South Berwick photographer Jeremy Heflin is offering “Last Minute Present Portraits” at studio  #328 at the Salmon Falls Artist Mills, 1 Front St. Rollinsford, NH. on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2pm-6pm.  He says, “Come by any time, get your family shot taken at no cost,  then purchase prints to take home on the spot.” He is offering low cost prints in several sizes: $8 – 4x6s, $14 – 5x7s and $25 – 8x10s.  Wear your best or try on the fun costumes.

Jeremy will be  donating 10% of the sales to the (H)EAT campaign: 10,000 meals & gallons of heating oil to those in need through the winter.

For more information go to Jeremy’s blog.

Caroling through downtown and cookie decorating at Pepperland Cafe have become centerpieces of the Friday night fun, while the Women’s Holiday Art Show on Friday and Saturday provides an anchor in Town Hall.

During the last five years, Home for the Holidays has grown from a small grassroots endeavor into a mainstay of the town’s season, with downtown business owners opening their doors to the public. Among the new businesses are Lenks Orthodontics, which will give out dippin dots; PricePoint Eyewear, which will host the karaoke caroling party, and Early Bird Cafe, which is holding a pancake breakfast.

From the Federated Church to Nature’s Way Market, establishments will be offering everything from free soup to crafts, raffles, chamber music and merry-making. For the first year, Hanukkah games will be part of the fun as Bob’s Trophy will host a the dreidel activity and menorah lighting.

“The celebration is always great time to see neighbors and friends downtown” said Puff Uhlman, one of the SmartGrowth volunteers who organized this year’s event. “Home For the Holidays reminds residents that shopping downtown is more fun and more neighborly, saves gas and supports the local economy.”

The festival originally was an outgrowth of the Women’s Holiday Art Sale, now in its 11th year, which runs 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Town Hall Auditorium. The fine jewelry, cowgirl goods, pottery, soap and other items are made by two dozen women from the area.

Artist Roger Morin will display his floral artwork at Abby Chic florist, while Susan Gregory will sell wristies specialty gloves at Vacuum Village. Further down Main Street, Sen. Peter Mills will greet people at Civil Consultants, where Spring Hill Restaurant will sell tortes and give out gift certificates.

The Sarah Orne Jewett House will open its first floor and gift shop to visitors Friday night, where redware pottery, glassware, books and stationery will be available. Portico Realty will host local videographer Tim Benoit’s work, “South Berwick” featuring montages of present day scenes and photos from the Old Berwick Historical Society.

In addition to Santa Claus welcoming children for a photo op at P. Gagnon & Son, Mrs. Claus will read stories at the Public Library, where visitors are also invited to make bookmarks and ornaments. Ocean Bank will help children write a letter to Santa, and York Hospital is inviting children for face painting and snacks.

Across the bridge in Rolllinsford, Doodlebugz pottery studio will be open for those who want to make unique gifts, and the Bead Bin invites visitors to make free zipper pulls.

For a complete listing of activities, download the  Home for the Holidays Brochure Page 1 and Page 2.

Enough with the words, here are some pictures:
Baxter the Maine Library Coon Cat greeted kids and families as they gathered for the Everything Wheels parade.

There was a clown and Smokey the Bear from the Maine State Parks too.

People with all kinds of wheels got ready for the parade.

Central School Principal, Vicki Stewart was the Grand Marshall.

The Everything Wheels parade started and the kids and all their wheeled vehicles began to wend their way from the Community Center to Central School.

And still more rolled onto the street.

There were all kinds of bikes, trikes, wagons, scooters, skateboards, skates, and even cars.

Balloons, bright colors, and lots of happy kids made it a great parade.

There was even a pirate ship with a very cute pirate.

Bill Page and friends rode a bicycle built for four.

Town Manager John Schempf and an American eagle walk along the parade route.

Along the route other parents and children watched the procession of kids and their wheels.  More than one said, “Next year we’ll be in the parade.”

The parade ended at Central School where there were all kinds of activities.  Here children lined up for free bicycle helmets donated by the Kiwanis Club.

Sammie Haynes and friends led a sing-along.

There were lawn games.

Up and down Main St. there was fun to be had.  Here, the Strawberry Festival hands out cotton candy.

At Historic New England’s Sarah Orne Jewett House there was a teddy bear and doll hospital dispensing sewing repairs, bandages, and kindness to much loved toys.

Community organizations sold treats.  Here the Marshwood Class of 2012 sells PB&J sandwiches to raise money for class activities.

The Touch A Truck area behind P. Gagnon & Son was a popular place with kids getting to see all kinds of big trucks up close.

Even getting a chance to sit in the driver’s seat.

Inside P. Gagnon & Son a display  of Lego constructions showed the creativity of the town’s young Lego experts.

]]> http://the236diner.com/2009/06/07/kids-day-2009-in-pictures/feed/ 1 http://the236diner.com/2009/05/26/more-details-about-south-berwick-first-annual-kids-day/ http://the236diner.com/2009/05/26/more-details-about-south-berwick-first-annual-kids-day/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 11:57:46 +0000 Molly Colman http://the236diner.com/?p=1148 Children always ask, “Why is there a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day but no Kid’s Day.” Well, in South Berwick there is now a Kid’s Day.

The first ever South Berwick Kids’ Festival will be held 11 to 4 pm Saturday, June 6, on Main Street in downtown South Berwick.

Kids and anyone they bring along will be invited to launch the festival with an all wheels parade down Main Street, led by Grand Marshall Vicki Stewart, Central School Principal. Participants can decorate and ride anything with wheels — lawnmowers, grocery carts, book carts, wheelbarrows, cribs, doll carriages, wagons, and yes, even bikes and trikes.

The day, uniting businesses and residents, will continue up and down Main Street inside stores and out on the sidewalks and lawns. It will feature music, dancing, ice cream, art, a toy auction run by and for kids and many other activities. Children are invited to bring Lego creations for a Lego contest, to stay for a free movie at Central School and to head to P. Gagnons for “touch a truck.” (“Children are encouraged to bring their Lego creations of all shapes and sizes to The Little Hat Company so that they can be on display at the P. Gagnon and Son lobby.)

The festival began as an idea a few women discussed over coffee and grew to include just about every group and organization in town. Powderhouse Ski Hill will be there, accompanied by Shawnee Peak Ski area from Bridgton. The Sarah Orne Jewett House will host a doll and teddy bear clinic. And the South Berwick Public Library has arranged for the state mascot, Baxter, to make a special appearance.

In addition, the Kiwanis will be giving out 100 free kids’ bike helmets and York Hospital will be giving away sports bottles. There will be 1000 paper cranes, art on the lawn, snow cones, smoothies, ice cream, popcorn and goodies galore.

Clubhouse Kids after-school program will help kids decorate flower pots, that will include a live plant. High school students have offered to do face painting.

“This is the way the Strawberry Festival started in 1976. The idea is to have a simple concept – a very special day for families to enjoy themselves without spending money.”  Cynthia Gagnon.

“A group of us were thinking about how much we love this town, and what a great place it is to bring up children,” said Jennifer Houghton, owner of Little Hat Co. “So we just decided we wanted to have some kind of festival where we could both celebrate our town and have a great time with our children. And that’s how SBKD was born.”

The full schedule includes:
11:00 am – An Everything Wheels Parade
11:30 pm – Sammy Haynes in concert.
12:30 pm – All Kids Auction:)
11-2 pm – Lego Contest: Bring your lego creation for display and judging.
12:00 pm – Family Folk Dancing led by Kris Bisson
1:00 pm – Ryan T. Higgins reading and signing of Twaddleton’s Cheese, followed by Jane Cowen-Fletcher and original works
2:00pm Family Yoga presented by ChildLight Yoga
3:00 pm – Free Movie in Central School Gym

More information is available by contacting Kris Bisson at kristine_bisson@comcast.net.

These bits of local history will be visited on the Old Berwick Historical Society’s Tour of Quamphegan Landing to be held on Saturday, June 6 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.  This free event led by Wendy Pirsig begins at the Counting House Museum at Main and Liberty Streets, and includes Counting House Park along the Salmon Falls River as well as the surrounding 19th century neighborhood.  The rain date is Saturday, June 13.

The tour coincides on June 6 with South Berwick Kids Day, and families are welcome.

Participants are also invited to visit local history exhibits at the Counting House.  The museum is open from 1 to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays through October.  Admission is free.

The Counting House Museum is a small local history research center offering thousands of documents, photos, books and historic objects gathered by local residents.  The collection is under the care of local amateur historians or professionals who donate their time and assist visitors in doing research.

More information is available at www.obhs.net, by calling (207)384-0000 or by writing info@obhs.net.

Saturday, June 6 will be South Berwick Maine’s very first Kid’s Day. This year’s theme is South Berwick “A Great Staycation”.   It is a day to celebrate our kids having fun and to recognize their many accomplishments.

Kid’s Day 2009 will kick off with an Everything Wheel’s Parade at 11:00am. Decorate anything with wheels on it and bring it to the parade:  grocery carts, bed on wheels, bicycles, trikes, strollers.  Just show up with your wheels decorated and ready to roll. The parade will kick off at the Community Center and finish up in front of Central School.

There will be special appearances by Snoopy, Smokey The Bear, and “Baxter” the state’s library mascot.  The Seacoast Kiwanis Club will be giving 100 children’s bike helmets and making sure they fit, Snoopy will be helping out with children’s safety identification kits, The Sarah Orne Jewett House will be hosting a Doll & Teddy Bear Clinic, Children’s gently used toys will be up for auction, The Lacrosse Team will be sponsoring a “Hoops” activity, Lego Building Contest, Artwork by our town’s very own toddlers and tots will be displayed throughout the day.  Also one of our favorite local musicians will be performing on the front lawn of the town hall.  Our little league will be offering delicious ice cream to help keep you cool!

Bring your family of all ages down to Main Street for an old fashioned day of activities for kids.  Face Painting, Balloon Animals, Arts & Crafts, coloring contests, Giant Twister Game, & kid’s doing what kids do best. It will be a great day for a picnic in front of town hall or Central School or stop in at one of Main Streets delicious eateries for a bite.  Local groups will be offering, snow cones, ice cream, and other goodies along Main Street.

The Day will finish up it’s festivities with a family movie shown at The Central School Gym shown at 3:00pm.  Bring your blankets and sit back and relax.

The Kid’s Day Committee is welcoming all non profit groups and local businesses to take part in Kid’s Day by offering a craft or some goodies to eat. Also if you are a kid and would like to display your talents for all of town to see send an email and to make sure you have a spot. Please drop off your lego creations inspired by South Berwick “A Great Staycation” at The Little Hat Company by June 2nd to be entered in the best builder contest. Prizes will be awarded to each age category.  This day is all about you.  The Doll & Teddy Bear clinic is looking for volunteer “nurses” who are able to sew up seams on dolls and bears.  Please email if you can stitch under the tent for a couple of hours and make a kids day.

The critically acclaimed Community Chorus at South Berwick will perform Messiah Parts II and III, which some call the “Easter Messiah,” over Palm Sunday weekend in Dover and Exeter, N.H.  It will be presented much as it premiered in April 1742, with soloists and a full chamber orchestra.

Saturday, April 4 at 8:00pm, First Parish Church, Dover, NH
Sunday, April 5 at 3:00pm, Christ Episcopal Church, Exeter, NH

Get all the details…

Marshwood Spring Musical

Marshwood High School presents Rogers and Hammerstein’s“OKLAHOMA”

April 2, 3 amd 4 ,  2009.  7:00 PM (Thurs. Friday and Sat. nights), Marshwood High School, South Berwick

For ticket information…

A WICKED GOOD TIME AT TOWN HALL!: Celtic Songs and Stories featuring Jennifer Armstrong.

Saturday, April 4, 7:00pm & Sunday, April 5, 2:00pm, South Berwick Town Hall, Main St., South Berwick, ME.

!!Friday morning 9:30 AM-This update from Poolyle Productions!!

“Not only is it mud season, but it’s also cold, flu and in Jennifer Armstrong’s case, pneumonia season, so she will be unable to perform this weekend. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Jennifer called in a personal favor, and storyteller, musician and folklorist, Dillon Bustin has agreed to entertain us with stories and songs from his Irish heritage.

“A modern-day bard” with an “earthy soothing voice”(middlesex beat), Dillon has performed at Passim in Cambridge, the Iron Horse in Northampton, the Woods Hole Folk Music Society, the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston, The Sea Music Festival in Mystic, the Westerly Center for the Arts and Old South Meeting House in Boston to name a few. We feel very lucky to have found such a talented performer to grace our stage.

Thanks for your patience and support! In the words of Helen Keller, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.”
Susan Poulin

For more details…

The Strawberry Festival is a yearly celebration with entertainment, food, artisans and strawberry shortcakes.  Come join the fun!  Food is available throughout day at the Festival Food Court.  All food is provided by local non-profit organizations.  The South Berwick Strawberry Festival is held at 197 Main Street, South Berwick at the Central School Grounds.

Entertainment Schedule
Central School Stage
9:00 & 10:00
Todd Wellington
Professional Silly Person

11:30-1:00
Women of Note
An all women a capella group

2:00-4:00
Scharff Brothers

Food Court Stage

9:00-10:30
Chronic Jazz Syndrome

11:00, 12:00, 1:00
Northern Explosion Cloggers (3 shows)

2:00-4:00
Funky Diva’s of Gospel

Field Area
9:00-4:00
Wildlife Encounters

Children’s Area
11:00-3:00
Todd Wellington
Professional Silly Person

Any hours the hill opens over and above the regular operating schedule will be known as “Groomer Days”.  Ticket revenue from the additional hours will be earmarked for the future purchase of a used Snow-Cat type tracked vehicle and related equipment for maintaining the snow at Powderhouse.

“We were working on a fundraising plan and realized we had an opportunity to get started by opening the hill extra hours.  Starting this during school vacation week is a win win situation for the community and we’re excited about the opportunity”, said club President Brad Martin.  The club is in the process of planning additional fundraising events which will be announced at a later date.

Vacation week begins on Friday February 13th and runs through Sunday February 22nd.  Hours at the hill during the break will be: Fri 2/13, 7-9pm, Sat 2/14, Noon-4pm, Sun 2/15, Noon-4pm, Mon 2/16, Noon-4pm, Tues 2/17, 6-8pm, Wed 2/18, 7-9pm, Thu 2/19, 6-8pm, Fri 2/20, 7-9pm, Sat 2/21, Noon-4pm and 7-9pm, Sun 2/22, Noon-4pm.

Powderhouse Hill Ski Area is the only lift served ski hill on The Seacoast and one of the oldest in the country.  Regular hours of operation are Wednesday & Friday nights from 7-9 pm and Saturday and Sunday from Noon-4pm.  Lift tickets are just $5.00 per person.

Powderhouse Hill first opened in 1939, has 3 trails, an 800-foot long rope tow and 150 feet of vertical drop.  The hill is operated by volunteer members of the non-profit Powderhouse Ski Club.  At the base of the hill is a warming lodge with a woodstove and snack bar.

For more information on Powderhouse, call their Snow-Phone at 207-384-5858, email them at powderhousenews@comcast.net, or visit their website at www.powderhousehill.com.