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Franklin
to Celebrate 2nd Annual Ladybug Trail Spring Walk April 20th
Come to Downtown Franklin on Saturday, April
20th when the town kicks off its 2nd Annual Ladybug Trail Spring
Walk. The town will also celebrate 50 years of the ladybug as the State’s
official insect.
Walk the Ladybug Cultural and Historical Trail
any time throughout the day and explore downtown Franklin. Rain date is Sun.
April 21st. Best place to start: 9 a.m. at Franklin Historical Museum
at 80 West Central Street (Route 140) to get your free trail map. While you’re
at the museum, and before you walk, stay for the ladybug presentation and activities.
At 11 a.m. State Rep. Jeff Roy will speak
about ladybugs and lawmaking. From 11:30 to 1 a reunion of the 1974 “Ladybug
Kids,” the second-graders who went to Boston and successfully lobbied the
legislature.
Ladybug keychains and bookmarks will be sold at
the museum. Other activities include a short slide show detailing the ladybug
story, and live native ladybugs will be released around 3 p.m. in the garden of
the Methodist Church, next door.
Why celebrate the
7-spotted ladybug?
This year marks the 50th anniversary
since the ladybug was adopted as the official insect of Massachusetts. And, the
town of Franklin is where it started.
How did this happen? In 1974, a group of second-grade students and their teacher, Palma Johnson, at Franklin’s Kennedy School, petitioned a bill to name the ladybug the
state’s official insect. The students learned about the law-making process in
class and at the State House. In April 1974 then-governor Francis Sargent
signed the bill making the ladybug the official state insect of Mass.
The town celebrated this special designation
with its Ladybug project on the 40th anniversary of the accomplishment.
The Franklin Cultural Council and the Rotary Club initiated the public art
project to honor Mrs. Johnson, her students, and the ladybug. The project
invited artists and businesses to create and paint 2-foot tall fiberglass ladybugs.
By 2022 the ladybug sculptures were installed
throughout downtown Franklin’s Cultural District – when it officially became
known as the Ladybug Cultural and Historical Trail.
The trail uses the ladybug sculptures to tie together
approximately 25 historical, cultural and business sites in downtown. Plus the
walk is an opportunity to view more than 10 art murals painted by members of
the Franklin Art Association located in the alleys and the daffodils that pop
up along the trail in spring.
"The fact that this year is the 50th
anniversary of a Franklin educator and her students making history with
their ladybug legislation makes this year's walk extra special. We are happy to
be the starting point for the walk, and for families picking up a map,"
said Alan Earls, chair of the Franklin Historical Commission. "We are
keeping longer hours, too, from 9 to 3, and hope families and individuals will
stop in," he added. For more
details, visit the Historical Museum website at https://www.franklinmuseum1778.com
Enjoy the shops along the
trail
People can walk the Ladybug Trail any time during
the day. “The Ladybug Trail Spring Walk is the chance to celebrate spring and
walk around downtown Franklin in search of the ladybugs tucked among the
storefronts. We invite walkers and visitors to stop at one of the many
restaurants along the trail for lunch or dinner,” said Lisa Piana, Franklin
Downtown Partnership’s Executive Director.
The free trail map is also available at
Escape Into Fiction where kids can get a ladybug surprise. Escape Into Fiction is
an independent bookstore at 12 Main Street. They are open Saturday 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. The regular hours include Tuesdays through Fridays
10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Historical Museum regular hours are Saturdays 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Ladybug Cultural and Historical Trail
committee includes: Pandora Carlucci, Jane Curran, Claire Griffin, Melanie
Hamblen, Eileen Mason, Mary Olsson, Lisa Piana, Beth Simon, and Roberta Trahan.
The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a non-profit 501c3 organization made up of more than 350 business owners, residents, and community leaders working to revitalize downtown Franklin. Residents can join the Downtown Partnership for only $25. The Partnership manages events like the Strawberry Stroll, the Harvest Festival, the Ladybug Historical & Cultural Trail, and initiatives such as beautification, streetscape design, greenspace, alley murals, and sculpture projects. For more information go to www.franklindowntownpartnership.org.
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