This weekend, we welcome back an old friend—the Gloucester Daffodil Festival. Many locals regard the first weekend in April, and the return of the Daffodil Festival, as the unofficial start of the spring season.

It’s a chance to get out and enjoy the good (we hope) weather, watch or take part in a parade down Main Street, root on the crowning of this year’s Daffodil Queen, indulge in some decadent treats at the food court, shop the homemade items on display at the many vendor booths, enjoy the full slate of entertainment, and let the kiddos ride the mechanical bull or try their hand at all the carnival games. There’s even an opportunity for Fido to get into the act during Saturday’s Amazing Mutt Show.

But, most of all, the 37th annual Gloucester Daffodil Festival is an opportunity for each of us to enjoy each other’s company, to say Hi to our friends and neighbors—something we were sorely missing during those early days of the pandemic and have vowed not to neglect again. It’s a...