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An example of an antique firetruck       (courtesy photo)

An example of an antique firetruck  (Courtesy photo)

An example of an antique firetruck       (courtesy photo)

An example of an antique firetruck  (Courtesy photo)

WILMINGTON — Star­ting on June 22, 2022, the Massachusetts Antique Fire Apparatus Association (MAFAA) and the Inter­national Fire Buffs Asso­ciation (IFBA) will host a four-day National IFBA-SPAAMFAA Summer Con­vention that will take place in Woburn and Wilmington.

The International Fire Buffs Association promotes friendly, social relations among those interested in the science of fire fighting, fire prevention and related emergency functions within the community.

The Massachusetts Fire Apparatus Association is a local chapter of the So­ciety for the Preservation and Appreciation of An­tique Motorized Fire Ap­paratus in America (SPAAMFAA). The purpose of this organization is to promote the preservation of motorized antique fire apparatus, and as part of this promotion, a na­tion­al event is held each year in different locations throughout the U.S.

This summer’s national event is the first collaboration event for SPAAMFAA and IFBA, and will span over several days from Wednesday June 22 to Sat­urday June 25.

Local board members of the MAFAA have been planning this event for over a year in conjunction with SPAAMFAA and IFBA or­ganizers, and are excited to host this important convention.

Weekday events will be­gin on June 22 at the Crowne Plaza Woburn Hotel, and consist of a variety of seminars covering such subjects as apparatus restoration and purchasing, fire photography, and fire and apparatus history.

Each day will also feature a different road trip to such places as the Brock­ton Fire Museum and the Boston Fire Museum.

Other day trips will feature visits to Merrimack Valley area fire departments and tours of fire departments in the Battle Roads area (fire stations found along the historic area of the American Rev­olution).

On Friday, buses will de­part from the plaza for a day of shopping at the Mer­rimack Premium Out­lets in Nashua, New Hamp­shire.

All day trips leave the Plaza at 8:30 a.m., and re­servations are required.

Saturday's events combined the Summer Con­vention with the 45th annual MAFAA Fire Parade, Muster and Flea Market.

The Fire Apparatus Pa­rade will start promptly at 10 a.m. on Jewel Drive in Wilmington. From there, the parade will continue left onto Ames Street, then right onto Rt. 28, and proceed on Main Street to Concord Street, to Federal Street, ending at the Shri­ners Au­ditorium at 99 Fordham Road in Wilmington.

MAFAA Board member James McGonagle said of this year’s parade and fire muster, “We are expecting a great turnout with fire apparatus expected to attend from as far away as Washington D.C., Con­necticut, Delaware and Maine.”

Many local communities will also be represen­ted in the parade.

At the end of the pa­rade, all apparatus will be on display at the Shri­ners Auditorium for public viewing. There will al­so be an antique hand tub competition on display in the Shriners parking lot area, as well as a fire en­thusiast flea market consisting of over 50 vendors inside the auditorium.

The Fire Muster and Flea Market events will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., and food and re­freshments will be available to purchase onsite.

The entire convention will conclude on Satur­day night with a cocktail hour and banquet at the host Plaza Hotel in Wo­burn.

Hotel accommodations and convention tickets are sold out, but the pa­rade, fire muster and flea market are open to the public and all are welcome and encouraged to attend.

For more specific information on this event, or to learn more about the SPAAMFAA/MAFAA and IFBA organizations, visit them at www.spaamfaa.org,www.massmafaa.com or www.ifba.org.

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