The inhabitants of Muddy River, a small hamlet overshadowed by nearby Boston, numbered only a few hundred when, in 1705, they decided to incorporate into the town of Brookline.
They probably never imagined a celebration like the one held Sunday in which thousands of Brookline residents gathered in Larz Anderson Park to commemorate the town's 300th anniversary.
Yesterday's festival was the culmination of a series of events honoring the anniversary, ranging from art exhibitions to musical and theatrical performances. In September, more than 30,000 people attended a festival similar to yesterday's on the streets of Coolidge Corner, according to Marge Amster, one of the event's organizers.
What made yesterday's event so significant was that its attractions appealed to people of all ages, Amster said.
"I think Brookline has a terrific community spirit, but often times, the events that go on don't have as wide an appeal as the Brookline 300th," she said. "This one is so much bigger and has interesting things to do for so many different ages."
More than 10,000 attendees took advantage of more than 100 booths set up under tents and in the open air. Manning the booths were vendors selling jewelry, artwork and ethnic cuisine; community and nonprofit groups, such as the Brookline Historical Society and Friends of the Carlton Street Footbridge; and a variety of other organizations, including the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History and the Peanut Better and Jelly Dance Company, looking to reach out to Brookline residents.
Besides the booths set up throughout the day, organizers held a logging demonstration, hayrides and the launching of 300 lanterns on a nearby lagoon. Residents could also learn about the town's history through reenactments and speakers.
In addition, more than a dozen musical groups performed throughout the day, including the Brookline High School Jazz Ensemble, the Silver Leaf Gospel Group and Garlic and Onions, a klezmer band.
Linda and Richard Barnes, Brookline residents, said while they came to the celebration for the music, mainly the Silver Leaf Gospel Group, they enjoyed all aspects of the celebration.
"It's a good thing to have," Linda Barnes said. "You pay a lot to live in Brookline, and it's worth it, [with] stuff like this."
Peter Gordon and Ellen Saft, also Brookline residents, said they came because they had seen advertisements for the celebration during the past few months and were not disappointed with how the event turned out.
"The food, the music, the atmosphere, the people -- a very good community event," Gordon said. "I think it's very important [to have events like these] and it's great for the community."
"It's definitely the kind of community that would support events like these," Saft added.
But several of the vendors at yesterday's festival were not as pleased. Deirdre Oringer, a jewelry vendor, said the event was "very poorly planned" and not beneficial to the vendors in attendance.
Among her complaints were limited parking, the lack of electricity and poor lighting for the display of her jewelry.
"I think it's ridiculous," Oringer said, noting that it was one of her worst shows of the year because she did not make a profit.
Marcus Fisher, owner of Celtic Wanderings, a photography business, agreed that sales were slow.
"The economy sucks, basically, and people won't buy," Fisher said. "It's been a bad year in general. But the day's not over with."
Still, Amster said the event was "absolutely" successful.
Amster said the idea for the festival was conceived two and a half years ago, when town officials held community meetings to find out what kind of event Brookline residents wanted to have, asking them, "'What is Brookline all about?'"
The result was a celebration made possible by the efforts of more than 100 volunteers and significant fundraising. Amster estimated that the total cost was between $200,000 and $300,000, none of which came from taxpayers.
"There was real support for putting this on," Amster said.
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