Arts & Leisure
York Days continues through the week
By Jennifer L. Saunders
Governor John E. Baldacci and a young assistant, Lily Kondos, conducted the Seacoast Wind Ensemble at the Christmas in July celebration at the Nubble on Sunday, July 30.
Courtesy photo
YORK BEACH - The 24th Annual York Days Celebration got into full swing this past weekend with fireworks, Christmas in July and even a visit from Gov. John Baldacci to lead the Seacoast Wind Ensemble at the Lighting of the Nubble.
Ask fans and organizers of the annual townwide celebration, however, and they're quick to point out that the fun has just begun.
The first full weekend of York Days events saw crowds that flocked to the town's beaches for fun in the sun provided by Mother Nature herself, to Ellis Park to hear live performances, to the Nubble for a little bit of Christmas in the sweltering summer heat and to Short Sands - by foot, by car or by boat - to watch the stellar fireworks display funded by local businesses light the night sky ablaze on Saturday.
Word around town after the fireworks was that they were the best yet.
And the fun continues today, Wednesday, Aug. 2, with a new York Days event: the first "York Days Beach Party for All Ages," hosted by the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by an array of local businesses.
The party is set to begin at 11 a.m. near the bathhouse at Long Sands Beach and promises everything from surfing to sandcastles, cookout cuisine to kite-flying and more.
This week's events continue with the all-new York Days Youth Tennis Tournament on Friday, Aug. 4, and the 24th Annual Amidon Family Dentistry York Days Road Race on Aug. 6. Both events are part of a weekend of fun to mark the end of this year's York Days celebration.
The weekend festivities include a two-day York Days Craft Fair on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the York Beach Ballpark with family entertainment, food, pottery, crafts, clothing, jewelry, paintings and more.
For more information on York Days, call York Parks and Recreation at 363-1040 or check out the department's link at the town's website, www.yorkmaine.org
