Here’s Your Itinerary for Haverhill’s Big Saturday of Events

Saturday promises to be a big day in Haverhill for fun, learning, eating and even recycling.

Drop off your used electronics for recycling, meet 11 prominent horror and supernatural authors, bet on a duck to bring you $10,000, taste the area’s best chili and close out the day with fireworks on the Merrimack River.

Here is a suggested itinerary for getting the most out of one of Haverhill’s busiest days.

8 a.m.-1 p.m.: Electronics Recycling

Start your day anytime after 8 a.m. by dropping off old computers and electronics gear when Haverhill’s Division of Public Works (DPW) offers recycling until 1 p.m., at the DPW recycling and compost center, 500 Primrose St. The drop-off-only event is free for most electronics. There is a $15 fee for televisions and $10 fee for computer monitors of any size.

1-3 p.m.: “Snowbound with Zombies” Authors’ Day

Eleven authors will be on hand for the launch of “Snowbound with Zombies.”

Eleven authors will be on hand for the launch of “Snowbound with Zombies.”

Pick up your copy and meet the authors of the more than 300-page “Snowbound with Zombies,” munch on cider donuts and enjoy free tours of Whittier Birthplace.

“Snowbound with Zombies,” compiled and edited by David Goudsward, will be formally released during the event, offered in conjunction with Haverhill’s 375th Anniversary and Essex National Heritage Area’s Trails and Sails. Participating authors include: Judi Ann Calhoun, Tim Coco, Karen Dent, Roxanne Dent, David Goudsward, Scott Goudsward, John M. McIlveen, Gregory Norris, Faye Ringel, Kristi Petersen Schoonover and Morven Westfield.

Other contributors include best selling novelist Christopher Golden, former local writer Tracy L. Carbone and Vermont folklorist Joseph A. Citro. Books are available for sale and authors will be available to autograph copies and exhibit their other titles.

“Whittier, beloved icon of pastoral poesy, is occasionally remembered as a fiery abolitionist or a crusading journalist, as well he should, but his first book was not a collection of his poetry, but an 1831 collection of local superstitions,” Goudsward said, explaining the rationale behind the book. “Whittier’s ‘The Legends of New England’ includes retellings of tales such as a schoolmarm whose murdered child briefly appears just long enough to drive her to confess, a demon fiddler who forces a party to dance until their legs wear down to bloody stumps, and various references to the Robert Burns poem ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ with its witches sabbath in a haunted church. By the time ‘The Supernaturalism of New England,’ his second book of folklore, was released in 1847, he was an accomplished folklorist, even if the word ‘folklore’ had not come into common usage,” Goudsward said.

If you want to avoid the rush and squeeze in your tour before the author’s event, Whittier Birthplace opens at 10 a.m.

2 p.m.: Haverhill Rotary Club’s Rubber Duck Regatta

Rubber Ducks drop in 2011. This year, the event takes place at 2 p.m., from the Comeau Bridge.

Rubber Ducks drop in 2011. This year, the event takes place at 2 p.m., from the Comeau Bridge.

Haverhill Rotary dumps 10,000 rubber ducks into the Merrimack River from the Comeau Bridge at 2 p.m. You could win the Grand Prize of $10,000 cash sponsored by Rockingham Toyota Honda Scion of Salem, NH, Pentucket Bank’s Weekend Getaway or other prizes if your “adopted” duck is among the first to cross the finish line. You do not have to be present to win.

Regatta Quacktivities kick off at noon with final adoption and duck merchandise sales. Comeau Bridge is between South Elm Street, Bradford, and the junction of Washington and River streets in Haverhill.

6-9 p.m.: Ninth Annual ‘Chili Cook-Off’

The Haverhill Firefighting Museum holds its ninth annual “Chili Cook-off” from 6 until 9 p.m., at the museum, 75 Kenoza Ave.

Tasting and judging will be conducted from 6 until 8 p.m. for prizes in best individual, best firehouse and best restaurant/business categories. Door prizes, a “fifty-fifty raffle” and silent auction are also featured.

General admission is $10. Contestant entry fee is $25, and deadline for entries is Sept. 7.

For more information, visit www.haverhillfirefightingmuseum.org, or e-mail [email protected].

Noon-8:30 p.m.: River Ruckus

Team Haverhill's River Ruckus takes place between noon and 8:30 p.m.

Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus takes place between noon and 8:30 p.m.

Haverhill’s downtown River Ruckus takes place in the Haverhill Riverfront Cultural District on the Riverwalk and Washington Street. Fireworks on the Merrimack River begin at dusk.

River Ruckus, organized by Team Haverhill, includes food vendors, kayak rentals and rides, arts and crafts, a car show, beer and wine garden, live music and Haverhill Rotary Club’s Rubber Duck Regatta. The day will be capped off by a fireworks show over the river.

Here’s the complete River Ruckus schedule:

River Ruckus Schedule of Events
Time Event
1-dusk Kayak Rentals & Rides – Provided by Plum Island Kayak. (The Plum Island Kayak booth)
Noon-5 p.m. Haverhill Artist Market – A new juried marketplace showcasing the work of regional artists. (90 Washington Street)
Noon-4 p.m. Children’s Activities – Face painting, a bouncy house, sidewalk chalk art, balloon artist, arts & crafts, and more! Sponsored by MedExpress. (Gazebo Area)
Noon-3 p.m. Classic Car Show – Sponsored by Haverhill Bank (Washington Street)
Noon-3:30 p.m. Joppa Flats Education Center “Touch Tank” – A “Touch Tank” showing the marine life of coastal New England. (Riverfront Park)
Noon-4 p.m. Whole Foods Andover – Complimentary healthy snacks and beverages and kids activities. (Riverfront Park)
2-6 p.m. Juried Art Exhibition – An exhibition of the work of local artists. (Sage Art Gallery, 22 Washington Street)
Noon-1 p.m. Crew Exhibition on the Merrimack River followed by a crew demonstration where you can try rowing crew in a boat on a fixed barge on the river from 2-5:00 p.m..
Sponsored by the Greater Haverhill Foundation. (The RiverWalk in Riverfront Park)
2-5 p.m. Crew Demonstration Try rowing crew yourself in a boat on a fixed barge on the river.
Sponsored by the Greater Haverhill Foundation. (The RiverWalk in Riverfront Park)
Noon-8 p.m. Beer & Wine Garden Sponsored by Team Haverhill featuring Harpoon Beer and served by Butlers & Bars. (Riverfront Park)
1-7:45 p.m. Live Music – Great live performances brought to you by WXRV 92.5 The River. (Riverfront Park Stage)
Noon-8 p.m. A Taste of Haverhill – Food for sale by local restaurants & vendors. (Riverfront Park)
2 p.m. Rubber Duck Regatta Duck Drop– Presented by The Rotary Club of Haverhill. (RiverWalk and Riverfront Park)
8 p.m. Fireworks Spectacular – Sponsored by New York Life. (RiverWalk and Riverfront Park)