Wonderful Waterside Celebrations!

by Esther J. Perne

The 4^th of July weekend…a long weekend… the height of summer…so much to do.

There are parks and picnic sites to visit, parades and fireworks to watch, quiet traditions and crowded festivities to celebrate, everywhere wonderful outdoor recreation, and this year, in observance of the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States, there are some unique additional events — a touch of important local history — to attend. How can a holiday-goer possibly have it all?

The answer is easy. Celebrate near a lake or a river or a pond where water is all part of the party — or at best forms a big part of the background scenery along with the hills, mountains, fields, woods, and unending greenery.

Enjoy time on the water, too, via a public boat launch or a rental boat. Or, just kick back and watch a boat parade go by, perhaps sponsored on one of the region’s many lakes by a lake association or perhaps the popular boat parade seen from Belgrade Lakes Village at noon on Saturday. For other planned activities seek out a community center, a flag-lined downtown — promising good old-fashioned family fun — children’s activities, music, sales, sidewalk strolling, a parade that starts the day or a parade that ends the day, and always food.

Take a break for some super summer fare — chicken BBQ, hot dogs over an open fire, fresh fruits and veggies, ice cream or a chilling drink. Don’t overlook the many free outdoor concerts almost every town has to offer and on the 4^th, for those who prefer quieter outings, there are two very unique free concert events on Saturday: the Augusta Symphony Orchestra at the Augusta Civic Center and New England Music Camp at the Bowl in the Pines on Lake Messalonskee.

This whole region is rich in settlement and Revolutionary history; the most outstanding opportunity to celebrate the 4^th of July and the founding of the United States is the rare showing on Saturday of Maine’s original (one of 26) copy* of the Declaration of Independence, delivered to Old Fort Western in Hallowell (now Augusta) in July 1776 and rediscovered framed on the wall of the Hallowell library in 1976.

Holiday-goers are invited to check celebration specifics on page 6 of Summertime in the Belgrades and also check out the less formal pursuits on this celebration weekend — or any summer day — including yard saling, antiquing, boating, paddling, swimming, biking, hiking, fishing, golfing, and much more.

Festivities or relaxation, the 4^th of July weekend and the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States are the best time of year to do it all.

Have a wonderful waterside celebration!

*On the evening of July 4, 1776, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap was commissioned to print 100-200 copies — the exact number is unknown — of the Declaration, which were to be dispatched throughout the thirteen colonies. Of those 100 to 200 copies of the “Dunlap Broadside”, only 26 are known to still exist.

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