OgunquitFest Returns for the Fifth Time

OGUNQUIT –
Ogunquit celebrates the Fall season with the 5th Annual OgunquitFest on October 24-26, 2008. The event will begin with the annual scarecrow contest from October 10 to October 26. This year will be the first with a theme, “The Greening of Ogunquit” as the Ogunquit Chamber and the Ogunquit Conservation Commission have joined forces to make Ogunquit a “greener” town. While scarecrows do not have to adhere to the theme, visitors will be able to vote on the “greenest” scarecrow as well as their overall favorite. Previous scarecrows have rowed gondolas, climbed trees, played chess, sung gospel and more.
While the 5th Annual OgunquitFest brings back some of the previous favorite events such as a craft fair, pumpkin decorating, storytelling and the costume parade, several new events are also planned. The Ogunquit Chamber introduces a new children’s event each year, and this year that will be cookie decorating. In place of the hour-long treasure hunt, the Ogunquit businesses will host a weekend long “Painted Pumpkin Pursuit” as oddly painted pumpkins will be hidden in seasonal displays with merchandise, or merely on check-in counters. Participants will keep track of where they saw the pumpkins so that the team that finds the most will win a prize. Also, the Ogunquit Playhouse Theatre Guild is bringing the Don Campbell Band to the Ogunquit Playhouse on Saturday night.
But perhaps the new event which is generating the most “buzz,” is the Bridge to Beach Bed Race scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Up to 16 teams will decorate double beds, put them on wheels and race them, complete with someone riding, up and down Beach Street! Participants will be dressed in costume – and to make it even more interesting, halfway through the race, the rider will be required to change clothes and positions with a racer before they can finish the course. Participants have the opportunity to win cash prizes, while visitors will be able to vote on their favorite bed decorations, with proceeds from the voting to fund Ogunquit Chamber member charities.
The Ogunquit Chamber invites everyone to join us October 24-26 at the 5th Annual OgunquitFest weekend. More information, including the brochure, Scarecrow Contest ballots, and the Bridge to Beach Bed Race registration forms can be found at www.ogunquit.org.
OgunquitFest 2008
Schedule of Events
We’re kicking off our festivities on October 10 with the start of the Scarecrow Contest. Vote for your favorites! Our theme this year is “The Greening of Ogunquit” to celebrate the Ogunquit Chamber and Ogunquit Conservation Committee’s dual effort to make Ogunquit “green”. “Green” scarecrows may be made of recycled materials, they may have a conservation theme, or they may literally be the color green! Scarecrow Contest sponsored by Kennebunk Savings Bank.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Ghostly Tours 6:30pm & 7:30pm. A ghostly walk through the streets of Ogunquit and the Marginal Way. Are they myths or is there more to Ogunquit’s nightlife than meets the eye? Tours conducted by the Friends of the Winn House. Bring your flashlight - it’s dark out there! Tours originate at the Ogunquit Heritage Museum, 86 Obeds Lane. $5 adults, children under 10 free. Sponsored by Meadowmere Resort.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Monster Mall Marketplace 10am-4pm, Dunaway Center. Find that one-of-a-kind special item from crafters, artists and local retailers - get an early jump on your holiday shopping! Bring an item for our local food pantry or pet food for the Animal Welfare Society, and receive a free cup of coffee/soda.
Pony Rides 10am-2pm. At King’s Court Motel on Beach Street. Sponsored by Walker Stables at Johnson Farm. $5 per ride.
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides 10am-4pm. $5 per person.
Great Pumpkin Patch Presentation 10am-Noon. Upstairs at the Ogunquit Firehouse. An autumn delight for kids of all ages. Pumpkins, paints, markers, stickers, etc. supplied. No carving please. All parents will receive a ChildPrint ID Kit. Sponsored by The Milestone, Gorges Grant Hotel, Raspberri’s Restaurant and Juniper Hill Inn.
Cookie Monster Decorating Noon-2:30pm. Downstairs at the Dunaway Center. Kids can decorate their favorite cookie, and eat it too! Cookies and decorations will be provided. Sponsored by Sparhawk Resort and Barrel Stave.
Graveyard Golf 2:30pm. Footbridge Beach. Miniature nine-hole golf for adults, on the beach! Bring your putter. Prizes will be awarded. $5 per person. Weather permitting. Sponsored by Ogunquit Rental Properties & Scotch Hill Inn.
Children’s Fall Story Telling 3-4pm. Ogunquit Library. Listen to local storyteller Diana Abbott tell seasonal tales. All parents will receive a ChildPrint ID Kit. Sponsored by Animal Instinct & Baby Instinct.
Bridge to Beach Bed Race 4pm-5:30pm. Beach Street bridge to the Main Beach parking lot and back. It’s utter bedlam as teams of bedfellows and their beds zoom down Beach Street. Vote on the bedazzling bedspreads and costumed bedclothes! Prizes will be awarded at 6pm at the Front Porch. Sponsored by Peoples Insurance, Village Food Market, Team Wunder (RE/MAX Realty One),
Julie’s Ristorante & Provisto, Front Porch and Mariner Resort.
Don Campbell Band 7:30pm.Presented by the Ogunquit Playhouse Theatre Guild at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Tickets $19 each.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monster Ball Marketplace 10am-3pm, Dunaway Center. See Saturday description.
Pony Rides 2pm-4pm. At King’s Court Motel on Beach Street. Sponsored by Walker Stables at Johnson Farm.
Costume Parade 11:30am-12:30pm. Costumed kids, adults, and canines welcome! Ogunquit Square to the Winn House. (Weather permitting. Rain location: Upstairs at Fire Station - sorry, dogs are not allowed at the Fire Station). Sponsored by Yardarm Village Inn Wine, Cheese & Gift Shop and Walker Stables at Johnson Farm.
Painted Pumpkin Pursuit 12pm. You have been noticing painted pumpkins throughout town all weekend. Now hand in your tracking sheet by 12pm at the Monster Mall Marketplace. If you find the most painted pumpkins, you win the prize! Sponsored by Norseman Resort, Captain’s Quarters and Kreative Paintworks.
Caption: An entry from last year’s OgunquitFest Scarecrow Contest. (Courtesy photo)

South Berwick Determined to Keep Everyone Warm

SOUTH BERWICK –
Soups and breads from nine local restaurateurs and bakers, raffle prizes from local merchants and a bucket at the front door for cash donations… On October 29, the people of South Berwick are holding a very special supper at Spring Hill. It is an old-fashioned community fundraiser being held by townspeople working with Social Services to help local families deal with sky-high heating costs this winter.
Just like days gone by, there’s no set donation or entry fee. There will be a bucket by the door where people can give whatever they can to help their neighbors get through this difficult time.
Vicki Desilets, Social Services Director, says “We believe that many more families in town will face the prospect of not being able to afford heating oil this winter. At this point, whatever help the community – we, neighbors – can offer is desperately needed.”
To that end, restaurants in South Berwick and York are pitching in and providing soups and breads for the event. Among them are: Nature’s Way Market, Pepperland, Fogarty’s, The Catered Event, The Red Barn at Outlook Farm, The Brixham General Store, Spring Hill Restaurant, Muddy River Smokehouse and When Pigs Fly Bread. The South Berwick Senior Center and the Red Hat Hotties are hosting a bake sale. Local merchants like The Little Hat Company, The Kittery Trading Post, Salmon Falls Gardens, Sobo Book and Bean, Vacuum Village, South Berwick Yoga and Childlight Yoga are providing prizes for raffles to be held during the event. Tickets are also available ahead of time from SoBo Book and Bean and The South Berwick Pharmacy.
“With the help of a $1000 donation from Steve Lizio of South Berwick and the money we raise from this supper, the raffle and the donations that are made directly to the town, we will give some families a few hours of heat,” says Pat Robinson, one of the key organizers. “The support we’ve gotten from the local restaurants and merchants has been very enthusiastic. If we see that the community responds the same way, the event should really make a difference in local families’ lives this winter. If people can’t come, we hope they’ll mail in a donation. We really hope to make sure that all of the families of South Berwick stay warm this winter.”
If you can’t make it to the dinner, donations can also be made directly to the Town of South Berwick, c/o Fuel Fund, 180 Main Street, South Berwick, ME 03908. For more information, call Pat Robinson at 207-337-2792.