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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing
Article Summaries |
Let's Enjoy Labor Day
By Esther J. Perne Summer ends, not on a specific date but on the schedule of schools and sports and social obligations. Organized events wind down, camps close, and the feel of fall sneaks into the air. Suddenly nights seem cold and the lakes are quiet. What was once the grand finale holiday for the season, the cue for summer vacationers to head home is a mere day off in a fall/winter routine already begun. But there is a secret about the Labor Day season. It's the best time of the year in the Belgrades — on the lakes, on the trails, in the towns. Let the colors creep across the hills, let the loons raft and the ferns brown, let the sweaters come out and the scent of wood-burning waft across the treetops. These are the cues not to leave, but to return — for a day, an overnight, a long weekend. 
Sleep comes easily, there is no pressure for the sports-minded to perform, the invitation outdoors is to linger and relax, and sales signs are up in the now uncrowded shops and boutiques. And, there is one last great family holiday outing: Oosoola Park Frog Day in Norridgewock. Frog Day as it's fondly known is reached by a variety of scenic routes. The setting itself is on a beautiful bend in the Kennebec River. Starting with a parade through downtown Norridgewock at 9 am, the celebration includes a full day of fun-filled events for all ages and for pets, from the Baby Crawl, to Hat Judging, to the famous Frog Races — for children and for adults. Frog Day features many children's activities, local/regional civic booths, good home-cooked food which benefits area organizations, a Jail House, and boat rides on the Kennebec River. New this year are seaplane rides — 15 minutes for $40 and 30 minutes for $75.
All pictures were taken at Norridgewock's 2004 Labor Day Parade. | |||||
