PEABODY — Dancing. Cute farm animals. An Elvis impersonator. Brooksby Farm was full of good times during the city’s annual Senior Day Wednesday.
The free event was first started by Mayor Ted Bettencourt 10 years ago. It’s continued to grow since, and has become a beloved city tradition, he said.
“I really wanted to celebrate our seniors, to thank our seniors and to be able to have it here as something special,” Bettencourt said at the farm Wednesday. “It’s beautiful weather, it’s a wonderful atmosphere, and I’m just very happy with it.”
In between dancing and hay rides, Bettencourt and other city officials served lunches of hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, fresh cider and a caramel ice cream sundae to about 500 seniors.
There was a resource fair with local organizations seniors could visit, including booths from the Peabody Municipal Light Plant and the city’s Council on Aging. The Peabody Health Department also administered flu shots for free.
Attendees could tour the historic homes located at Brooksby Farm and shop in the Brooksby farm stand.
Elvis Presley impersonator Mike Slater performed hits by the King of Rock and other stars like Frank Sinatra and Neil Diamond. Some attendees danced to the tunes, but many sat under the event’s large white tent and caught up with old and new friends.
Brooksby Village residents Dinny Jensen and Fran Lanouette first met at the bar of the senior living complex this year. Wednesday was a chance for them to visit the farm together, along with a bus full of their neighbors.
They had bags filled up with goodies from the resource fair, including pamphlets, Halloween decorations, tissue packages and neon green shirts meant to keep them safe while walking at night. Their favorite part of the day was watching the farm’s llamas and goats roll around in the grass.
“I’ve been here a few times before, but it’s always fun just to walk around,” Jensen said. “We live in this very urban environment and it’s nice to see the apple trees, cornfields and the sunflowers.”
Bringing seniors to the city’s most beautiful amenity is part of the goal each Senior Day, said Carolyn Wynn, the executive director of Peabody’s senior center.
“It’s a fun day, but it’s also a day seniors get a lot of information that might help them in the future,” she said. “We couldn’t do it without all of the help from our wonderful volunteers.”
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.