Yarmouth Clam Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yarmouth Clam Festival |
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Logo of the 2015 festival
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"Steamer" the clam at the 2018 parade
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| Genre | Fundraising |
| Dates | Third weekend in July |
| Location(s) | Yarmouth, Maine, U.S. |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Website | ClamFestival.com |
The Yarmouth Clam Festival is a super fun event that happens every year in Yarmouth, Maine. It lasts for three days, starting on the third Friday in July. This festival began way back in 1965.
The Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce, a group that helps local businesses, hosts the festival. Their main goal is to raise money for about 30 local groups. These include non-profit organizations (groups that help people without trying to make money), churches, and school clubs.
Lots of people come to the festival from all over the country. Yarmouth usually has about 9,000 residents. But during the festival weekend, around 80,000 visitors come to join the fun! Some local people even put out chairs weeks early to get the best spot for the parade.
Contents
What Happens at the Festival?
The main part of the festival takes place along Main Street in Yarmouth. You'll find many booths selling yummy food and cool items. These booths stretch for about a mile, from the First Universalist Church to Railroad Park.
Delicious Food and Treats
Each local group has its own special food or drink to sell. It's a tradition!
- The Barbershop Harmony Society sells refreshing Lime Rickeys.
- The Yarmouth Lions Club offers a cold Lemon Lucy slush.
- First Parish Church has tasty strawberry shortcakes and different kinds of pies.
- The Yarmouth Ski Club sells whole fried clams.
- The Boy Scouts of America make delicious pizza.
- Different grades from Yarmouth High School sell cheeseburgers, hotdogs, French fries, chicken fingers, and soft drinks.
Fun Activities and Events
Besides the food, there are many exciting things to do:
- Friday Evening: A big parade kicks off the festival.
- Saturday Morning:
- A one-mile fun run for kids aged 12 and under.
- A five-mile road race for ages 13 and up.
- Saturday Afternoon:
- A People's Muster (a kind of gathering or display).
- Exciting clam-shucking contests, where people race to open clams.
- Saturday Evening: A fantastic fireworks display lights up the night sky.
- Sunday Morning:
- A "diaper derby" for the littlest ones.
- A professional bicycle race.
The Carnival Fun
A fun carnival is also part of the festival. It starts two days before the main festival, on Wednesday, and runs until Sunday. Smokey's Greater Shows runs the carnival at the Rowe School grounds.
Festival Program Art
Every year, a local artist paints the cover for the festival's program. The painting usually shows a scene from the festival that happened the year before.
Meet Steamer the Clam!
Since 2004, the festival has had an official mascot named "Steamer" the clam. You might see Steamer walking around and greeting people!
Recent History
The festival had to be canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it came back in 2022 for its 55th year, and everyone was excited to celebrate again!
Images for kids
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Main Street after the 2018 parade, looking west
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Food stalls at the 2018 festival
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Chairs set out for the parade
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A pipe band in the 2016 parade
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A fire truck in the 2018 parade
