Yankee Homecoming – Join in the Fun

NEWBURYPORT – If you want the 65th Yankee Homecoming to be the best ever, buy a Yankee Homecoming flag for your porch, volunteer to collect donations carrying a bucket at the Sunday parade or just buy a ticket to Brewfest.
Yankee Homecoming, an annual nine-day event of mostly free events, is a community celebration organized entirely by volunteers. Once one of dozens of Yankee Homecoming celebrations around Massachusetts, it is now the only such event.
The 3X5 foot Yankee Homecoming flag with blue and white stripes and a sword through the Colonial three-corner hat can be seen all over town. It costs only $50 plus tax and shipping and shows your support for the annual event. It ships within 48 hours.
Order your flag at https://yankeehomecoming.com/yhc-flag-purchase-page/
At the next to last general meeting for the event last week, almost every organizer asked for more volunteers. Help is needed at Brewfest for set up and parking lot duties. The Old Fashioned Sundae promises its volunteers will experience low stress as they hand out prices. The bucket brigade needs volunteers to collect donations at the evening concerts and along the Sunday parade route.
The only requirement for most volunteers, said the organizers, is that you can smile, walk and talk.
Sign up with Volgistics, a volunteer management database at https://yankeehomecoming.com/volunteer-database/
The easiest request from event chairs Jason and Jennifer Lacroix is to buy a ticket to Brewfest, which gets you 10 tickets to sample beers from 20 breweries in this 21-year-old and older party in Cashman Park on the Merrimack River waterfront.
Brewfest, held on Saturday Sept. 29, is the only revenue-producing event not sold out. And the event needs the money raised from events and donations to fund the fireworks on Saturday night over the river.
There is no question there will be fireworks, but Jason Lacroix said last week the popular fireworks are the only event that can be cut in size if revenues are not what they hope for.
The bands performing on the stages at the waterfront park and the vendors on Market Square have been paid, he said.
Currently, the fireworks will run about $22,000, but if the popular Brewfest sells out, it could raise thousands more that bring on more lights and booms over the river.
Tickets for the 15th annual Brewfest are available at $40 each. At the door, they are $45. It starts, rain or shine, at 5 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.
Buy your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brewfest-2023-yankee-homecoming-tickets-585913261337.
For those who are not beer lovers, there are also ciders and seltzers to sample. A few non-drinker tickets are available for $25.
To the music of Party On!, which features your favorite rock, pop and country hits, enjoy barbecue from Far Belly BBQ, slices from Otto Pizza, Sausage and hot dogs from Pete’s Pushcart, Rico’s Burritos, North Shore Beefie Boys and Superstar Ice Cream.
There is a lot of excitement about Yankee Homecoming. The parade on the second Sunday has 17 floats and lots of bands and fire engines. There are 70 vendors daily at Market Square and across Merrimac Street.
The golf tournament, organized by the Greco family, is sold out. The craft show has a waiting list. The high school Battle of the Bands has eight acts signed up. Organizers are looking for two acoustic soloists to perform.
For a list of all events, visit yankeehomecoming.com/events.
Yankee Homecoming, which was created to stimulate the downtown Newburyport economy, is also a major supporter of the Jimmy Fund.
The event, recognized at the Jimmy Fund’s 75th anniversary this year, has raised more than $125,000 for the fund, much of it in small donations at the parade on the last day of the event.
“Supporting the Jimmy Fund has been an integral part of the week-long Yankee Homecoming celebration,” the event’s web page states.