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On Saturday, sidewalks, Kennebunkport Village Square and local businesses were crowded with masked and unmasked crowds. The event is marked by s'mores, bonfires, live music in bars and other celebrations. 

Few people can exceed Fred Paine’s enthusiasm for Kennebunkport’s 40th Annual Christmas Prelude, a multi-day celebration that includes craft sales, hot chocolate, carols, and other festive joys in southern Maine It was held in the town of Quant with approximately 5,900 residents.

Paine stood out among the 200 or so people who participated in the popular hat and fancy dress parade, drawing inspiration from some of the most interesting movies of the festival. The 62-year-old Massachusetts man wears Buddy from the movie "Elves" and a homemade plywood replica of the green wooden wagon from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

The headlights of this wagon work, and on top is a Christmas tree that was uprooted from the opening scene of the movie and a squirrel that later caused severe damage. It also has fishnet stocking leg lights from another movie "Christmas Story". He estimated that his hat weighs about 40 pounds, but the weight is spread across his shoulders by two brackets.

"This is my favorite part," Paine said of the parade his son discovered while studying at the University of New England about five years ago. "We are making it a tradition now. We came on Friday and had a great time all weekend."

A group of self-proclaimed festival flamingos greeted the parade at the end of the prelude hat parade on the Matthew J. Lannigan Bridge. Ben McCana/staff photographer

Due to the pandemic, last year’s multi-day celebrations were reduced. So people like Leslie Eisenberg, a resident of New Hampshire, are very excited about coming back. Her family has a second home nearby, and this activity has always been a family tradition. She and her 84-year-old mother, Anglin, were wearing Christmas tree hats and colorful Christmas tree lamp necklaces. They listened to a group of carolers singing in front of the store, wearing garlands, garlands and ribbons.

"It's like a story book," said the 60-year-old Eisenberg. "This is a great way to start Christmas with your family. We had a lot of family and child-bearing memories when we were young. It's just very special."

The Christmas Prelude is organized by the Kennebunkport Business Association, which hosts dozens of events outdoors and local businesses. It starts on Thursday and will last until this weekend and next Thursday to Sunday.

On Saturday afternoon, crowds of people-masked or unmasked-crowded sidewalks, town squares, and local businesses. There are s'mores, bonfires, live music in the bar and many other festival-themed celebrations.

It looks like business is booming, just like the weather in the mid-1930s, with clear weather and high temperatures. Lee White, who has owned the Whimsy Shop for the past 12 years, said that it is great to see everyone unite again and support local businesses-this was something that people were uncomfortable with last year.

"For the year after 2020, I would say it is excellent. We are really excited to have so many people coming," White said. "We thought it would be busy, but you never know."

Outside White’s shop is the town’s Christmas tree, decorated with lobster buoys. The tree was lit on Friday night, and there was a red lobster holding a gold star on it.

John and Maureen Court of Old Orchard Beach are among the steady stream of people posing for pictures in front of the trees. Both were dressed in full costumes, Maureen wore a snowman sweater, and John dressed as a nutcracker. Both wore small hats on their heads, but insisted that they were just to watch the hat parade.

During the opening festival of Prelude on Friday, Christopher Radley stopped while his father Kyle took pictures of him on the well-lit sidewalk in Kennebunkport. Gregory Rec/staff photographer

"It feels so good to be back," said 60-year-old Maureen Cote. The weather is great. "

The parade started after 3 pm, and people dressed up as reindeer, Santa Claus, lobster, even turkey and a chicken. Hats range from simple (including paper bags made into reindeer) to delicate (including piles of Christmas gifts). There was even a group of witches throwing candy at the children along the parade route.

It soon became obvious that if the parade was a race, Paine's plywood hat might be the best performance.

When the parade ended on the bridge across the Musam River and near the center of the village, Paine was crowded with people who wanted to take photos with him. Before being taken away by the police eager to reopen the road, he accommodated him as much as possible.

When the reporter found that he looked as popular as Santa Claus, Paine turned around and smiled brightly.

"It's great," he said. "This is great."

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