Thunderbirds launch 2026 community caravan in Somers, Connecticut
Boomer, the team bus and free hockey activities headline Springfield’s June 20 stop at Sonny’s Place as the T-Birds open a summer caravan.
Boomer and the Thunderbirds team bus will be the draw when Springfield takes its brand across the state line on Saturday, June 20. The first Community Caravan of 2026 lands at Sonny’s Place in Somers, Connecticut, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with free admission and a lineup built for families: hockey-themed activities, yard games, a look at the bus and time to interact with members of the organization.
That matters for a team trying to stay visible long after the rink goes quiet. Springfield has turned the Community Caravan into a regular offseason touchpoint, and this year’s stop is the opening move in a 2026 series rather than a one-off appearance. The program was established in 2023 with support from MassMutual, and the club has used it to keep fans connected to the Thunderbirds while the hockey calendar shifts toward the next season.
The pattern is already familiar. In 2024, the caravan made three stops, including Look Park in Northampton, Forest Park in Springfield and Amelia Park Arena in Westfield. The 2025 version was also billed as a three-stop summer tour across the Greater Springfield area. The return to Somers extends that approach beyond the team’s usual footprint and gives the organization another chance to put players, staff and Boomer in front of fans before training camp talk starts to dominate.
Sonny’s Place fits the assignment. The venue markets itself as a family-fun destination with go-karts, batting cages, ziplining, laser tag, mini golf and food service, and its pavilion can seat more than 500 people. That kind of setup turns the caravan into more than a photo op. It becomes a place where young fans can burn a summer morning around the sport and see the Thunderbirds as a live, local presence rather than a logo on the ice at MassMutual Center.
Springfield’s community push has been bigger than one event, too. The team said players and mascot Boomer made more than 400 community appearances during the 2025-26 season, and the Springfield Thunderbirds Foundation raised more than $185,000 for local charities and nonprofits. In a league defined by schedules, standings and playoff pressure, that off-ice volume is part of the identity now, and June 20 is the next test of how far it reaches.
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