For most people, Westbrook Together Days is an event that lasts just one weekend a year.

A dedicated group of volunteers work for months, however, to make sure Together Days runs smoothly and everyone who attends has a good time.

Mayor Bruce Chuluda, the chairman of the Together Days organizing committee, said there would be no Together Days without the volunteers. “It’s been a great group of volunteers,” said Chuluda. “We couldn’t put it on without the work that they do.”

“It’s a great committee and everyone’s stepped up to do their part,” said Kelley MacLennan, who is organizing the Together Days parade.

Volunteers said putting together the festival is a lot of work, but at the same time, they have fun doing it as well.

Michelle Christakis, who is organizing the children’s entertainment, said while Together Days does involve quite a bit of work to organize, she finds the work enjoyable. “It’s fun,” she said. “I like doing it. It’s a nice way to meet people in the community.”

The festivities on Saturday will be kicked off with the traditional Together Days parade, which is always a favorite for all in attendance.

MacLennan said the parade is shaping up to be about the same size as last year’s 25th anniversary parade, and in fact, may even prove to be slightly bigger than the parade last year.

MacLennan said she acts as a central contact person for the parade, and most of the work with the parade revolves around trying to figure out the best approach to lining everyone who is participating up in a way that best suits everybody involved. While organizing the parade is a big task, MacLennan said it usually comes together smoothly.

“A lot of the parade takes care of itself,” she said.

Christakis said she begins her work on the festival sometime around December or January, calling different organizations in the community looking to secure family-friendly entertainment. “We’re always looking for different ideas,” she said.

Christakis’ work does not end on the day of the festival. That day, she is busy helping the performers on the children’s stage set up and she also announces the acts as they come onto the stage.

Another major Together Days event is the annual auction. For the second year in a row, Leona Glidden is working on organizing the auction and soliciting donations from local businesses.

Gildden said she started working on the auction at the beginning of April. “We’ve been on the go for about two months,” she said.

Even though organizing the auction is a big task, Glidden said she doesn’t mind the work. “It’s a lot of running around,” she said. “But people are so generous about giving, it’s a lot of fun.”

Another big part of Together Days is the various food stands and other vendors that operate booths in Riverbank Park, helping to create a festive atmosphere all throughout the day. Darrell Herbert is in charge of inviting those vendors and non-profit groups to come to Together Days and set up their booths.

Hebert said he believed this year’s event would be even larger than last year’s 25th anniversary Together Days. “It’s going to be a bit bigger than last year,” Herbert said.

Herbert begins to contact vendors around the beginning of April, inviting all of those interested in setting up at Together Days to get back to him by the middle of May. So far, Herbert said the response has been good, but as is generally the case, vendors are late in responding, so Herbert is still working on making sure there is a space for everyone who wants one.

A big part of Herbert’s work on the day of the festival is helping the vendors set up their booths and make sure each and every one is in the right spot. “It takes time and it takes effort,” he said. “(But) it’s a lot of fun. It’s fun trying to get things organized.”

Of course, putting on an event like Together Days costs money and Chamber of Commerce President Ray Richardson is handling the fundraising work for the committee.

Richardson said the fundraising efforts for this year’s Together Days have been very successful. “Everybody’s been very helpful, accommodating and generous,” he said.

Chuluda said he was grateful for the dedicated group of volunteers who have given their time to help organize Together Days. He said several other volunteers, such as Bill Vogel, Ruth Halliburton, Helen Rich and Ruth Chretien have also been instrumental in helping with this year’s Together Days.

While Together Days continues to grow, one thing the organizers want to avoid is allowing Together Days to grow too much and move away from its origins. “We want it to maintain its small town feel,” said Christakis.

That small-town feel is the reason the volunteers said they have enjoyed working as hard as they have on Together Days. “It is a lot of fun,” said Glidden. “You meet an awful lot of nice people.”

MacLennan said she enjoyed being able to meet so many new people thanks to her role as parade organizer. “I love it,” she said. “It’s a great event for the community and I get to meet a lot of people that I wouldn’t normally get to meet.”

Working on Together Days has instilled a sense of community pride in Christakis. “It’s a nice tradition,” she said. “It feels good to do something for the community.”