FREEPORT – Freeport will once again play host to a full schedule of July Fourth activities, with the annual L.L. Bean 10K road race, parade, pancake breakfast, concert, and fireworks all scheduled for Thursday.
Through the years, the town has become the central meeting spot for tri-town residents eager to celebrate the country’s birth and enjoy a day’s worth of activities. The celebration begins at 7 a.m. with the 22nd annual Blueberry Pancake & Sausage Breakfast at St. Jude Catholic Church Hall, on the corner of Main and School streets.
“It’s a classic pancake breakfast with sausage, juice, coffee and tea,” said event organizer Gabrielle Tilton. “We also have musicians and singers out in the parking lot playing patriotic tunes. It’s a really fun event.”
The breakfast has become a “must do” in Freeport, and last year the volunteers at St. Jude served more than 500 people, said Tilton, who added that the breakfast can be quite a spectacle.
“We have people cooking outside if the weather is nice and everyone has a great time,” said Tilton.
For those not eating and looking to cheer on friends or family, the L.L. Bean Fourth of July 10K Road Race and 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk begins at 7:30 a.m. at Freeport Town Park, on the corner of Bow and Park streets. Now in its 36th year, the race was recently recognized by Outdoor Magazine as one of the top 5 road races in New England. The race, which averages 1,500 participants, has undergone a number of improvements in the past few years, said Janet Wyper, community relations manager for L.L. Bean.
“We have a much better organization now and over 100 volunteers now that work on it so it ensures a good experience,” said Wyper. “We offer T-shirts and also a limited number of New Balance sneakers as result of our relationship with New Balance.”
L.L. Bean also offers a number of prizes in a “ginormous” number of categories, she said, not just based on age or gender. The $25 entrance fee benefits the Casco Bay YMCA youth program who last year received $27,000, “real money,” said Wyper.
“We have made it more professional, but kept it very much community oriented,” she said. “We have people who come from afar and bring their family who all participate in either the 10K or the 1 mile Fun Run. (Olympic Gold Medalist) Joan Benoit Samuelson usually runs and every kid gets a leather medallion who participates. It’s a great day in Freeport, everyone can come and take in the parade, a race, have breakfast. It has a nice, classic, New England Fourth of July feel to it.”
The annual Independence Day parade will kick off at 10 a.m. on Main Street and roll from Kendall Lane South to Freeport High School on Holbrook Street.
“This is sort of the signature parade, not only in Freeport but the surrounding towns,” said Eric Anderson, parade organizer. “We have a number of antique cars, 30-40 floats, marching bands, and is a mix of community organizations and local businesses. It lasts roughly a half hour.”
As the day ends and evening begins, the L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series kicks off July 4 with a performance by singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson. Nathanson, who plays both acoustic and electric guitar, is releasing a new album this summer on Vanguard Records, and his new single, “Mission Bells,” is in heavy rotation on FM radio stations, according to Kathy Whitney, Bean’s public relations manager. The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., in L.L. Bean Discovery Park, adjacent to the flagship store. It will be followed by a traditional fireworks display by the town of Freeport.
For those making a weekend of it, Friday afternoon will feature family-friendly performances by the the Yo Yo People and Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players, and on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. there will be a concert by three Maine bands ? Amy Allen, Endless Interstate and Pete Kilpatrick Band. All events will be held at Discovery Park.
“Our customers and the local community look forward to the Summer Concert Series and all of our Summer in the Park events all year long,” said Suzanne Deschenes, Bean’s retail marketing manager. “Whether someone is a music lover or looking for fun things to do in Freeport, there’s music and activities for every taste and all ages always going on at our stores in Freeport.”
With the Fourth falling on a Thursday and many people having a four-day weekend, it’s an opportunity to spend an entire weekend in Freeport, said Janet Dutson, executive director for FreeportUSA, an organization that markets Freeport as a tourist destination.
“It’s a great opportunity to make a weekend out of it,” said Dutson. “There is something going on all weekend from concerts, to shows at the Theater of Awesome and of course plenty of shopping. It’s what makes Freeport unique. It’s more than fireworks.”
7-10 a.m., Blueberry pancake and sausage breakfast, St. Jude Catholic Church Hall, corner of Main and School streets.
7:30 a.m., 10K Road Race, Freeport Town Park
9:15 a.m., Fun Run, L. L. Bean, Freeport Town Park
10 a.m., Parade, Main Street, from Kendall Lane south to Holbrook Street
7:30 p.m., Concert in the Park, with Matt Nathanson, L. L. Bean Discovery Park.
9:15 p.m., Fireworks display sponsored by the town of Freeport
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