It's a Pretty Big Blast
Tremont’s Backside Blast: A Weekend of Laughter, Music, and Community
TREMONT—At Tremont’s Backside Blast it doesn’t really matter if the pollock is a tiny bit more oily during one race across Archie’s Lobster’s back lot than another because someone maybe forgot to re-slick it with baby oil.
It doesn’t really matter if your team doesn’t win the “Pollock Frolic” (a slippery fish relay race requiring participants to don lobster gear before running with a slippery pollock across the pavement to a bucket) or if someone gills a fish, which may or may not be against the rules.
It doesn’t even matter if you get lobster to eat or choose something else or if you win at corn hole or if you choose instead to go down to the shore to check out the algae.
It doesn’t even really matter if you spend most of your time hugging friends, drinking a Bud, and laughing.
What matters?
What matters is that laughter. What matters is the impromptu dancing. What matters is the pause—mid song—for silence as a town remembers one of their own who was recently lost.
What matters is that the laughter happens again as a Southwest Harbor Police Department’s Officer Roulet realizes that the lobster pants that she’s going to put on for the race aren’t going to get past her duty belt. What matters is kids helping each other, frolicking and cheering each other on as Jayson Clough encourages everyone constantly.
What matters is community. And Tremont’s Backside Blast, which began Friday and runs all weekend has it. It began at Archie's Lobster at the Lobster Feed, Live Music and Slippery Fish Relay Races. The extraordinarily talented Whiskey Bent provided the live music, serenading the crowd with some traditional country and classic rock tunes.
Saturday, it continues at Gordius Garage with a rain-or-shine car show. Bullseye Band plays at noon. Sunday brings the boat races at Bernard Dock. Breakfast is at 7:30. The blessing of the fleet at 9:45 and races begin at 10. There’s a dock party at noon.
Here’s the thing: the news in our community often focuses on discord, on things that might be going wrong. That’s necessary. But there are also so many things that go right. There are people laughing, cheering each other on, being goofy, playing and hugging and greeting each other.
That’s happening this weekend in Tremont. It happens all the time. You might want to go check it out and be a part of it, too.
TRENTON DAYS AND BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL!
Also today (Saturday) is Trenton Days and the Butterfly Festival in Trenton.
The pollinator parade is at noon. There are all sorts of activities. Members of the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association (EAWA) (w1tu.org) will be participating in the national amateur radio Field Day exercise, June 28 and 29. It’s all at the Trenton Elementary School.
THE PHOTOS AND VIDEO
Quick note: If you are receiving this article via email, you will have to click through to the webpage to see all the photos and video because this will be too long for most email servers.
THE POLLOCK FROLIC
THE GROWN-UPS RACE
PEOPLE ENJOYING THINGS AND EACH OTHER
WHISKEY LIVE
VIDEOS
Photos and video: Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story.
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