Windjammers and the crews that sail them know a thing or two about fun and how to have a family-friendly time of it in Camden—one of the world’s prettiest harbors. This Labor Day weekend (Friday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6) the seaside village will once again play host to Maine’s windjammer fleet, a host of other special vessels- both commercial and private, living history exhibits, wonderful food, and flat-out family fun with the annual Camden Windjammer Festival.
The full schedule of events can be found at www.camdenwindjammerfestival.com, but suffice to say the weekend offers something for everyone, from sailing aficionados, through blueberry pancake and clam chowder enthusiasts, to aspirant crate-racers and boat builders.
The Camden Windjammer Festival is a community-led celebration of Camden’s maritime heritage and living traditions. From the great age of sail when four, five, and even six-masted schooners were launched into Camden Harbor, through the birth of the windjammer business here in the 1930s and continuing with the elegant yachts that visit or call Camden home every summer, sailing ships have always defined this gorgeous community where the mountains meet the sea.
Every year thousands of visitors from as far away as Alaska and as near as Bay View Street in Camden gather along the wharfs and parks to explore the ships themselves, learn salty crafts and skills, and swap sea stories and songs in talent shows and concerts that will appeal to landlubbers and swabbies alike. Now in its sixteenth year, the Camden Windjammer Festival has become a wildly popular event for tourists as well as locals. This year’s festival takes on special significance, as the Camden community recognizes and celebrates the important role the town’s maritime heritage plays in shaping the lives of all residents.
An event of this scale would not be possible without the active support and participation of local residents and businesses. With that in mind, anyone interested in volunteering for at least one four hour shift over the course of the weekend can call Dan Bookham at the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce at 236-4404 or email him at dbookham@camdenme.org. Volunteering is a great way to be right at the heart of the Camden Windjammer Festival while contributing invaluable help to the event and the community in a fun and enjoyable setting. Each volunteer receives an exclusive Camden Windjammer Festival Volunteer T-Shirt – these shirts are not for sale and can only be obtained by volunteering. Also, volunteers will be able to say that they helped stage one of the biggest parties on the Maine coast in celebration of our maritime heritage and community spirit.
Also needed to ensure that all the elements of the weekend- from the fireworks to the final design of the t-shirts- are successful is the financial support of community-minded businesses and individuals interested in sponsorship opportunities. For more information on a great way to support your community (at a variety of levels) while benefiting your business contact fundraising chair John Viehman at 594-9544 or jviehman@downeast.com. The Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce, Down East, Village Soup, and Point Lookout Resort & Conference Center are already signed on as major sponsors. Also providing valuable support are the Camden Downtown Business Group, the Camden Public Library, EBS, Elm Street Printing & Graphics, Linda Norton Studio, Marti Stone Photography, and Sikaflex.
For regular updates on the Camden Windjammer Festival and for more information on any aspect of the weekend visit www.camdenwindjammerfestival.com or www.visitcamden.com, or call the CRL Chamber at 207 236 4404 or 1 800 223 5459.
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| Camden Windjammer Festival logo |
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