July 4th in Bar Harbor or after

I posted before about traveling to BH for the first time with 21 mos old. Now I have another dilema. We can visit BH either during July 4th or the week after. July 4th festivities sound all fun and especially for kids but I wonder if 2yr old is too young to enjoy? I hear it is going to be really crowded druing July 4th - should we avoid the week and visit BH after July 4th? I am having a difficult time picturing how crowded it gets there. Is it bad enough that we can%26#39; t see the parade? If we do visit July 4th, we would like to stay in the town so we do not have to drive, park and walk to the town with our kid. Where do you suggest we stay? Thanks in advance.

July 4th in Bar Harbor or after

I don%26#39;t know two-year-olds, so I can%26#39;t say if they are able to enjoy the festivities. I do know that there is usually face painting which sounds pretty kid-friendly. The parade route is long enough that there would surely be some place to find a spot to see the parade. I%26#39;ve only watched it on Cottage Street and it%26#39;s pretty crowded there but not so much that you can%26#39;t see. The little go-karts are neat. And the bagpipers. It%26#39;s pretty much a small town parade with rescue greyhounds marching and little kids on bikes. It%26#39;s nice.

I%26#39;d recommend staying at the Quality Inn which is on the parade route and right on the edge of town. They have effeciency rooms which are in a wing of the motel, a bit away from the busy corner of route 3, in a white birch tree setting. Or you could stay at the Bar Harbor Grand which is on the end of town where the parade starts and finishes and where the big lobster feed is. Or the Cromwell Harbor Motel which is also on that end of town.

July 4th in Bar Harbor or after

I don%26#39;t know the BH parade and festivities, but from bonniemaev%26#39;s description of a small town parade, I can tell you that it is not like the Macy%26#39;s Parade in NYC or other large city events. You should probably do okay finding aplace to stand, and folks will let you get through toi the curb so your little one can see.

Small town parades are wonderful. They usually begin with the fire engines, not only the local company, but companies from surrounding towns will send over one or more truck. The parade begins with everyone of them sounding their alarms simultanerously and continuously. It is an unbelievable sound/noise, and wil either bring a smile or fear to you and/or your child%26#39;s face. At 21 mos, it can be hit or miss whether this will be exciting or terrifying.

Beyond this, the parades are generally very family oriented. Lots of kids will be in the parade, on floats, on their bikes, marching with the scouts, little league, etc., marching bands, community groups, very homemade/home grown. And everyone is throwing candy to the kids along the parade route. Really a great scene for a little kid. Face painting, as bonniemaev said, and probably other things to delight a little kids. If you are from a big city, and have never experienced a small town parade, you and your child will be in for a personal treat.

Yes! We have the fire engines from surrounding towns. They usually close the parade. Some years the firemen get into a water fight with the bystanders. It%26#39;s all a ritual that%26#39;s looked forward to and prepared for. The first time we witnessed it, a kind acquaintance told us what to expect so that my husband could move to shelter with his camera.

One of the biggest water fights was always in front of The Opera House Internet Cafe on Cottage Street. There would be boys on top of the Rite-Aid roof with big water pistols and, across the street, one of the workers at the cafe was armed with a garden hose. To much laughter, a huge wet scene would ensue.

Then some good citizen decided it was dangerous and the custom was not allowed the next year. I think, though, that sometimes and some places along the route, it still happens. It%26#39;s really quite amazing to see a small town function so well in the midst of all those tourists.