NORTH YARMOUTH — Not to be lost in the contrails of the Great State of Maine Air Show happening the same weekend, this year’s North Yarmouth Fun Day is hosting an air show of its own, of sorts.

Two residents are expected to fly their planes over Fun Day’s parade, and the Saturday, Aug. 27 event also features pinwheels, weather balloons, golf discs, model helicopters and plenty of fresh air – all wrapped together to constitute this year’s Fun Day theme of “The Great North Yarmouth Air Show.”

The North Yarmouth Family Triathlon will follow the next day, on Sunday, Aug. 28.

Katie Murphy is vice president of the North Yarmouth Events Committee, which holds Fun Day as well as other events throughout the year. She noted Monday that Fun Day is “down-home and local. Why travel and get involved in a traffic jam when you can stay close to home and have just as much fun?”

She said the celebratory weekend is “the best of summer, and it’s the end of summer.”

Fun Day kicks off at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday with a weather balloon launch, followed by a “lighter-than-air” pancake breakfast at the Fire Barn from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

The parade starts at 9 a.m., with this year’s Distinguished Citizen Award recipient Jeanne Chabourne serving as grand marshal.

“She’s a wonderful all-around volunteer,” Murphy said.

Parade participants should line up at Smithwood Drive and Pea Lane, and the procession heads to Route 115, ending at Village Green.

Later events include the diaper derby at 10 a.m. at Village Green, award-winning Cumberland teenage juggler Will Silvers at 10:30 a.m. at the Band Stand, demonstrations with NASA Space Ambassador Gordon Corbett from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wescustogo Hall, a performance by the Blues Dogz at noon at the Band Stand, “air-obic” Zumba exercising at 3:30 p.m. at the Band Stand, and a bean supper from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Fire Barn.

Log onto nymeevents.com for a full schedule of events or to register for the triathlon.

The triathlon takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. It starts at Wescustogo Park on Route 231 with a two-mile swim down the Royal River. From the landing, participants run one mile and then bicycle an additional mile through Old Town House Park. The finish line is at Route 9.

The cost is $15 for an individual or a relay team of four.

“For North Yarmouth, it’s our biggest community day,” Murphy said of Fun Day. “And we love to welcome people to see their friends and neighbors. … We welcome folks from other towns to enjoy North Yarmouth. We feel we’re a pretty special rural community with a lot of heart, and it’s a way to sort of discover our town and have a great time in the process.”

Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.

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