For Kennebunkport Historical Society’s summer lawn party Aug. 3, more than 100 history lovers dug deep into storage, scoured vintage shops or ordered on Amazon for leisure suits, paisley prints and leather fringe vests. “There was a vote in the spring asking what decade we wanted to celebrate, and I voted for the 1920s again because I have a flapper dress,” said Nancy Eaton of Kennebunk.
But it turns out she had something for the 1970s, too – a yellow-and-pink floral bridesmaid dress from her wedding in 1971. “It’s fun to see all the costumes – like those white Nancy Sinatra boots,” said David Joyall, who wore a Fotomat T-shirt. “All the food, too.
Though, I picked up something to eat that I didn’t quite recognize, and it turned out to be cream cheese and pimento, which I hated as a kid and didn’t enjoy better today.” On the front lawn of the historical society’s 1853 property known as White Columns sat a green 1972 Fiat 128 and a white 1968 Volvo P8100 that was driven by Roger Moore in the 1960s British crime drama “The Saint.” On the columned porch, Dana Pearson and Mark Gunter played retro tunes like “Let Your Love Flow” by The Belamy Brothers and “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick.
Guests enjoyed beer, wine and blueberry lemonade – spiked or not – and reminisced about (or imagined) the 1970s over finger sandwiches, ambrosia, Jell-O poke cupcakes and carrot cake cookies. “Some people say this is a social club masquerading as a historical society, or a historical society masquerading as a social club,” said Ian Sheridan of Kennebunkport. “Either way, it’s a group of intellectually curious people who are interested in preserving the history of the Kennebunks.
” Among ticket sales, a silent auction and dozens of corporate sponsors led by Kennebunk Savings, the party raised over $20,000 to support the work of the historical society, which preserves nine buildings and offers educational programs, publications, research and seasonal tours. Party guests watched a slideshow of old photos from the town’s Dump Parades that were all the rage on July 4 weekend from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. “The Dump Parade was a big deal and was covered by national news organizations like Time magazine,” said historian Sharon Cummins.
“It was an early environmental thing.” Kennebunkport Dump Association founder Ed Mayo started the parade in 1965 to encourage use of the dump as a place to scout for treasure, socialize and talk politics (and as an alternative to littering). At the height of the rubbish parade’s popularity, there was a week of festivities, including a contest to choose Miss Dumpy, with girls wearing castoffs like grapefruit halves, fish netting and six-pack rings.
Dozens of local businesses sponsored intentionally trashy floats, and anyone with a couple pieces of cardboard could make a statement like “Dump Nixon – Clean Up America.” “Eventually, the Dump Parade got a little out of hand,” Cummins said. The tradition was discarded in the early 1980s but recycled once in 2003 for Kennebunkport’s 350th anniversary celebration.
Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at [email protected].
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