Mark Sept. 23 on your calendars for the Recreation Department's celebration of Brookline Day. 

Larz Anderson Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 23. Recreation Director Lisa Paradis explained more about the event to the Board of Selectmen at last night's meeting. 

"We felt Brookline should have it because of where Brookline is: people care so much about this town," Paradis explained.

She added that some new members of town staff, some of whom had been involved in similar events in other towns, wanted to bring a celebration of Brookline to Brookline.

Planned events include:

• A pie eating contest, which contestants can sign up for on the day.
• Touch a truck, featuring town vehicles which kids can check out. 
• Mini town hall, where people in town can meet town officials
• A taste of Brookline, meals from local restaurants (local businesses interested in participating can contact the Recreation Department). 
• Live entertainment
• Hot air balloon rides (in a tethered balloons)

Paradis said that with the "enormous amount of work" that goes into planning an event like this, she is not certain whether it will be an annual event. 

She added, "I think it’s going to be great, and I hope we can pull it together every year."

Officials don't expect the scale of Brookline Day to reach that of Brookline 300 in 2005, and a number of town departments are drawing on that experience to organize the September's. Planners are also taking some cues from nearby towns like Natick, Needham and Westwood. 

See the Rec Department's Brookline Day page for more information.