Wrentham Day is Saturday, September 12, returning to the Town Common from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Recreation Director Jeff Plympton shared that this year's event grows beyond the common, with activities added at Sweatt Park and a stretch of South Street closed to traffic for the first time.

A bigger footprint this year

A portion of South Street/Route 1A will be closed for the day, from its intersection with Route 140 to The Looking Glass Café at Kendrick Street. Activities will also take place at Sweatt Park, behind Berkshire Hathaway.

Wroad Wrace opens the day

The Wrentham Wroad Wrace, which started in 1982 and is a USA Track and Field-sanctioned 5K, kicks off the day's events at 9 a.m. on the common, with an awards ceremony for top finishers. Race-day check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and refreshments afterward are provided courtesy of Eagle Brook Saloon. Runners can register at runsignup.com/wrenthamwroadwrace.

On the common

The common will host town departments alongside vendors, giving residents a chance to learn what each department does and ask questions directly, Plympton said. Organizers plan four or five tents and plenty of picnic tables.

Live music runs in two blocks, with one band playing from 9 to 11 a.m. and a second from noon to 2 p.m. Wrentham's own Jeff Hall will DJ between sets.

Activities for families

A Touch-a-Truck display will feature equipment from the Wrentham Department of Public Works, the Police Department, the Fire Department, and the Massachusetts Army National Guard, Plympton said. Other planned attractions include a train, a clown, face painting, an appearance by Pat the Patriot, and a bouncy house.

Food and local businesses

Several returning community groups will sell food on the common. The Wrentham Youth Baseball Softball Association (WYBSA) plans to offer hot dogs and hamburgers, the Wrentham Fire Department will serve its clam chowder, and the Wrentham Lions Club will have their always popular banana splits.

Downtown businesses including The Gavel Public House, The Looking Glass Café and Town Pizza Wrentham are expected to be open, and a couple of food trucks are planned. Local farms including The Big Apple, Cook's Valley Farm, and White Barn Farm will also be on hand.

Pickleball tournament returns for a second year

The Wrentham Day pickleball tournament returns for its second year, beginning at 10 a.m. on the four courts at Sweatt Park. The Recreation Department plans two divisions this year: an intermediate division starting at 11 a.m. and an advanced division at 2 p.m.

Each division will hold 24 players, 12 men and 12 women. The first round will be round-robin play in separate men's and women's brackets. In the second round, players will be paired into mixed-doubles teams based on first-round results, followed by single-elimination play. Prizes go to the top team in each division.

Registration is free, and a waitlist will be available if a division fills. The Recreation Department said the format is still subject to change; questions can be directed to [email protected].