UNION — Three days of events have been planned as part of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Union, July 19 - 21, 2024. While some activities honor the past and other activities are firmly modern, all connect to the theme of the Sestercentennial celebration, “Looking Back to Look Ahead,” according to Keith Siegel and Argy Nestor, co-chairs of the Union Sestercentennial Committee.

Children’s activities are featured all three days: on Friday, a scavenger hunt and face painting, on Saturday, relay races, tag, cooperative games, and a reading of The Lobster Lady by Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs. Ginny Oliver, the 104-year-old lobster lady, herself, may join as well.

On Sunday, the children can play water and parachute games, and enjoy a massive bounce house. A family kickball game is planned for Sunday afternoon.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the vintage sports cars, antique tractors, and boats on display by local enthusiast clubs. Several farms have come together to bring a sheep dog demo to the Fairgrounds on Saturday. Ever consider learning to unicycle? Come to the Sestercentennial on Saturday. Cornhole enthusiasts will want to enter the tournament on Sunday. Beard (and mustache) enthusiasts will want to enter the contest Saturday on the Common.

In the words of the 1932 song sung by Harry Richman, “I love a parade!” Everyone is invited to stand and cheer as the Sestercentennial parade winds through town on Saturday.

History that spans more than two centuries is clearly a significant part of the weekend of celebration. A Saturday morning bus tour of Union, and several options for shorter guided walking tours will be available, taking visitors to many places featured in Ben Ames Williams’ novel, Come Spring. The Robbins House, the Union Historical Society, the Old Town House, and the Matthews Museum will all be open at various times during the weekend. Felting, spinning, weaving, rug hooking, spoon carving, bowl making, blacksmithing, quilt making, and other traditional arts will be demonstrated on the Common on Saturday and some of the artisans are planning to invite crowd participation.

Corporal Cobb and Company B of the 20th Maine will share their recent research of the more than 150 Civil War soldiers that they’ve found who were from Union. The re-enactors will set up camp at the Fairgrounds, demonstrate how the soldiers survived the war, and they’ll shoot their muskets in the parade. For anyone interested in owning a piece of history, or at least something old and interesting, there is an antiques and collectibles auction on Sunday.

A new movie, Union Community Voices, featuring over forty stories and interviews will be featured on Saturday evening (and again on Sunday), followed by Charlie Chaplin’s movie, The Gold Rush. There will be several showings of the home movie from the 1974 Bicentennial celebration. Free concerts also round out the entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

There will be food vendors every day, a pancake breakfast and a chicken BBQ on Saturday, and a BYOP (picnic) and of course, birthday cake and sundaes on Sunday.

A complete schedule of events is available on the Union Historical Society https://unionhistoricalsociety.org/. For those interested in volunteering to help with any of these and other Sestercentennial activities, please contact the Union Sestercentennial Committee at unionme250@gmail.com.