Crowds throng Merrimack River Maritime Festival

SALISBURY BEACH — By noon Saturday, parking lots were almost all full, the tent for the evening's chowder festivities and concert was up and being prepped, free shuttle buses filled with passengers were circling, the fireworks barge was loaded and ready for the night's big show and visitors were everywhere.

"It's been really busy," said Steve Capolupo, whose family business SPS New England was a driving force behind Salisbury's first Merrimack River Maritime Festival.

"This worked out great," he said, "but it was quite a project. More complex than the construction work involved with building the floating gangways to take people to the tall ships was the permit process, because there were so many agencies involved."

As complicated as organizing the two-day event that brought music, food, fireworks, fun and three Class A and B tall-masted schooners to dock on Salisbury's shore may have been, for visitors, the day was an effortless opportunity to visit wonderful ships and enjoy Salisbury Beach.

"I never got a chance to visit the tall ships when they came into Boston. It was nice to see them here," said Ann Silva of North Andover, as she and her husband, Frank, left the ships. "The prices are very reasonable. This is really a nice opportunity."

The $5 tickets to visit all three ships — the 170-foot Tall Ship Mystic, 140-foot Spirit of South Carolina and the Essex, Mass.-built, 137-foot Roseway — go to support the festival, which was organized by the Salisbury Beach Partnership.

"These ships don't visit for free," said partnership president Wayne Capolupo. "The cost of bringing the ships here is about one-third of the overall cost to run the festival, and that doesn't include building the docks for them. But, it's just wonderful to see so many people here."

Capolupo said the partnership is thinking of giving a prize to the visitor who travels the farthest distance to attend. Ticket-selling volunteer Lou Masiello of Salisbury said he sold tickets to people from Pennsylvania, Illinois and Nevada. Capolupo, however, was told a former Salisbury resident currently living in Alaska planned to fly back to enjoy the festival.

Karen Hay of Methuen and Maureen Champagne of Lowell decided to spend the day in Salisbury and rediscover the beach and historic sailing ships. They also thought they might take in the Chowdah Challenge and BeerFest planned for the late afternoon and evening, as well as the concert featuring a popular band at the special tent erected in the Driftway parking lot.

In the festival activity tent near the ships, Peabody gallery owner Michael Lupi created a 2008 Salisbury Tall Ships print in honor of the festival. His partner, Salisbury resident Howie DePetrillo, took a photograph of Salisbury's famous Black Rocks, then commissioned painter John Gentile to work a little magic.

"John researched the sailing ships that might have been here in the past, then added them into the picture of the Black Rocks to create an original painting," Lupi said. "We had reproductions made to sell here."

Even Capt. Amy Blumberg of the Tall Ship Mystic took time to check out booths in the festival tent, stopping at the historical nautical exhibit mounted by Salisbury's Historical Society. But Blumberg couldn't dally long because so many people were showing up to tour the ships.

Salisbury resident John Webber brought his children, 7-year-old Isaiah, Jacob, 6, and 4-year-old Kaden, to visit the ships.

"I thought this is a nice thing to do with the kids on a hot day," Webber said. "It gets us out of the house, and they like boats."

All three Webber children were eyeing the pirates lining the floating gangway leading to the ships. They entertained the children as they waited their turns to board for tours.

"The pirates were (event organizer) Kathy Aiello's idea," Wayne Capolupo said. "She always comes up with great additions. But, wait till next year's festival. We'll have more boats next year, and our event will of course be tied to Sail Boston when there will be ships in the area from all over the world. We have some great ideas for next year."

The Daily News
By Angeljean Chiaramida\ Staff writer
Published: July 20, 2008