Old Home Days caps 57th year of festivities

PHILLIPS — Celebrating the spirit of community, hundreds of parade-goers waved to Old Home Days marchers and floats on Friday afternoon.

Children dressed in colorful gauze fairy wings and pirate garb stood excitedly along Main Street as bagpipers, dancers, cows and a dragon moved past them. The 57th year of festivities included a children’s art show, photography and quilt exhibits, and a “Phillips Goes Hollywood” theme that offered a dazzling range of creativity.

Honored couple Jane and Barry Thorndike rode in style in a homemade stretch limousine, while riders on the old narrow gauge railroad in Dill Woods got a taste of another form of transportation that once carried visitors and working people around western Maine.

The festivities continue through the weekend.

On Saturday, Aug. 16, a three-mile walk to benefit the American Cancer Society will be held. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. at the library and walkers begin at 8 a.m. The annual road race starts at 9 a.m. on Main Street, with registration at the hardware store. On Sunday, Aug. 17, events include the Sandy River Flying Club breakfast, a loggers’ competition and a children’s parade.

: Some of the more creative floats in the Phillips Old Home Days parade on Friday afternoon were a big hit with every age. Hundreds of spectators cheered for the 30-foot long dragon/alligator hybrid with its impressive dental display and glowing eyes. The 57th year of festivities continues through Sunday.

: Diners at the annual chicken barbecue had front-row seats for the “Phillips Goes Hollywood” parade down Main Street during Phillips Old Home Days on Friday afternoon.

: Edmund and Romaine Hutchinson of Weld stand at attention as the American Legion color guard marches by during the Phillips Old Home Days parade on Friday afternoon. The 57th year of festivities continues through Sunday.

: The fairy grownups watched the grand parade after their annual Wonderland children’s activities that included tours of tiny fairy villages, pirate treasures and face painting on Friday afternoon. The 57th year of festivities continues through Sunday.