Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Pie, fire trucks, belly dancers: All in an Old Hallowell Day

By Matthew Stone mstone@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

HALLOWELL — A car full of clowns and puppets, a handful of dance troupes, a smattering of politicians and at least a dozen fire trucks — sirens blaring — paraded down Water Street here Saturday morning.

And Norma Brown loved every minute of it.

“It’s amazing what a small town can do,” she said.

Brown, of Hallowell, makes a habit of attending Old Hallowell Day festivities each summer.

The notoriously quirky parade is part of what attracts her. Brown said she also had plans Saturday to visit an American Legion-sponsored strawberry shortcake lunch and to “just walk around, just enjoy it.”

That was all on the agenda for Brown after she caught a glimpse of her brother, Roger “Buckie” Lord, in the parade, celebrating his status as Hallowell’s 2010 Citizen of the Year.

In addition to the clown car and belly dancing troupe, the morning parade featured an Old Fort Western trolley; a showing by the nascent Maine Orange Growers Association, whose members tossed orange marmelade to the hundreds lining Water Street; a church choir and community band; and appearances by dozens of local businesses.

“There’s a lot to look at,” said Shyanne Smart, of Wellington, Fla., who was visiting family in the area. “It’s kid-friendly, which I like.

“This doesn’t compare to any of the parades we have in Florida,” she added.

For Alison Dyer and her family, Old Hallowell Day is tradition.

“I just think it’s nice that it seems to grow every year,” she said. “I think that’s a real testament to the community. There’s not a lot of communities like it.”

While she lives in Farmingdale, Hallowell is in Dyer’s blood. She grew up in the small city and her grandfather was the fire chief.

Now, she says, her young son aspires to the same position. He wore a fire-fighting helmet as he took in the parade.

The parade followed a morning 5K road race and kicked off a day of festivities that included a Bocce tournament, an arts-and-crafts festival and an “Old Time” baseball game at Vaughan Field.

The pie-baking contest proved to be among those popular attractions. Sales were brisk for strawberry rhubarb, blueberry, apple and lobster macaroni and cheese pies.

Christy Crocker, of Hallowell, entered a bourbon apple pie into the contest; her daughter, Abby, entered a blueberry pie.

“We had to buy a piece of our own pies because we didn’t know what they tasted like,” Crocker said. “I think they came out great.”

Crocker’s son and husband sampled pies from the competition.