned items to donate, you may drop them off on the Fellowship Hall ramp through Tuesday, July 1st by 9PM
PLEASE: Clean items only. We are NOT accepting: clothes, sporting goods that cannot or are not disinfected, used pillows, upholstered items, luggage, coffee mugs and single glassware (unless a set), sports drink bottles, inexpensive floral vases, used plasticware or paper goods, broken items, items with missing parts, computers/monitors, TVs, electrical appliances including drip coffee makers, exercise equipment, used candles, used stuffed animals, and office supplies. Thank you for your donations! - Donations will be accepted during the following attended days and hours outside of Fellowship Hall:
- Mondays: June 23 & 30: 10AM – 2PM
- Tuesdays: June 17, July 1 (last day to donate) 10AM-2PM and 7-9PM
- Thursdays: June 19 & 26: 10AM – 2PM
- Fridays: June 20 & 27: 10AM – 2PM
- Saturdays: June 21 & 28: 10AM – 2PM
- Sundays: June 22 & 29: 12-3PM
Thank you in advance for your support. See you on July 4th!
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Food Concessions
We invite you to enjoy your lunch under our dining tent!
- 9:00 am Coffee & Baked Goods
- Hot Dogs & Sausages
- Pulled Pork & Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Walking Tacos
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Snow Cones
- We-Li-Kit Homemade Ice Cream
- Water, Lemonade
Special Activities
- Commemorative Totes for sale!
- Attic Treasures in Fellowship Hall
- Book Sale
- Silent Auction
Musical Entertainment - Patriotic Dedication
- Fireman’s Water Polo
- Cake Walk
Entertainment & Games
- Parade
- Hay Rides
- Children’s Games
- Bounce House
- Bella the Clown
- Corn Hole Game
Organizations Supported
The money you spend at the Jamboree helps to support those in need in our local communities and globally and enables us to share the Good News of our loving God. Here are a few of the programs which our church supports:
- Bible Study
- Center of Hope
- Choirs
- Community Kitchens of NE CT
- Covenant to Care through DCF
- TEEG (Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group)
- Day Kimball Hospital Homemakers
- Emergency Relief
- First Friday Food Fair
- Gender & Sexualities Alliance (Woodstock Academy)
- Heifer International
- Holiday dinners (Thanksgiving, Christmas)
- Holy Joe’s Café
- Hospital & Nursing Home Visitation
- Meeting space for Al-anon & MOMs
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Quiet Corner Cares (sober house)
- Scholarships (summer camps & college)
- Vacation Bible School
- World Vision
- Woodstock Cares Food Program
Order of the Day
| 9:00-3:00 | Coffee and Baked Goods |
| 9:00-3:00 | Attic Treasures & Book Sale open! |
| 10:00 | Patriotic Dedication Ringing of the Church Bells National Anthem |
| 10:00 – 3:00 | Children’s Games & Bella the Clown |
| 10:15 – 11:00 | Music by Sarah Jo Burke |
| 11:15 – 12:15 | Music by the East Woodstock Cornet Band |
| 12:15 – 1:00 | Music by Glenn Boies |
| 1:00 | Parade with Emcee Mark Billings |
| 1:15 – 2:00 | Music by Stattic |
| 2:00 | Firemen’s Water Polo Muddy Brook Fire Department Bungay Fire Brigade Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association |
| 2:00 – 2:45 | Music by Mike Glinsky |
| 2:45 – 3:00 | Patriotic Sing-a-Long with Rick LaMarre |
| 3:00 | Cake Walk with music courtesy of Rich Gaudette, R&R Sound |
| 3:30 | Flag Ceremony |