Yarmouth Clam Festival to get popping with parade, ‘American Idol’ star and more (2024)

Move over Steamer, Yarmouth Clam Festival has another local hero this year.

“American Idol” finalist Julia Gagnon will be the grand marshal of the parade and perform for festival crowds on Friday night, then will serve as a judge for a singing competition dubbed Clam Fest Idol on Saturday.

Steamer, the festival’s flamboyant clam mascot since 2004, will still be marching in the parade and posing for pictures with people. But this year, Steamer will have to share the festival spotlight.

Gagnon, a native of Cumberland who went to North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, was a sensation on this spring’s edition of “American Idol” on ABC, finishing in the top seven and garnering support from fans all over Maine and the country. Since being back in Maine, she’s performed around the state, including at the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls and at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium.

The 57th Annual Yarmouth Clam Festival is a chance for Gagnon to reach her biggest live audience yet, as the event usually draws 100,000 over three days and is southern Maine’s signature summer event. This year, it runs Friday through Sunday.

Besides seeing and hearing Gagnon, there are lots of things to do at this year’s festival. Here are a few suggestions.

DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE

The Clam Festival has one of the liveliest parades in southern Maine, with dozens of community groups suiting up in costumes or building floats. This year’s theme is “Pop Culture Phenomena.” This seems appropriate, since this year’s grand marshal was on “American Idol.” The mile-and-a-half parade begins at 6 p.m. and ends around 7:30 p.m. After Gagnon finishes her parade duties, she’ll perform for festivalgoers on the Memorial Green.

LET THE MUSIC PLAY

While clams are not known as the most musical of mollusks, the Yarmouth Clam Festival is packed with free music all weekend long. There are more than 40 musical acts and other entertainers on two main stages scheduled.

On Friday afternoon and evening, for instance, the North Yarmouth Academy stage will feature Christo Sedgewick (Americana/Indie), Jenny Jumpstart (acoustic, Americana), the Kevin Midgley Players (acoustic blues, gospel) and Jack Fossett and Friends (blues rock). Also on Friday, the Memorial Green stage will feature Pejepscot Station (bluegrass/Americana), Gagnon, and Eight Balls Band (classic rock). There will be a full schedule of bands on both stages Saturday and Sunday as well.

The Royal River Community Players will present “Alone, Together (A Yarmouth Clam Fest Musical)” on the Memorial Green Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

KIDDING AROUND

This year’s festival features an expanded family area on the Merrill Memorial Library lawn, with play structures, face painting, caricatures drawn, and craft making. The area will host a K-9 demonstration Saturday at 10 a.m., where families can meet local police officers and their handlers.

The family area will also host the Balloon Twisting Party Palooga and magic shows by The Great Stephan on Sunday afternoon.There’ll be a touch-a-truck event on Saturday from 1-3 p.m., where kids can explore all kinds of trucks and heavy equipment. And, of course, there arealso carnival rides and amusem*nts by Smokey’s Greater Shows, in Bennett Field by the Rowe School.

One of the festival’s crowd favorites also features kids, very young ones. The Diaper Dash features races for toddlers and crawling babies, at noon on Sunday under the Memorial Green tent. The event is hosted by News Center Maine’s Lee Goldberg.

GETTING CLAMS TO OPEN UP

The skill and art of shucking clams is celebrated each year at the Maine State Clam Shucking Contest. This year’s competition is at 11 a.m. Saturday under the Memorial Green tent. There will be contests for professional shuckers as well as amateurs, with prizes going to winners. There will also be two celebrity heats featuring local TV and radio personalities. Last year, a team from News Center Maine won that title.

EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCES

A brand new event at this year’s festival will showcase nine local singers vying for the title of Clam Fest Idol, Saturday from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Memorial Green tent. The singers will be judged by musical folks from the Yarmouth Music Boosters, Studio B Exchange and 317 Main Community Music Center, plus Gagnon. The contestants can take heart in the fact that Gagnon herself won a local contest called Central Maine Idol in Hallowell last year, before auditioning for “American Idol.”

After Clam Fest Idol, there will be a fireworks show, beginning around 9:15 p.m. Best suggested viewing spots are at Memorial Green and from the Smokey’s carnival area.

GET READY TO RUMBLE

On Sunday from 1-3 p.m., the festival will host an invite-only car show called Main St. Rumble, featuring classic cars on display in front of Yarmouth Town Hall. The event’s grand marshal is Travis Mills, retired Army staff sergeant and an advocate for veterans and amputees. The vehicles will make their entrance with a police escort at 1 p.m.

HELPING HANDS

Some 30 nonprofit groups and more than 3,000 volunteers put on the festival most years. This year organizers say some groups are facing significant volunteer shortages and more help would be appreciated. For information about volunteering, email info@clamfestival.com or call the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce at 207-846-3984.

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