Classic Boat Festival scuttled

posted on 03/08/10

Mahone Bay’s annual Classic Boat Festival is history.

Festival chairman Dave Devenne says that after 20 years, the popular summertime attraction that drew thousands of people and dozens of boats to the scenic South Shore town each year will not take place.

For the past five years the festival, which charges no admission fee, has been experiencing financial difficulties, either suffering a loss each year or just managing to break even.

“You have to have about $5,000 to start the year before you even go to your sponsors for money. That’s to pay the deposit on the tent booking and insurance,” he explains. “Last year we finished in the hole, so not only are we in the hole, but we don’t have any money to start this year.”

Mr. Devenne says that while there is no reason to believe that this year will be any different from a financial perspective, the festival was facing another, even bigger problem and that is a lack of volunteers.

“Not volunteers to sell raffle tickets at the festival, or to pick up the garbage or to work the parade for a couple of hours. It’s the 10 or 15 people we need right now to organize it, and it can be for some people literally a couple of hundred hours of effort,” he explains, adding that over the years “there aren’t too many people in Mahone Bay that haven’t volunteered at one time or another.

“I think it’s just another indicator that our population is getting older, and they have volunteered and they’re tired of it,” he says.