MARBLEHEAD — The State Street landing came alive with the sound of music Sunday at the second annual HarborFest, intended to celebrate the town’s long-standing maritime history and the marine professionals who carry on that legacy.
The festival took over the parking lot space for roughly four hours, with a number of maritime-focused vendors setting up tents to pitch their products to passersby. Among those was HarborMoor, a company that seeks to connect boaters with service providers started by 34-year-old John Howie. He said he put the festival together to help recognize the important role Marblehead has always played in the maritime industry and the role it continues to play.
“The event is really about celebrating the maritime legacy in Marblehead,” he said in an interview.
The festival drew a crowd of roughly 1,000 on Sunday, with a steady stream of roughly a dozen people making their way around the roughly dozen tents near The Landing Restaurant. Among the crowd was 80-year-old Katie Van Dorp, and her 13-year-old terrier mix, Sammy.
Van Dorp said she came to the festival despite the fact that she “hates sailing” because she was interested to “see what it’s all about.”
“It’s interesting to see what sailors are up to [and] it’s nice to show the marine history of Marblehead,” she said.
While Van Dorp didn’t come to the festival with a specific agenda, she said she was looking at the t-shirts for sale, even though she has more than she can wear.
“I just think it’s great when we have things like this that bring people together, especially on a beautiful day,” she said. “It’s great to see people again.”
Howie’s mother, Marian, praised the festival as a “great community event.”
Tomas Hornos, 33, was working the stand for Salem-based company Doyle Sails at the festival. He and his wife, Melody Curran, 27, live in Marblehead and said they were “happy to support the community” by coming to the festival.
“It’s great to see such a maritime-centered community come together and celebrate that,” Curran said. “Getting to see some local businesses in their prime and get a reminder of what’s going on in the community [is great].”
“It’s nice to see the growth of the town,” she continued.
Hornos and Curran said they would “definitely” attend future festivals.
“What’s not to like?” Curran asked.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
