April 6, 2023. The City of Holyoke is celebrating the Sesquicentenial of the 1873 incorporation of Holyoke as a city.

As part of the celebration of Holyoke’s 150th anniversary, a ceremony was held at the Ballroom of City Hall to officially dedicate this historic building. An interesting fact is that Holyoke City Hall was never dedicated upon its completion in 1876.

The dedication ceremony began with music by the Caledonian Pipe Band,. Also, the Holyoke High School Madrigal Choir delighted the audience with their performance throughout the ceremony. The event concluded with music by the Western Massachusetts Senior Band.

There was a land acknowledgment shared by Western Massachusetts Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Rhonda Anderson, along with Larry Spotted Crow Mann who did a sacred chant. Holyoke Historian, Penni Martorell described the historical details of Holyoke City Hall and invited the audience to learn more at Wistariahurst’s temporary exhibit on the City Hall Building.

The dedication ceremony was attended by Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, elected officials from both the city council and school committee, as well as heads of departments, and staff of various city offices. From the state level, Representative Pat Duffy and Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor , Kim Driscoll were present and addressed the audience with remarks.

The event concluded with the unveiling of a mockup of the commemorative plaque that will be installed outside the city hall building, which indicates the date of construction of the building and its dedication, 150 years later in 2023.