Heart of Biddeford Executive Director Delilah Poupore and Santa Claus at Biddeford’s Dec. 1 Holiday Festival Courtesy photo/Heart of Biddeford
BIDDEFORD — One of Maine’s youngest cities isn’t afraid to put their own spin on the holidays.
Take the Dec. 1 Holiday Festival in City Square for example, which transported patrons into an “elf village” inspired by the Christmas comedy “Elf.” The Salvation Army’s brass band performed, as did dancers from the Academy of Dance. Santa arrived by fire truck and festival goers had the chance to eat spaghetti.
“It was this kind of silliness that we were hoping for,” said Delilah Poupore, the executive director of Heart of Biddeford, the city’s downtown community and economic development revitalization organization. Heart of Biddeford plays a key role in coordinating and planning Biddeford’s holiday programming.
The playfulness extends to other events on the holiday calendar. On Dec. 12, Suger Bōle hosted a Naughty Santa Party that encouraged attendees to wear “cheerful and flirty attire.” Sacred Profane offered a locals only karaoke night on Nov. 22 and will close Biddeford’s holiday season with a Dec. 23 karaoke evening featuring VJ Fava Le Chic.
There’s also a Winter Solstice cycling session with Recycle on Dec. 21, if you’re interested in something sporty, and a Holiday Makers Market at the Mill on Dec. 16 that will convene nearly 20 makers to sell their wares.
A full list of events can be found online at: https://heartofbiddeford.org/holiday-happenings/.
While the Holiday Festival has been happening for decades, the focus on local businesses is more recent — a function of the economic renaissance that’s taken place in the city since the waste-to-energy incinerator closed in 2012, triggering development.
“Twelve years ago, there were 27 vacancies on Main Street and now there are 27 retail shops downtown,” said Poupore. “(Biddeford) is a place where you can park your car in the garage and head over to White Door Home Store a half a block away and then go to seven, eight, nine more places to get your holiday gifts.”
Biddeford is far from the only municipality in Maine that comes alive during the holidays. Take Kennebunkport for example, which draws people from around the country for Christmas Prelude. Poupore attributes the festiveness in part to the prominence of small businesses in the state.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, as of 2022 there were 151,212 small businesses in the state — though it defines small businesses as firms with fewer than 500 employees. Those small businesses provide jobs for 56.3 % of Maine employees, 10 percentage points above the national average.
“One of the ways that small businesses can survive is having a really successful December,” said Poupore, who noted that without a successful December, the next three months can be hard. To that end, Poupore highlighted “Drop and Shop” sessions taking place at Biddeford Recreation and the Academy of Dance this year, which allow parents to leave their kids under supervision and go shopping in person — instead of turning to online retailers.
Poupore said she believes the hassle of bringing kids along for holiday shopping can be one of the deterrents to purchasing in person from small businesses. But with Drop and Shop, parents know their kids are safe and having a fun time, so they can do some local shopping at a leisurely pace.
The next Drop and Shop will be at the Academy of Dance on Thursday, Dec. 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be dancing, a pizza party, and crafts for kids to enjoy. Children older than 3 can participate, registration is require. Go to www.theacademyofdance.org, to register; the cost is $25.
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