A weekend celebration of Bowdoinham’s 250th birthday kicks off Friday with the opening of an art exhibit honoring local artists, then kicks into high gear Saturday with the long awaited return of the community barbecue.
A gala opening for “Three Town Artists: Carlo Pittore, Bryce Muir and Carter Smith” runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the Merrymeeting Arts Center. Cost is $25 per person.
Pittore, Muir and Smith are artists with strong ties to the town of Bowdoinham, according to an announcement about the event. Smith grew up in town and attended local schools before heading for New York. Pittore and Muir came to town as adults and settled in to create art and strong networks of artists, friends and serve as mentors.
Works by three other Bowdoinham artists from earlier times are a late addition to the show.
The exhibit will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, when Lego activities will be available at the Cathance Place next door.
Also on Friday, the Long Branch School and General Store will host an open mic night from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Bringing back an annual tradition from Bowdoinham’s past, the Bowdoinham Chicken Barbecue will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Bowdoinham Community School.
The chicken barbecues were held on the Fourth of July as far back as the mid-20th century, though historic accounts disagree on whether the first fowl feed occurred in 1952 or 1954. The barbecues functioned as a fundraiser for what was to be the Bowdoinham Community School, and were held annually until 1987 when Celebrate Bowdoinham events in September took their place, according to a town release about the weekend events.
The release states, “The barbecue was a big part of Bowdoinham’s history as can be seen from the following excerpts from a July 1978 Bowdoinham Advertiser article by Frank Connors: ‘Cars and people crowded into Cleve Curtis’ field for the first Bowdoinham Barbecue, July 4th, 1954. Bowdoinham’s July barbecues were born of necessity. This town needed desperately to enlarge and update its school system, and there was a group of townspeople adventurous enough, or courageous enough, to try to do it without turning to higher taxes. The year was 1954, and their answer was a July 4th chicken barbecue.
“A committee of 10 marshaled a host of volunteer townspeople, and when the day was done, more than $1,100 sat in a bank, awaiting construction of the new school. But there was something else, something special. A seed had been set, and it would prosper. The barbecues would grow and expand over the next 25 years, and collectively, raise nearly $50,000 to help buy our town its school house, a fire truck, recreational lands and other projects.’”
When David Berry was first asked to run the Bowdoinham Barbecue in 1975, “he had no idea that he would be doing it again 37 years later for Bowdoinham’s 250th Anniversary celebration,” the announcement states. “In David’s best year, 1977, he served 1,500 barbecued chicken dinners. The event was a two-day affair and raised $4,000 for the school.”
The plan this year is to serve 700 dinners. To accomplish this, Berry enlisted the help of Steve Lamoreau, who also cooked for past barbecues.
Other community groups will support the effort. For example, the Community School Parent Group agreed to prepare 700 brownies — an important ingredient of the historic barbecue — for this year’s event.
The menu will be very similar to those in the past, consisting of chicken, drink, chips, brownies and a salad.
All proceeds will be donated to the school.
The Bowdoinham Historical Society plans to sell fresh strawberry shortcake at the barbecue, with proceeds benefiting the Jellerson School.
Organizers also plan displays on the history of the Bowdoinham Barbecue and chicken farming in Bowdoinham, as well as music and pickup baseball games, reminiscent of the games played during the 1912 celebrations.
Admission to the Bowdoinham Chicken Barbecue costs $10 for adults or $6 for children. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the town office on School Street or at the barbecue.
On Saturday afternoon, Long Branch School will host free blacksmith demonstrations at its new blacksmith shop at the old fire station. Long Branch also will sponsor family kayak tours from Mailly Waterfront Park, led by registered Maine Guide Alice Bean-Adrenyak.
Sara Fahnley, owner of And Candy Too, will offer a short afternoon workshop on making a Red, White, and Blue dessert featuring seasonal berries. Visit www.longbranchschool.com for more information.
The fifth annual Red White and Blue festival kicks off at 5 p.m. at Mailly Waterfront Park to benefit the American Red Cross. Hosted by FHC Inc. of Bowdoin, the festival features music at the gazebo. Local nonprofit groups will serve food and host games.
The night will end with a display of fireworks over the Cathance River.
For more information about the barbecue, call 666- 5531. Check www.bowdoinham.com for updates on this and other 250th anniversary celebrations.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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