Good times were in the air at this past weekend’s annual Woolwich Days celebration.

New attractions this year included a climbing wall to challenge the kids and a collection of vintage cars and trucks to see. There was also homemade ice cream, cotton candy and fresh-squeezed lemonade to enjoy.

Also new this year was a chicken barbecue held Friday evening at Woolwich Central School to benefit the community’s newly formed Recreation Committee. Beth Harrington, Recreation Committee administrator, said over a hundred people attended the dinner. “We raised over $600,” she told the newspaper.

Robbie Simpson, a local favorite, provided live music at the dinner held in the school’s cafeteria.

Saturday’s events started early with the annual running of the Bob Meade 10 K Road Race followed by the One Mile Family Fun Run. 

Selectman Allison Hepler said Alex Wickes, 17, of  Woolwich was the overall winner, finishing in 48:55. Wickes is captain of the Morse High School cross country team. Dominic Maccio of Woolwich was second. Paul Briones of Chula Vista, California came in third.

Other finishers included Emily Reese, Bath, 55:55; Liam Scanlon, Woolwich, 12, 1:00:53; Chuck Thomas, Woolwich, 69, 1:01:20 (tie); Therese Thomas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 48, 1:01:20 (tie); and Diane Leavitt, Woolwich, 55, 1:09:43

Woolwich’s Alex Maccio, 17, won the Fun Run. Liam Scanlon, 12, came in second.

“Woolwich Day is always a great place for seeing neighbors and friends, and meeting new friends. Plus, the bad weather forecast held off until we got home,” Hepler commented. “Kudos to all the volunteers who make this day happen,” she added.

Other activities got going around 9 a.m. with the arrival of the antique cars and trucks parked on the lawn of the historic Nequasset Meeting House.

The cars included a sleek 1955 black convertible Ford Thunderbird coupe owned by Barbara Richards of Barley Neck Road. There was also a vintage 1931 Ford Model A pickup owned by resident Bob King Jr.

Later in the morning, Road Commissioner Jack Shaw and his wife Sharon arrived in their black 1938 Ford sedan with the license plate “BOOTLEG.” The Maine Obsolete Auto League helped arrange the showing.

On the grounds alongside the municipal building were many tables and tents including “The Flower Lady,” Claudette Leonard of Chopps Cross Road, selling colorful floral arrangements and plants.

Olivia Leavitt and Luke Brown, two students on summer break from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, were manning the lemonade booth. Behind them were Amy and Gaius Hennin from Shelter Institute. They were giving away free samples of homemade ice cream including French vanilla, coffee, strawberry and pineapple sherbet. The Hennins made the ice cream from a machine of Gaius’s own design, powered by a John Deere engine.

There was also free cotton candy for the kids, a bounce house and a towering climbing wall provided by EVO Rock & Fitness of Portland. Woolwich Communications Committee members Roger Baffer and Caelie Smith provided the cotton candy.

Kids could handle a working fire hose under the supervision of Woolwich junior firefighters Josh Demers and Lilly Maccio. The idea was to aim a stream of water at a wooden cutout of a house, knocking over simulated flames in its windows. It’s harder then it sounds.

Selectman Jason Shaw could be found manning the grill cooking hot dogs and hamburgers. Shaw said he thought the turnout for this year’s event was pretty consistent with previous years.

Lynette Eastman said Woolwich Days has been a summer tradition since she became town administrator in 1996. George Eastman, Lynette’s husband, served as the master of ceremonies, providing recorded music for the day.

Todd McPhee, a former selectman, said he couldn’t remember for sure when the summer event began or who had started it. McPhee was selling raffle tickets that included a number of unusual prizes. One for kids was a ride to WCS this fall on a fire truck; another, the opportunity to go lobstering with Selectman David King Sr.

Comic John Ater was this year’s featured guest performer.