CAMDEN, Maine – WALKING DISTANCE FROM CAMDEN WINDWARD HOUSE : More than a dozen schooners will sail into one of the country’s most-scenic harbors this Labor Day Weekend as the centerpiece of Camden Windjammer Festival 2011 – a celebration of the area’s maritime heritage and Maine’s sea-faring culture.
Some of Maine’s best-known musicians will perform at concerts that people can attend for free, and artisans will ply their trades at a Maritime Heritage Fair. These tradespeople include boat builders, blacksmiths, coopers, sail makers, blacksmiths and fishermen. Performers will stage a “pirate attack” on the town.
“When the schooners enter this harbor that’s framed by mountains, it’s amazing to see,” said Meg Maiden, Maine Windjammer Association marketing director. “The windjammers are powered primarily by sail and have no engines; most are designated National Historic Landmarks.”
What: Camden Windjammer Festival 2011
When: Sept. 2-4, 2011
Highlights: Schooners arrival; music Maritime Heritage Fair; Pirates of the Dark Rose attack; fireworks display; lobster crate and R/C boat races; schooner-crew talent show; all-comers boat parade.
Full Schedule: Available online at www.camdenwindjammerfestival.com/events
Each year, thousands of people from different parts of the country and some international locations attend this end-of-summer event. Camden has been celebrating its maritime heritage each Labor Day Weekend since the mid-1990s.
“It’s an authentic experience,” Maiden said. “The skills that the captains display have been passed down through the generations. All of them have worked their way up on sailing vessels.”
The schooners will host open houses, where visitors will be able to tour the schooners at no cost and learn about the tradition these windjammers represent. In the mid-1800s, ship builders regularly launched schooners into Camden Harbor, and for decades, Camden served as home port for cargo-carrying vessels that traveled to locales such as those in the West Indies.
Camden also is the birthplace of recreational schooner trips, with vessels beginning to carry passengers in the 1930s. Today, Camden remains home port to a dozen schooners, and these majestic sailing ships continue to offer trips where passengers can contribute to the sailing of the big ships, experience life on a windjammer, enjoy the stunning scenery and participate in activities such as lobster bakes.
On shore, the Heritage Fair also will offer free educational and fun activities to visitors.
“The whole impulse around this is activity and not just static displays,” said Bridget Qualey, chair of the Maritime Heritage Fair committee. “It takes people back into their memories and family recollections. It allows visitors to ask questions and learn new things.”