BOWDOINHAM

The annual Celebrate Bowdoinham event this weekend will offer the long-standing Chicken Run 5K as well as a new bicycle ride.

Whether or not festivitygoers bike or run up an appetite in those events, there will be several food vendors on the waterfront.

The event was scheduled to kick off tonight with the showing of “Growing Up Bowdoinham,” at 7:30 p.m. at the gazebo in Mailly Waterfont Park. However the showing has been canceled due to rain.

“Growing Up Bowdoinham” is a 50-minute documentary by Jeff Fischer about childhood in Bowdoinham, as told through interviews with 16 people age 9 to 97.

Those featured in the film talk about the chores they did, how their family got food, what they did in the summer and winter, and growing up in Bowdoinham.

On Saturday, the 10-mile Celebrate Bike Ride will start at the recreation field by Bowdoinham Community School and wheel along Route 24, down Browns Point Road and Pork Point Road, then back on to Route 24 to the starting point. Registration is 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. and costs $10, to benefit the town’s recreation department, which is funded predominately through fundraising. Participants younger than 18 must have a parent sign a waiver form; the cost is free for those younger than 16.

The Chicken Run starts at 8 a.m. at Bowdoinham Community School; registration is 6:45 to 7:30 a.m.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the fire station and will feature a procession of floats, organizations, horseback riders, Kora cars, fire trucks, veterans and a drum and bugle corps that will wind its way down Main Street and River and Ridge roads.

Festivities at the waterfront after the parade includes a coin scramble at noon, lobster crate races at 12:30 p.m.; and the Great KenDucky Derby Race at 3:30 p.m. which has a $400 prize for first duck and $100 prize for last duck over the finish line.

There will be an inflatable bounce house, bouncy slide and obstacle course, to which kids have endless access with a $5 hand stamp. Several performers will entertain at the gazebo 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nicole Briand, an event organizer, said the flea market — which benefits the town’s EMS department — and the silent auction, which supports the Celebrate Bowdoinham, return this year.

Also new this year is a caricature artist who will do portraits for $10.

River Run Tours of Bath, which has a six-passenger capacity, will leave the waterfront on the hour giving tours of the Cathance River. The cost is $15 per adult and $10 per child.

The farmers market as well as Bowdoinham’s Best will be held at the Merrymeeting Grange. Back is the best pie contest. The judging is tonight and the winner will be announced after the announcement of the town’s first-ever citizen of the year, a tradition that is expected to continue.

Food vendors include the Bowdoinham Country Store, the Bowdoniham Farmers’ Market, the Kabayan Philippine Foods, Long Branch School, Starlight Cafe, Steve’s Fried Dough, Sylvester’s Fish and Chips and The Town Landing.

There will be a bean supper at the fire station from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, and the festival will blast to an end with fireworks at 8:30 p.m.

For a full list of Celebrate Bowdoinham events, visit http://www.bowdoinham.co m/celebrate-bowdoinham of the town’s Facebook page.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

Celebrate Bowdoinham

FOR A full list of events, visit www.bowdoinham.com/celebrate bowdoinham or the town’s Facebook page.