Live music, free children’s haircuts and free health screenings are just some of the new attractions visitors can expect at the 2nd Annual Greater Gardner Health and Wellness Fair.
The event aims to provide residents with different ways to focus on their overall health, including physical, mental and emotional, and will be held on Wednesday, April 17th from 5-7 p.m. It will be held in the Perry Auditorium at Gardner City Hall. .
“I think people are excited to have a one-stop shop for all things health-related,” said Veronica Patti, prevention coordinator for the Gardner Health Department. She says, “We have everything from soothing sounds to martial arts to substance abuse prevention to wellness coaching.”
Patti said organizers intentionally planned this year’s fair during the April school holidays so that families who would be home all week could attend the event. This event is hosted by the Gardner Community Action Team, a coalition of community stakeholders dedicated to providing educational events to residents. Free haircuts for kids courtesy of Prestige Hair Studio in Gardner.
“When we started meeting and planning for this year, someone mentioned seeing free children’s haircuts at another event. And since we do this during the school holidays, it would be great. I thought it was an idea,” Patti said. “Prestige has been happy to donate their time. We’ve brought chairs and will be here for a full two hours. There will be no sign-up sheet before the event, but there may be a wait. ”
Approximately 70 vendors are expected to participate.
Approximately 50 vendors participated in last year’s event. Patti said 70 vendors have already registered to participate in this year’s event. Most of last year’s vendors will be back for the second annual fair, she said.
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Some of the new vendors at this year’s event include Leominster’s Vascular Care Group, which will provide free health screenings.
Office manager Kathy Cuddy said her organization, which has participated in previous health fairs hosted by the Gardner Senior Center, will be offering free testing for varicose veins and carotid artery disease.
“The test is completely painless,” Cuddy says. “Carotid artery screening involves running an ultrasound probe down the side of your neck to look for narrowing of the carotid arteries. Varicose vein testing requires you to roll your pants up to your knees.”
People with a history of smoking, high cholesterol levels, or a family history of diabetes or stroke may benefit from carotid artery screening, Cuddy said. Anyone experiencing pain from varicose veins should be tested to find out what treatments are available.
Westminster-based Muscle and Mind Massage Therapy is another new entrant to this year’s fair, offering free 5- to 10-minute chair massages, said owner Melissa Powers. It’s planned.
“I work in Gardner on the weekends, and I thought (this fair) might be a good way to introduce myself to the city and show people a little bit of what I have to offer,” Powers said. said.
Other first-time vendors include Black Dove Studio, Kelly Knower Wellness Coaching, Damsel in Defense, and Lake Avenue Recovery. Returning vendors include Alyssa’s Place, HEAL Collaborative, LUK Prevention, and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
Live music, new to this year’s fair
Patti said last year’s live on-stage demonstrations didn’t really fit the event format.
“It was a great idea, but people weren’t really stopping and paying attention, so we thought it would be more effective to have live music in the background,” she said. Music for this year’s event will be provided by Jordan Daigle, activities director at Manor on the Hill Assisted Living Center in Leominster.
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Organizers are reminding residents that free transportation to the event will be available via scheduled scheduled MART buses.
