WELLS — It may not have been the beach, but on a hot and sunny Saturday, July 30, the Wells coast was bustling as an estimated 2,000 locals and tourists flooded Harbor Park for the 26th annual HarborFEST.

The festival, sponsored by the Wells Rotary Club in conjunction with the Wells Chamber of Commerce, featured several free activities for the community, from arts and crafts to competitive eating.

“It’s an event we put on for the community. It’s essentially community service,” said Ryan Liberty, a past president of the Rotary Club and coordinator of HarborFEST.

“It’s very rewarding to see local businesses able to promote themselves in this environment, and to see the community embrace what we do here,” Liberty said. “Where else can you get all this stuff for free? It’s hard to do these days.”

Events and activities ran from noon to 9 p.m., and there was something for everyone. Kids took advantage of face painting and pirate-themed scavenger hunts while parents partook in the chamber’s annual silent auction. People of all ages were captivated by a demonstration of the “jaws of life” given by the Wells Fire Department.

The festival was capped off by a performance by local band The Windmills.

Rotary Club President Doug Bibber said the festival typically brings in between $3,000 to $5,000 each year – namely in tickets from the annual chicken barbecue – to go toward community programs, such as scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

“Rotary makes money to give it away, and this is one of our biggest fundraisers,” Bibber said. “We find different ways to support the community.”

One of the club’s most successful initiatives has been the recent implementation of book donation sites across downtown Wells, where people can bring books for children to pick up and read. The group estimated it’s given away 2,500 books to children who either don’t have books or can’t afford to buy them.

But the group doesn’t just give locally. According to Bibber, part of the money raised at HarborFEST will go toward international projects. This past year, the club teamed up with Ogunquit’s Rotary Club to provide lunches for students in Colombia, who were required to bring their own lunches or not be allowed to attend school.

“You’re making an impact. You’re part of a group, having friends, that takes the seeds of the fruit of your work and you’re making a difference in a lot of peoples’ lives, and you’re having fun doing it,” Bibber said about his work as president and about his role in hosting HarborFEST each year.

And if HarborFEST were to be summed up in one word, “fun” would likely be it.

Arguably one of the most exciting events was the Great Doughnut Debacle, a doughnut eating contest hosted by Congdon’s Doughnuts in Wells. Participants were given 10 minutes to eat as many chocolate, glazed or creme-filled pastries they could hold down.

The winner was Louis Altuz of Kittery – a four-time competitive eating champion this year alone – who downed 12 of the sweet treats in just 10 minutes.

For those with children, miniature horses were more their speed.

“It’s nice to see all the people and kids having fun,” said Missy Stults, 31, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, who was at the festival with her husband Bob and 16-month-old daughter, Beckett. “It’s a fun activity to do on a wonderful Saturday.”

Amid all the whimsy, it would be easy to forget the extensive planning involved in putting the festival together. Between coordinating local business sponsors, vendors and events, Liberty said the Rotary Club would begin planning next year’s HarborFEST immediately after this year’s came to a close.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, but we get a lot of help,” Liberty said. “It’s very rewarding to see local businesses able to promote themselves in this environment, and to see the community embrace what we do here.”

Bibber, who will be stepping down from his role as president of the Rotary Club this year, echoed Liberty’s sentiment.

“I’m a people person and most of the people in the club are (too), and we just like enjoying being with people,” Bibber said. “It’s a long day but just having your comrades around you, it just makes you have fun. It just makes for a great day.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.