Cool running

If it seemed like all of Bridgton was up early July 4 for the 33rd annual Four on the Fourth road race, it was. I received the official stats this week, and sure enough, this year’s race was the largest ever, with 1,900 runners registered and 1,700 finishing. The weather was clear and summery just long enough for everyone to cross the finish line safely. Congratulations to Maine’s own Ben True, who won the race with the fastest time since 1987.

Team Black Horse had a spectacular finish in the middle of the pack, and while we never saw Ben as he flew out of the gate, I am pleased to report that Pond Road did not get the better of any of us.

Four on the Fourth raised more than $25,000 for the Bridgton library and many other local nonprofits that do great work in our community. Many thanks to the organizers, the runners, the spectators who cheered us along on the sidelines, and especially the volunteers manning the water stations and hoses. Many of the runners came from other states and countries, and it was a great way to show off our beautiful town and community spirit.

Art In the Park

July is always a busy month in Bridgton, and the mid-month highlight is the annual Art in the Park art fair. Held in beautiful Shorey Park at the Highland Lake beach, this juried exhibition brings dozens of Maine-based painters, sculptors, jewelers and photographers to town. Whether you are looking for a grand oil painting, a whimsical miniature, a photo of a local moose or a hand-thrown vase to put fresh flowers in, you will find it and more at Art In the Park.

Art in the Park runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, in Shorey Park. If you have any questions about this event or any of the exhibiting artists, please call Gallery 302 at 647-ARTS.

Get fresh

The annual Farmers Market Festival is also coming to town, on Saturday, July 18, and you will find much more than delicious local veggies there.

Just down the street from Art In the Park, the festival is held in the common area on Depot Street, behind the Magic Lantern. This year’s highlights include entertainment by Ken and Laurie Turley, a flea market, grilled burgers and home-baked goodies, and booths filled with fresh herbs, artisanal goat cheeses and organic fruits and flowers.

Our area farmers have seen the market growing bigger every summer as customers seek out fresh, locally grown foods. Please join them on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a celebration of Maine’s farms. Locally spent money stays local. Thanks for spending yours here!

Road trip!

As lovely as the Lakes Region is in summer, it is easy to forget that the Atlantic Ocean and its beachfront towns are just a short drive away. If you have a hankering for a change of scenery, the Bridgton Community Center has two special trips planned.

Whether you prefer spending a day in an art gallery in a classic Maine seaside town or watching breathtaking aerial maneuvers, you will want to be on the bus that departs the BCC on Saturday, July 25.

The first stop will drop visitors off at the annual “Wings and Wheels Spectacular and Aerobatic Show” at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owl’s Head, where you will spend a day among kindred car and airplane buffs.

Then it’s off to the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland for the highly acclaimed Jamie Wyeth exhibit “Seven Deadly Sins.” The Farnsworth has the world’s largest collection of works from all of the prodigious Wyeth clan, as well as an impressive display of other noteworthy Maine artists.

This excursion costs $25 per person and is open to all ages over 10. The Custom Coach leaves Bridgton at 7 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m. Please call Lorraine Goldrup at 647-3116 for registration information, as the bus is almost booked.

Walk through history

Much of Bridgton’s early industry and prosperity was directly linked to the path Stevens Brook takes through the town: Mills, foundries and even a coffin shop were built on the brook’s banks.

The Lakes Environmental Association’s Bridie McGreavy, on an “Exploring the Wilds of Bridgton” tour years ago, was amazed to find the remains of old foundations, artifacts and metal works deep in the woods. Her curiosity led her to delve deeper into the past, and she was joined in her research by Maine historian Sue Black.

Black, who has since spent several years poring through local and state archives to find photographs and maps of Bridgton as it was in the old days, will lead a tour of the history of Stevens Brook next week. Participants will explore the ruins of some of the 12 power sites that once dotted the shore and learn the history of some of the homes that are now just abandoned foundations.

Join Sue Black at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the LEA building on Chase and Main Street. The walk will leave from there. Please call Bridie McGreavy of LEA at 647-8580 if you have any questions.