World-Class Music by Local Musicians Lined Up for Festival Weekend
Four Stages Will Rock...and Swing, and Jazz It Up...All Weekend
YARMOUTH, Maine — On July 16, 17, and 18, the normally quiet New England village of Yarmouth, Maine, will swell to 15 times its size, as over 100,000 visitors flock to the 45th Annual Yarmouth Clam Festival.
This Festival — as much about the arts as it is about the food — offers a feast for not only the taste buds, but also the eyes and the ears:
Over 40 performances on four stages — are lined up featuring local and world-class musicians and entertainers that span a remarkable breadth of styles and talents.
The Festival welcomes multi-award winning New England-based songwriter Jason Spooner; Portland singer-songwriter Nancy Cartonio; R&B band The Delta Knights; Celtic harp and violin duo Castlebay; rockin’ blues band Bob Rasero and the Renovators; bluegrass band The Stowaways, featuring an all-star cast of Maine musicians; and the Rock My Soul Gospel Choir.
Among the returning favorites — it wouldn’t be Clam Festival without them! — are the wicked good ‘n’ funny Wicked Good Band; happy 60s surf band The Clams; traditional folk trio The Mutineers; heartwarming Downeasters Barbershop Harmony Society; 25-member steel drum Pan Fried Steel; traditional bagpipers Dunlap Highland Band; dynamic septet Port City Jazz; and Sweet Adelines Royal River Chorus.
The Festival presents the third annual Battle of the Bands. Six bands, consisting of Yarmouth High School students and graduates will compete to win the judge’s votes. Judging criteria include preparation, originality, authenticity, individual and group performance quality and presentation, and audience engagement. The winning band will have the stage to itself on Sunday afternoon.
And rock ‘n’ roll fans will belt out their favorite tunes at Capt'n Eli's Karaoke Challenge Saturday afternoon. All brave Karaoke singers/performers will be entered into a drawing for cool CDs, concert tickets, and a one-year supply of Capt'n Eli's Soda.
150 artists and craftspeople — A wide array of arts and crafts at the Festival include paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, fiber arts, and some items that defy categorization. About 25 percent of the artists and crafters are new each year, to complement the cast of perennial favorites.
Seafood! Clams, of course, are always the featured menu item at the food circle throughout the weekend, and a boatload of other seafood will also be served up: lobster stew, lobster rolls, grilled scallops, shore dinners, and fried shrimp, to name a few. A wide array of favorite foods for landlubbers includes pizza, burgers and dogs, meatball subs, home-baked desserts, the famously thirst-quenching Lime Rickeys, and much more.
One of Maine’s most popular summer events, this year’s festival will, as always, delight attendees with perennially popular attractions, such as the Friday night parade, Saturday night block party and fireworks, the Clam Shucking contests, Firefighters’ Muster, the Diaper Derby and, of course, lots and lots of clams!
Admission to Yarmouth Clam Festival events is free. Proceeds from food booths and parking lots support Yarmouth’s non-profit student, sporting, music, church, and community-service organizations.
