A great weekend at Wells Harbor
Wells Harbor Park was the place to be July 29th and 30th, as the annual HarborFest took center stage. This year, the celebration had an added feature, the Friday night Beer and Bean Fest that featured beans baked for 22 hours in a bean hole. Susan and I made a point of sampling the event on both days, as did many of our Wells neighbors, given the size of the turnout.
Let’s begin with Saturday’s activities and then work back to Friday. We arrived shortly before 1 p.m., to find the place abuzz with people of all ages. The Rotary’s chicken BBQ was in full swing, with Rotarians serving up dinners throughout the afternoon. The pavilion was filled when we arrived and remained that way during our stay. The Pirate Treasure Hunt had recently concluded, so there were plenty of excited kids around. Many quickly headed over to the Fire Department’s agility course or to watch the wood carving demonstration by Ron Carlson. It’s amazing to see how precise someone can be with a chainsaw!
We perused the silent auction, and talked with Wells Chamber President Eleanor Vadenais about the many items available. Who knew there was such a thing as a Lobster Singing Telegram? That was just one eye opener among the dozens and dozens of items that had been donated. Nearby was the drone exhibit, which had also drawn a crowd.
A highlight of the afternoon for us was the Great Doughnut Eating Debacle at the gazebo. There, Gary Congdon presided over a ten minute contest in which contestants attempted to eat as many doughnuts as possible from trays full of the delicacies placed in front of them. The ultimate winner consumed 12, a new record for the event we learned. It was an uproariously good time, made even better by the availability of free doughnuts to all in attendance. Susan and I split a glazed one.
There were lots of events that remained and people were still arriving when Susan and I decided that the sun had taken its toll on us, and we slowly made our way back to the car and home. We had a great time enjoying the events and seeing so many people that we knew.
The Beer and Bean Fest on Friday was equally wonderful. Some early rain that day gave way to a bright and sunny afternoon, so we headed to the harbor right around 6 p.m., the starting time. Ryan Liberty, who spearheaded the event, and his wife Colleen, were serving up the beans, while Gary Congdon manned the grill, cooking hamburgers and hot dogs. We quickly settled in with a plate of beans, hamburger (Susan had a hot dog), and cole slaw. It was delicious, especially the beans. As we were early arrivers, we watched the band setting up in the gazebo, while the Tully’s booth was pouring beers. The line for food was growing as the evening progressed.
We talked to Liberty about the bean cooking process, which is an interesting story all by itself. The bean pot Liberty used was loaned by the Maine Forest and Logging Museum in Bradley, ME. He got the recipe for the beans there also, although he said that he “tweaked” it a bit by adding additional onions, black pepper, salt pork, bacon, and his own maple syrup. The entire recipe called for 11 pounds of yellow eye beans, five tablespoons of dry mustard, two tablespoons of salt, four teaspoons of black pepper, two cups of molasses, one cup of maple syrup, one pound of brown sugar, four large onions, two pounds of salt pork, and one and one half pounds of bacon.
The result was a creamy, smoky, and delicious pot of beans. They cooked in the bean hole for 22 hours at Harbor Park, beginning on Thursday evening and continuing all night. Liberty explained the process in an email.
“In order to pull the beans out of the ground for 6 p.m. on Friday night, I had to put them in the ground at around 8 p.m. on Thursday night. The fire department wouldn’t allow me to leave the premises unattended after I put the beans in the ground, therefore I spent the night down at Harbor Park in the back of my car. I think I’ll look for a camper next year.”
Liberty noted that he had help from Tony Hafford of the Elks Club and Rotarian Dennis Hardy, each of whom kept him company until late in the evening, and Marcus Diebolt of the Wells Conservation Commission, who helped with the construction of the bean hole. It was a team effort with great success, as anyone who tasted the beans would agree.
All in all, it was a weekend that is a highlight of the summer in Wells. Up next is the Wells Chamber’s Chili Fest on Saturday, Aug. 27. I was a judge last year and made sure when I saw Eleanor at the HarborFest that she remembered to include me this year. She said she did.
Another event in Wells to look forward to.
