Festival Pairs With Boat Races & Shindig

Written by Tom Allen | 15 June 2010

Wow, what a weekend! July 24 and 25 is sure to be a highlight of summer in Harpswell.
Kicking it off on Saturday, the Harpswell Festival opens the gates at Mitchell Field for its seventh annual event. Along with its usual food, fun, and fireworks, the Festival will be hosting disco performance band Motor Booty Affair.
Then, before you can catch your breath from all that dancing, Mitchell Field will open again the next morning for the Harpswell "Shindig." With food vendors, crafters, and other attractions, the Shindig provides the perfect onshore viewing locale for the Harpswell Lobster Boat Races, which are moving from Pott's Harbor to Middle Bay.
The pairing was made possible by the Festival's decision to change from Sunday to Saturday, says Festival executive director Tom Allen.
"For years, we'd talked about partnering with the boat races but they were always on the same day of the week. We just didn't see any way to have a boat race and a festival with live music at the same time," says Allen. "But now that we're on different days, we saw the possibility of running them consecutively."

The Festival is also excited by the addition of Motor Booty Affair, a 1970s disco band to the music lineup for Saturday night.
"We've never had a true headline act before, one that could attract a large crowd of people who might not come otherwise," says Allen.
Organizer of the Shindig, Alison Hawkes, says she didn't really have an idea how much planning and preparation was required to put on a day-long event. Attending Harpswell Festival meetings has helped her identify and implement what needs to be done.
"There are vendors and crafters and port-a-potties and parking and on and on. It would be a lot more work if we weren't getting help from the Festival people, with all their experience and know-how," says Hawkes.
Some events put on by the Festival on Saturday will carry over to the Shindig on Sunday. Food vendors, crafters, local non-profits, and other events, will have the opportunity to stay both days.
Hawkes, whose family owns and operates Hawke's Lobster in Cundy's Harbor, says she hopes to attract more vendors associated with the fishing industry.
"For example, Jenny Bichrest, owner of Purseline Bait, has suggested she might sponsor a codfish relay race," says Hawkes.
Hawkes says she also hopes to run raffles, which generate income, but she says people also leave with prizes, which is a good thing.
To participate in or to volunteer for the Festival or the Shindig contact Tom Allen ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 833-0562) or Alison Hawkes ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 729-6560). For more information, visit www.harpswellfestival.org or on Facebook search for Harpswell Festival.