The Townie is an opinion website. The views expressed in this piece belong solely to the author, and do not represent those held by The Townie.
Growing up a 10 minute walk from Market Square, it was easy for my family and I to find ourselves walking downtown on a hot summer night to enjoy the concerts by the water, and stroll through the stands. At the ripe age of 3, I would be pushed around in my stroller as my older sister and parents walked with me.
Now able to walk on my own, 8-year-old me was running in the High Street Mile. While wearing the T-shirt that you get when you sign up and running shorts, I jogged down Newburyport’s main road with my best friend. I made it to the finish line without stopping, and was handed my very first medal. Back then, this was a huge accomplishment for me.
Years later, during the summers prior to entering middle school, going downtown during the weeks of Yankee Homecoming were some of the first times I had been able to go downtown unsupervised with my friends. I felt a sense of freedom as my friends and I picked out what henna tattoo design we wanted, or ordered lemonade from one of the food stands, handing the person selling it a few crumpled up dollar bills. This was grown up stuff.
During the summer going into high school, my friends and I decided to watch the parade while sitting on the flat part of one of my friends’ roofs. It jutted off to the side, providing a perfect view of the street filled with decorated cars passing by, and the anticipation of the marching band sounding in the distance. I remember this memory vividly, and how it made me feel like I was a teenager in a movie at the time.
No matter my age, the times I spent at Yankee Homecoming will always be in my summer memories. My dad taking me to the Greek Food Festival. Handing cups of water to the 5k runners dashing past our house. Scrambling for candy tossed from the parade floats. Dancing “late night” at the concerts.
However, the exciting remarks that I once heard about this week during the summer have now been muffled by the complaints that some locals express.
Especially when I was young, I never thought about the traffic that it caused, the amount of tourists that it attracted, or the lack of parking downtown. It was simply a week of summer joy.
For anyone who feels hassled by Yankee Homecoming, I would encourage you to try to view this festival through the eyes of a little kid. Remember the memories that it makes for them, instead of only focusing on the minor, temporary inconveniences that it can cause. Yankee Homecoming is the longest continuously running homecoming festival in America. It acts as a continual chain across generations, something that seems to be disappearing from many communities. This is something to celebrate.
Even though it may not be exactly the same as it was 20 or even 50 years ago, it still continues to bring joy to every new generation of kids in Newburyport. So, maybe you have to give yourself an extra five minutes to get somewhere in town. Now that I’m driving, I understand, but this does seem a small price to pay.
Every summer, I seem to be able to find a reason why I love this tradition. It brings both our own community, as well as the tourists who travel from others together, bringing happiness to the thousands of people who participate. It might just take a new perspective to see it.
Penelope Jones
Newburyport High School Student
Intern, The Townie
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