Can you imagine what Charles Jenks would say?
The path traversed by Jenks’s cows every day between their barn and pastures more than a century ago will be the site of one of Bedford’s most elegant traditions, the Prom Stroll.
The event, scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, returns after two years of Covid precautions. And for the first time since its origin in 1996, the spectacle will unfold along the grassy tree-lined corridor along the front of Bedford High School and the Bedford Free Public Library.
The Bedford Chamber of Commerce organizes the event, and Executive Director Pete Bagley explained how it’s going to work.
Participants, in gowns, tuxedos, and other creative formal attire, will enter the Prom Stroll runway at the trail’s southern end, near the tennis courts. Spectators will be positioned outside the stone walls on either side of the corridor. At the top of the trail, strollers will pivot to assemble for a group photo – either on the library steps or in the bleachers at Sabourin Field.
Then they will board buses for the senior prom at Tewksbury Country Club, where the prom is scheduled to begin at 7. Bagley said so far organizers expect more than 200 strollers.
The Prom Stroll was held every spring on the Common, which was immensely popular with students and their families. The steps of the First Parish Church were ideal for the group picture, and the iconic building was an ideal backdrop.
But the location was also the cause of gridlock for more than 90 minutes on Routes 4, 62, and 225, as well as side streets. Indeed, the traffic would back up to the Route 128 (95) interchange on Bedford Steet in Lexington two miles east.
It was more than an inconvenience, Bagley said. There were concerns about compromising the response time of emergency vehicles.
Bagley said the search for an alternative site involved a committee of senior parents, five members of the class of 2022, and town officials as well as the Chamber. They agreed on several criteria “to be sure we have a safe environment:” space for a runway, parking for cars and buses, and appropriate space for the group photo.
The preference was to remain close to the center of town, which eliminated options like Middlesex Community College and Hanscom Air Force Base, Bagley said.
The Jenks trail was established as a nature trail in 1963, with upgrades beginning in 2005. Jenks, town moderator for 20 years and an amateur botanist, lived in Fitch Tavern. The Jenks family also owned the farmland that became the town’s center campus.
“All the component parts are there,” Bagley said, including an archway, flowers, and announcers to introduce each senior. Two police officers will handle traffic control. Bagley said the Public Works and Police Departments are playing key roles behind the scenes.
“Right now all participants are happy with what we are doing today,” he said. “It will be safe and fun and inviting for everybody to come down.”
In case of rain the event will be held in the BHS gymnasium, Bagley said
Besides the Chamber, Bagley said, Prom Stroll sponsors include New England Nurseries, Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty, and the Town of Bedford.
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