NEWBURYPORT – In years past, when veteran Yankee Homecoming leader Dennis Palazzo came home from managing Yankee Homecoming, his wife would ask, “What is the drama today?”
This year, except for a couple of days of heavy rains, which postponed the bed race and the Beatle Juice concert, there was no drama for Ms. Palazzo to hear about. Yankee Homecoming that ended last week came off without a hitch, he said last week.
Palazzo, who has helped direct the festival for decades, said, “It went so well, it was almost scary. Everything went so smoothly.”
Even 90-degree temps did not interfere with the nine-days of festivities.
After checking with the police and fire, public health and public works department, the conclusion was the 2025 Yankee Homecoming was glitch free.
Asked what he attributed the success to, Palazzo joked that it must be his great planning. He actually gave credit to the legions of volunteers the festival takes. They start working on the next mid-summer event in April, he said.
The volunteers were “phenomena, They work so hard,” he said. The vendors and city staff were equally great.
Brittany Verville, the General Chair of this year’s event, thanked all who participated and wrote: “What a tremendous success our 68th year has been.”
To the volunteers, Verville wrote: “You are the heartbeat of this festival.” And to the generous businesses that make the festival possible, she wrote: “thank you for believing in this tradition and investing in its future.”
This year, there were a few changes. The Saturday night fireworks were cut back about 10 minutes because of a lack of funding. They still cost $20,000, but that was down from $30,000 in recent years.
Palazzo noted that some of the new events, like the five-year-old waiter/waitress race, have grown in popularity. He said several entrants told him they had been practicing in their restaurants for weeks.
Starting in the Covid year, Yankee Homecoming launched a food drive with donation boxes at Dunkin Donuts and Market Basket. Palazzo said the food comes in all year and is delivered to three food banks, including one last week that went to the First Parish Food Bank in Newbury.
Some changes, like shortening the Sunday parade a few years ago, were not so well received. The route was cut back because at more than 2 miles it was too long for the marching bands and other walking units.
“I got death threats,” he said. “The festival has to evolve.”
Asked why he continues to devote time and effort in helping manage Yankee Homecoming, Palazzo, who is a town health inspector and has other enterprises, said it is because of all the people he meets.
“I’ve made lifelong friends being with Yankee Homecoming that I would not have. It is fun,” he said.
And this year, he marched in the parade. He was the guy up front in the Dunkin Donut suit.
For more on Yankee Homecoming, visit yankeehomecoming.com/events.
Photos by Lonnie Brennan.
