By Adina Salmansohn
ORLAND — The Orland River Day community gathering is a festival with a 50 year tradition in the town of Orland. Orland River Day celebrates the people of the town, as well as the “river that runs through it, every day”, in the words of E.B. White.
The theme of this year’s Orland River Day is Mardi Gras, that fabulous party in New Orleans that takes place on Fat Tuesday, right before Lent begins. Aside from booth decorations, parade floats are encouraged to follow the Mardi Gras theme. The parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. from the Orland Community Center. Kids and parents are invited to hop on the Hayride in the parade, and hayrides will continue through the morning. Castine Kayak, per tradition, will lead the “Alewife Paddle”, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Alamoosook Lake Craig Brook Fish Hatchery. For more competitive folks, MACKRO will hold its thirrd annual Canoe and Kayak Race at 11 a.m.
In keeping with the theme, the ORD Committee is holding a King Cake Baking contest. Bakers are encouraged to drop their entries off at the booth on Narramissic Drive by 9:30 a.m.
After the parade, Narramissic Drive will be alive with food and craft vendors, community groups and The Orland Historical Society, special musical performances at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. by The Newell Family fiddlers and the Scrambled Steel pan band. Tours of local businesses, raffles to win ATV’s and many other activities will continue until 2:30 p.m.
The Orland River Day festival is free and open to all.
For more information, rules, and sign ups for participation events such as the Alewife Paddle, the MACKRO Canoe and Kayak race and the King Cake Baking contest,, please see the River Day page on the Town of Orland website https//townorforland.org or the Orland River Day Facebook page. You can also call The Orland Town Offices at 207-469-3186.
