Sip and Stroll Harbor Fest will be a family affair

More than 100 vendors are getting ready to set up shop at Besse Park and Warren’s Harborview on Main Street for Saturday, June 27's Sip and Stroll Harbor Fest from from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The festival will bring craft vendors, food and alcohol to the Main Street site. Sip and Stroll organizer Lorna Brunelle, who lives in Middleboro, has hosted Sip and Stroll events for 16 years, with festivals in Middleboro and across Southeast Massachusetts. Sip and Stroll Harbor Fest is the first in Wareham. According to Sip and Stroll organizer Lorna Brunelle, her family is crucial to Wareham's iteration of the festival.

Brunelle grew up in Wareham and attended Wareham Public Schools as a child. Her father, Danny Warren, owns the Wareham-based Warren's Harborview restaurant on Main Street. Her brother, Phil Warren, owns RWND Restaurant & Arcade, also on Main Street. 

Brunelle said that the emphasis on family is unique to Wareham's Sip and Stroll. Brunelle said that her father will be hosting food service at Warren's Harborview and her brother's business, RWND, will have people walking around offering "swag and coupons."

"So between me, my dad and my brother, we're going to give everybody in Wareham something awesome to look forward to," Brunelle said.

Brunelle said she was scouted by the Wareham Redevelopment Authority to come to Wareham after members visited her Sip and Stroll festival in Middleboro. Eventually, Brunelle was invited to take over Wareham's Oyster Fest, which she ran last year and brought in 6,500 attendees, she said. 

This year, the festival returns under the new name of Sip and Stroll Harbor Fest and remains under Brunelle's leadership.

Brunelle, who grew up in Wareham and attended Wareham Public schools as a child, said there's something special about the town and felt that Wareham's Oyster Fest attendees were especially supportive to its vendors last year. 

She spoke about the importance of supporting local vendors when making a purchase at Sip and Stroll. 

"You're actually helping vendors pay their mortgages, take their kids to great wolf lodge, take their kids to Disney, and just literally pay for gas and groceries," she said. 

Wareham school buses will provide a "park and ride" shuttle service during the festival, according to Brunelle. Attendees can park at the Wareham Town Hall, hop on a school bus, and it will take them right to Besse Park, she said. 

Parking spots on Merchant's Way and street parking will also be available for those traveling by car to attend the festival. 

The festival will feature food and drinks from vendors like Adobo Republic, Coffee Milano and Central Cafe. Vendors will sell a variety of items, according to Brunelle, like home decor, gifts, and toys for pets.