Harraseeket Heritage Day: Tickets available!
Join us for an exciting day and evening on the waterfront in South Freeport on June 23. Families and individuals are invited to come down to Brewer South Freeport Marine for a lively public celebration of Freeport’s maritime past, including viewing, touring or sailing aboard the historic schooner Bowdoin; trying their hand at knot-tying and oar-making with the Compass Project; enjoying maritime shanties and jigs; and more.
In the evening, a fabulous Harborside Gala will be staged, also at Brewer South Freeport Marine, with entertainment by the Jason Spooner Trio, light food and beverages, and both silent and live auction as well as Giving Tree. All events will benefit the Freeport Historical Society and their public programs and two historic properties.
Celebrating the maritime history of Freeport, the schooner Bowdoin will be at the dock at Brewer South Freeport Marine for viewing, deck tours and sailing adventures. The Bowdoin, built in East Boothbay in 1921, has deep ties to Freeport. She was captained by Admiral Donald MacMillan, known far and wide for his Arctic explorations, which led him to receive the prestigious Hubbard Gold Medal from the National Geographic Society in 1953.
The Bowdoin is today owned by the Maine Maritime Academy and is designated Maine’s official state vessel. Her mission is to provide sail training for the Maine Maritime Academy students and the public as well as to aid in recruiting and community relations, making her inclusion in the inaugural Harraseeket Heritage Day on behalf of the Freeport Historical Society a natural fit.
Also on hand at Brewer South Freeport Marine providing oar-making demonstrations will be the Compass Project, which uses boatbuilding and rowing to provide positive direction to youth by encouraging the development of personal responsibility and community and environmental engagement. In addition, Maine Maritime Academy students acting as crew members on the Bowdoin will be demonstrating their skills at knot-making and splicing, while local artists of the Freeport-based Frost Gully Violins will be performing traditional maritime shanties. Children’s author Mary Cowans will do a reading for children from her award-winning book, Captain Mac: The Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer, and will be available for book signings.
Harraseeket Heritage Day events will be held from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Brewer South Freeport Marine. Deck tours of the schooner Bowdoin will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and admission to the dock will cost $5 per person or $20 per family. Two-hour sailing adventures will depart at 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm, with a limited supply of tickets for $30 per person available in advance. Children under 13 must be accompanied by a parent and must provide their own PFDs.
The Harborside Gala will begin at 6:30 pm, with the auction ending at 8:00 pm and the Jason Spooner Trio performing live music. Tickets will be $40, including light hors d’oeuvres and beverages for purchase.
Tickets are available at the Freeport Historical Society: in person (45 Main Street, Freeport), by phone (207.865.3170), or online at www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org (click on “Online Donation” and use your credit card or Paypal account). Tickets may also be purchased at Brewer South Freeport Marine.
Harraseeket Heritage Day and Harborside Gala are sponsored by L.L.Bean, The Doolan/Dougherty Group at Morgan Stanley, Brewer South Freeport Marine, Bob Knecht/Town & Shore, Mary Noyes, Haraseeket Lunch & Lobster, Seabags, and Curtis Thaxter-Attorneys at Law.
