Firemen’s Muster courtesy Mari Eosco
Bath Heritage Days has a little of everything to make for a fun-filled Independence Day weekend on the Midcoast: a July 4 parade, two nights of fireworks, a five-day music festival, a chili cookoff, amusement rides and carnival games, antique cars, road races, a skateboard competition and shopping for everything from local crafts to used books.
But one event truly puts the “heritage” in Bath Heritage Days: the firemen’s muster.
Going back to the 1400s, the word “muster” referred to a “gathering of the troops.” The first firefighting muster in America was in Bath in 1849, when five hand-powered pumpers competed to see who could pump water the farthest. After that, fire companies all over New England started showing off in similar fashion. They would pass leather bucketsful of water down a line to fill barrels or empty a truck faster than the other crew, or they would race their horse carts to a target they would topple with a powerful spray of water. While firefighting equipment evolved beyond buckets and buggies, musters grew in popularity, now taking place all over North America.
Mary E, courtesy Maine Maritime Museum
“It’s billed as the oldest living sport in the United States,” said John Nibarger of Woolrich. “My oldest son got into it years ago. Now it’s a lifestyle for us, competing every summer. I consider what we do to be an interactive living history of firefighting. It takes a lot of stamina. A lot of it depends on the crew size as well as the wind.
The annual firemen’s muster still happens in downtown Bath using fire engines built in 1853 and 1856. You don’t have to be a fireman to join a crew. This free event is at the North End of Front Street on Saturday, July 6 from noon to 3, sponsored by Now You’re Cooking.
Speaking of cooking, don’t miss the chance to sample dozens of dishes at the Chili Chowder Fest fundraiser for Bath Youth Meetinghouse and Skatepark on Saturday, July 6, 3-6:30 p.m. ($15 for adults, $10 for children). In addition to food vendors throughout the festival, there’s the Heritage Days Chicken BBQ on Wednesday, July 3, 5-8 p.m. at Library Park and the Strawberry Shortcake Social on Thursday, July 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Library Park. A brew tent at Waterfront Park will offer Maine craft beers Thursday through Sunday.
Festival events are spread out throughout downtown Bath, with carnival rides along the Kennebec River.
One of the biggest gatherings during Heritage Days is the July 4 parade, starting on the corner of North and Lincoln Streets, proceeding south on Lincoln, east on Centre, north on Front and ending at North Street just past Patten Free Library. This year’s parade theme, “Independence Rocks,” highlights the music festival aspect of Heritage Days, with dozens of live bands playing at either Waterfront Park or Library Park. Headline bands include The Mallet Brothers Band (Wednesday, July 3), Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations followed by fireworks (Thursday, July 4), Queen tribute band Masterstroke (Friday, July 5) and Bath Municipal Band with a second fireworks show (Sunday, July 7).
For a bit more history, stop by Waterfront Dock for a free tour of “The Mary E.” a wooden windjammer built in Bath on the banks of the Kennebec River in 1906 and recently restored by Maine Maritime Museum. If antiques on wheels are more your speed, go one block over to the Front Street Shuffle antique car and truck show Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, including the full schedule and map: www.bathheritagedays.com
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
