ROCKPORT – The Camden-Rockport Elementary School, 11 Children’s Way, hosted a summer activities fair in their gymnasium on Wednesday, April 3. 40 organizations presented parents with learning options in sports, the environment, art, robotics, camp adventures, photography, and dance. The event has been an annual tradition for over 25 years.

Heather Mackey, summer activities fair co-coordinator for the Camden-Rockport PTA put on the event along with co-coordinator Robin Spear.

“This is an annual event sponsored by the Camden-Rockport PTA,” she said. “Area organizations, camps and businesses are here to offer up for summer fun, learning and childcare options for the residents of Midcoast, Maine.”

Mackey said the bulk of activities are for younger children.

“Most camps are for kids 12 and under,” she said. “We do represent up to high school ages here and pre-K, but the bulk of organizations here are for younger kids up to middle school.”

Mackey has been involved with coordinating the event for eight years.

“I took this job over from Andrea Denny many years ago,” she said. “I did it because I found this campus worthwhile for me and I wanted to keep it going. I am ready now to pass on the torch and for someone to step up and take it over.”

Mackey said the attendance is mixed.

“Some parents prefer to come alone without their kids and some like to bring the kids along.” She said. “We have raffles. We urge every camp, if they can, to do a week of camp as a raffle just to open the doors of opportunity for that many more people.”

Dee Peppe owns and operates Dee Peppe Photography and has since 1989. She said she has attended the Activities Fair for the last 25 years. 

“It’s fun,” she said. “It’s just plain fun.”

Peppe does both black and white darkroom cameras and digital camera.

“The kids just love the dark room,” she said. “Doing 35mm film and developing it themselves, red lights and enlargers, the whole thing. They will choose those cameras before they will the digital ones.”

Peppe said she is very flexible with the ages.

“I like to start around nine up to 16 years old,” she said. “I’m very flexible, but I like to give them some parameters to work with. The classes go for one week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

Enjoy the gallery of organizations and businesses at the fair. For your convenience, we have included the website for each participant with their photo.