By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — A pair of lobsters stood on the lawn in Casco Village. One becomes mesmerized by her own claws. Suddenly, she says aloud, “I have pinchers. Pinch. Pinch.”

The lobster costumes were worn by two children about kindergarten age. A lobster toddler sat in a stroller.

Meanwhile, a mom hurriedly tapes toy stuffed lobsters to the edge of a black speckled enamel pot being held by a young girl wearing a chef hat.

On Friday night, Carrie Canaan is busily preparing for the children’s parade. Her family hails from Maryland and they have always summered in Casco. She spends the summers on Coffee Pond, she said. Over the years, Casco Days has become a family tradition, especially the Children’s Parade.

Most years, when it comes to figuring out the theme for their parade entry — mom’s vote trumps all.   

“I decide. Sometimes, they have input. Usually, they can’t agree so it becomes an executive decision,” Carrie said.

In the background, one child disagreed with her mom that they couldn’t all agree on a theme.

Unfazed, Carrie said, “I spent my summers up here as a kid. Now, my kids are spending their summers here.”

Her mom agreed, sharing, “She [Carrie] has been in parade since she was an infant. We are carrying on the tradition.”

The Children’s Parade took place Friday night as part of the 89th Annual Casco Days lineup. One entry that seems synonymous with the children’s parade is the Mayberry Hill Pre-school. It’s located near Casco Village. The pre-school has been in existence for about 50 years. It provides a constant stream of children.

“We’ve missed a few years. We’ve either been in the grand parade or kiddies parade, out of 46 years that I’ve owned it, probably 40 years,” according to Mayberry Hill Pre-School owner and director Barbara Simpson.

Encompassing that many years, the small children grow up and have their own children who attend the pre-school. Frequently, there are a few generations in the parade.

She pointed out the interesting fact that 40 children will be part of Mayberry’s entry. “This year, we have 40 kids. We have a summer camp. We have alumni that come back and join us. It is a hodgepodge of folks — 40 kids,” she said.

Barbara uses an air pump to blow up “Under the Sea” floaties and decorations. A female employee is assisting her. With the exception of the air pumps, it is fairly quiet because she has instructed the children not to show up to the parade staging area until after 6:30 p.m. She finds that a full hour before the parade begins is too long for the little ones to contain their excitement.

Also, she shares her method for choosing a theme.

“Some years, the kids pick. This year, I picked it. This year, it is ‘Under the Sea.’ It’s fun for the kids. A lot of the kids love mermaids. It’s pretty simple. Everyone got on board as soon as we said what our theme was,” she said.

Every year, when Casco Days approaches, excitement fill the air.   

“The kids get so excited. As soon as the banners go up and they start building the stuff, the kids start talking about Casco Days. And I remember when my children were little, it was the same thing — as soon as they started seeing the Ferris wheel up, they were thrilled about Casco Days,” Barbara said. “A lot of them were really excited yesterday to come and see the fireworks. They are thrilled to be in the parade. It is a really big deal for them. It’s a lot of fun. The families really enjoy it. The kids enjoy it. We love the Casco Days’ Children’s parade.”

In another area, people in a different parade entry ready their costumes. On the lawn is a pile of a dozen yellow frames with the red words, Guess Who?  

Christine Campbell, of Otisfield, is filling out the parade entry paperwork.

“This might be our ninth year. They were babies the first year we did it,” she said.

“The first year we didn’t take it very seriously. We just showed up and did it. Every year since, we have been ‘all in’ with pretty elaborate themes. Some years, it has been easy. The kids have been really into trolls. This year, originally, we were going to do Uno. We decided it was kind of boring and we thought we could be more creative if we could choose characters from the ‘Guess Who?’ game,” Campbell said.

Another adult in the group, Mary Gall, provided the back story.

“Christine was my best friend growing up, since we were 10. We have 10 kids between the two of us. I have four. She has six,” Mary said. “She [Christine] is the mastermind. She started doing it with her family forever ago. We have been coming for probably four or five years ourselves.”

The group listed themes from years past: Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Gettysburg with Abraham Lincoln, a chess board and Under the Sea.

Christine commented that they might be running out of themes. Most likely, members of the group would “age out” first since some of the children will be turning into teenagers, she said. 

Jameson Campbell had a story to tell from their Alice in Wonderland parade entry in 2022. 

“When I was the bunny [white rabbit], a little girl kept asking me what time it was,” Jameson said.

Christine’s nephew Dylan felt confident that 2024 was the year the group would take home first place. 

“They have tried multiple years and never won. This year is definitely the year. I think we will win and I’ll put money on it,” Dylan said.

Others in the party agreed wholeheartedly. Christine claimed they were already winners.

“The thing I take pride in: Although we have never won, typically people ask to have their picture taken with us. That feels like a win,” she said.