If this year was any indication, the 59th Olde Bristol Days, Aug. 10-14, seems to be more popular than ever. There were crowds aplenty the last two days of the five-day event, that didn’t seem to be diminished by the new locale at Pemaquid Beach Park Grounds.
For years, the final two days of Olde Bristol Days was held at the Colonial Pemaquid State Park grounds in the shadow of Fort William Henry. This year Pemaquid Beach Park Grounds was the site for fun with vendors, music, kids’ games, the fireman’s waterslide and yummy fair food.
The move was understandable, considering the Colonial Pemaquid State Park grounds is an historic archeological site, and there has been concern for years about driving tent stakes into the ground.
Most fairgoers took advantage of the free shuttle bus service from the Bristol Consolidated School parking lot to the Pemaquid Beach Park and Fort William Henry for visiting and the Merritt Bracket Lobster Boat Races on Sunday.
With busses running with scheduled frequency, each trip ferried visitors to both stops: the Fort and the Beach.
Saturday was the biggest day on the Beach Park grounds. Under startlingly blue skies, with gentle sea breezes, crowds were out enforce, first lining the streets to enjoy the Olde Bristol Days Parade, then making their way to their first venue of choice.
Naturally the food was a draw to the beach park; the Bristol Masons had the grill going and hot dogs and burgers went fast. Their counterparts, the Evening Star Auxiliary dished out huge bowls of apple crisp topped with golden yellow vanilla ice cream.
Mike Mayo was on the grounds with his fresh cut fries, unbelievably thick onion rings, and fried blooming sweet onions and cold drinks. Tropical fruit smoothies were a favorite as was fresh, real-lemon, lemonade.
On the stage throughout the weekend were the musicians, including the Frank Bedell Band, the ever popular Olde Time Radio Gang with “Mac” McHale, the Fir Hollow Band, and the Swing Shift Band all playing Saturday, with the Downeast Jazz Band and a second performance by Frank Bedell along with a different backup group of musicians playing Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday, while the Merritt Brackett Lobster Boat Races were underway at the Fort, crowds thinned noticeably at the beach park a bit, but once the races were over and trophies awarded, Pemaquid Beach Park was again the place to be.
