WATERBORO — Kora Shriners, conspicuous in their trademark maroon caps, rode in tiny cars along Straw Mill Brook Road in Waterboro on Saturday, zig-zagging from one side of the street to the other in dizzying figure-eight patterns that left children’s mouths agape. Wrestlers and football players from Massabesic Middle School lumbered by in chugging floats, waving to friends and onlookers from their perches. And bringing up the rear, a procession of trucks from various fire departments lurched past with lights ablaze and sirens bellowing, signaling the start of an annual Waterboro tradition.
Old Home Days were back.
The two-day event, which peaked on Saturday with a full slate of family events, drew spectators to the center of town to witness the parade that officially inaugurated a day of celebration. Scores lined up along Route 202, and on West Road, many stretched out luxuriously on lawn chairs, the young ones diving for pieces of candy tossed to them from smiling men and women passing by on floats and in classic cars.
Nick Tash, seated comfortably on his lawn, had a front-row seat to the parade, which he said he looks forward to every year.
“It’s like a tradition, pretty much,” he said. “I look forward to everything, especially the fireworks at night.”
His children, he said, mark Old Home Days as a great way to score some free sweets.
“They live for the candy,” said Tash, smiling. “This is a great family event.”
That’s just what the planners had in mind when they scheduled a full slate of attractions, many located along the sprawling campus of Massabesic High School.
Amusement rides trucked in from Tilton, N.H. gave the festival grounds a carnival air, and other curiosities ”“ such as mini-horses and ponies from Little Brook Farm ”“ provided the spectacle. An inflatable 30-foot obstacle course in the MHS gymnasium was a prime attraction for the younger set, while those with a taste for adventure could view the action from the air, courtesy of York County Helicopters.
Bobbie-Jo Graffam loves Old Home Days for the amusements it affords her children.
“We come out every year for the kids,” she said. “We’ve been out here every year, just about. They love the candy. It gives them something to do.”
Later on, music dominated much of the evening, as local artists such as Mark Kelley and the Rock Bottom Band provided a live soundtrack.
The day was capped by a fireworks display, which resident David MacCorison wasn’t about to miss.
“I came to support my town,” said MacCorison. “It’s a great event. It brings the community together. It’s got one of the best local, small parades, and it’s family oriented, which is a plus.
“It’s fantastic.”
— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 319 or jlagasse@journaltribune.com.
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