MACHIAS, Maine — The Margaretta Days Festival this year had a special guest.
Dressed in period clothing, Margaretta Brown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, mingled and chatted with others at the event, held to celebrate Machias’ part in the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War.
Her husband, Ross, recalled seeing an advertisement for Margaretta Days in a Halifax newspaper in 2007. The ad included a phone number, so he called for more information.
“What attracted me to the ad was the name Margaretta,” he remembers telling the person he called. “I have a Margaretta.”
The person asked if his Margaretta was a boat, Brown said.
“I said, ‘No, she’s my wife,’” he said.
The Browns decided to make the trip to Maine that year and returned again this year, said the couple, both of whom are 79.
They were among the many people who described Margaretta Days as “fantastic” or “excellent” and praised the sunny, warm weather.
“It’s a very interesting illustration of Revolutionary War history,” said Harry G. Orcutt, vice president general of the Northeast District of the Sons of the American Revolution.
He said he was wearing the uniform of Maj. Gen. Henry Knox.
“The red does not signify British,” he said. “The red signifies artillery.”
“It’s been awesome,” said Chris Sprague, who was dressed as Jeremiah O’Brien. “A big turnout. Biggest crowd I’ve seen so far.”
Margaretta Days kicked off with a parade which made its way from Helen’s restaurant to the Machias bridge for a dedication ceremony. Rep. Will Tuell, R-East Machias, cut a ribbon and gave a speech commemorating the fact that the bridge will become known as the Jeremiah O’Brien Memorial Bridge, thanks to a bill he sponsored.
He presented the plaque to Chris Sprague, who was at the event dressed as O’Brien. Sprague held the plaque while throngs of people gathered for a group photo. The plaque later was on display at the Machias Historical Society booth.
Members of the Sons of the American Revolution also participated in the parade and shot a volley off the bridge near Bad Little Falls platform.
The parade made its way to the University of Maine at Machias campus where tents were set up for demonstrators, crafters and area historical societies. Festival organizers served moose meat stew, made from donated roadkill, until about 1:30 p.m. when it sold out.
“The moose stew was fantastic,” Sprague said.
The Machias Bay Homeschoolers presented a play about the Battle of the Margaretta, in which colonists were successful in taking the British ship, the “Margaretta.”
Various speakers addressed the crowd before the real entertainment — a concert by the U.S. Navy Band Northeast — began. Two large tents were packed with people and those who brought their own chairs spilled out around the tents for the music.
The band conductor led the crowd in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and told the crowd they were pretty good.