Partying With Flamboyance
Southwest Harbor's Harbor House Flamingo Festival
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Billed as “whimsical, lighthearted, and decidedly pink,” the Harbor House led, family focused festival brought joy to the streets of Southwest Harbor on Saturday despite a downpour of rain right before the annual flamingo parade.
The Harbor House Flamingo Festival began Saturday with a breakfast hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard at the Pemetic School and followed by a parade, craft fair (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and book sale (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The Southwest Harbor Historical Society Meeting House hosts an open house from 1-3 p.m.
On Sunday evening, the polo and yacht club cocktail party at the Causeway Club Barn begins at 5 p.m. and runs until 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person.
Flash in the Pans! (a steel drum band) performs 7:30 p.m. Monday on the Pemetic Green. Suggested donation is $5 a person.
Flamingos are available at the Harbor House. Box sets of two (Don Featherstone flamingos) are $25. He had designed the lawn ornaments back in 1957 and was a regular festival attendee.
The festival is about whimsy and joy, but it’s also about community members supporting community members. During the rain before the parade, strangers and friends huddled under trees together, laughing. Once the sun came out, they helped each other dry out, putting coats up on street signs.
One grandmother riding in a car at the end of the parade spotted a special toddler and squealed with joy. “I love you! I love you, my baby.”
She eventually got out of the car to a round of hugs.
There’s no rule that says that you have to stay in a car during a parade, not when you’re overcome by love.
One Bar Harbor family stood on the sidelines.
“I come here every year,” the man said..
Why?
Because it’s special. It’s local. It’s fun. And it’s also full of love.
The Harbor House is a 501-C(3) non-profit community service organization serving the communities of Mount Desert Island. With seven program areas and a roster of more than 40 health, fitness, educational, sports, community-based and youth-focused classes and activities, Harbor House serves every age group and every economic level and has done so for 58 years and counting. You don’t have to go to the parade and buy a flamingo to support its mission either. Though you probably should check out the events if you can. Whimsy needs to be experienced. Love and community do, too.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
For more information, contact Diana Novella at (207) 244-3713 or visit the Harbor House website at www.harborhousemdi.org for tickets and information.
To check out the Harbor House’s site, click here.
PHOTOS
As always, we took a bit too many photos. All are by Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story. Feel free to use them, just give us attribution if you do.
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