PHOTOS: 33rd Annual Third Grade Feast at Rocky Woods

Pilgrims, both big and small, were seen at this past week.

Some were cooking, some were fishing and some were learning archery. These pilgrims were actually third grade students, teachers and parent volunteers from the and they were there to celebrate their Rocky Woods Feast. 

Wednesday's event has become an annual tradition at this time of year and all third grade Wheelock students participate. The classes on this day are the students in Mrs. Deb Newton, Mrs. Sarah Donahue and Mrs. Rachel Lynn's classes. Medfield third grade students have been travelling to Rocky Woods for this feast for 33 years.

Back in 1978, Lynn was a third grade student at the . She and her classmates were the very first class of third graders to go to Rocky Woods for what is now the annual feast. On this day, being one of the Wheelock School third grade teachers, she was there again, dressed in costume, teaching and recreating the ways of the pilgrims.

Students prepare for this day over many weeks in their classroom and working outside in the .  The students take part in making their costumes and learning all about how the pilgrims lived, hunted, planted and prepared their food. Once at Rocky Woods, the students cut up the vegetables and beef for the stew, peeled apples, tied chickens to the spit to be put over the fire pit and rolled dough in cinnamon and sugar in preparation of their meal in addition to the fishing and archery activities. 

The feast was bountiful and consisted of beef stew (with vegetables from the Victory Garden), roast chicken, applesauce, cornbread and doughboys. 

Three classes of third graders were there Wednesday, but the remainder of the third grade students went to the reservation for their feast on Thursday and Friday. Rocky Woods Feast is a great tradition and a wonderful learning experience for young and old.

View the gallery above for scenes from the Feast.