The 37th Annual Old Home Days Glorious Celebration will be held on Thursday, 7/9/2015 from 6 pm to 10 pm; Friday, 7/10/2015 from 6pm to 11pm; and Saturday, 7/11/2015 from 11 am to 11 pm.
Transportation: A free shuttle bus, picking people up at East Hampton Middle School and dropping off near the fairgrounds, will run every 30 minutes from 5pm to 10 pm on Friday and 11am to 11 pm on Saturday. Continuous shuttle service will be provided to parade participants from 9-11am on Saturday. Click here for a map and directions to Old Home Days.
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Old Home Days Parade:
What better way to convey hometown spirit than with a parade? East Hampton’s Old Home Day Parade is the “Glorious Celebration’s” showcase event, annually featuring upwards of 70 floats, an array of marching units, antique vehicles, and a range of bands, from locally favored and nationally renowned. Thousands of spectators line up along the 1.5 mile route to enjoy the parade as it winds its way through the town’s business district. Each year’s parade theme is also both proposed and chosen by the public, a strong salute to maintaining community involvement and investment in the event.
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2015 Parade Theme: Flags Over East Hampton: Parade Starts @ 11:00 AM @ EHHS
No matter how old or young, Old Home Days offers many opportunities to celebrate. The 2015 parade theme is “Flags Over East Hampton”, a salute to all that is great about our community, our organizations, our volunteers, our veterans, and our quality of life. The theme also serves as a salute to Russell Oakes, long-time OHD parade organizer and the leader of the effort to display American flags on town streets every year, from Memorial Day until Veterans Day. We invite businesses, groups and organizations to take part in our annual parade by decorating a float or vehicle or entering a marching unit that might feature a creative take on the theme as well as tie to and salute community pride. From near and far, all are welcomed to join the parade!
Four Barrel Billy
Every year, East Hampton’s Old Home Days is proud to host a diverse lineup of musical acts designed to satisfy a wide variety of musical tastes. From Swing to Country, Rock’n’Roll to Reggae, and just about everything in-between, our goal is to present entertainment everyone in the family can enjoy. You can dance under the stars on our 864 square foot dance floor or just listen and tap your toes under the huge big top. And it’s all FREE.
Russ Waesche of the Neybas
Old Home Days has hosted some of Connecticut’s most sought after, high energy party bands, including The Savage Brothers Band, Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood, KICK, Big Floppy Disk, Radio Giant, The Degenerates, The Southern Comfort Band, and Hartford Advocate Grand Band Slam Hall of Famers The Neybas. In the last ten years we’ve also drawn performers from New York (U2 tribute band 2U), Philadelphia (The Philadelphia String Band), and even Florida (The Tim Charron Band and Island Girl featuring Bickley Rivera). As exciting as our ever expanding universe of music is, Old Home Days is also proud to consistently present East Hampton-based talents such as Johnny 5, the Voodoo River Band, Four Barrel Billy, MOTO and the now (sadly) defunct Dramatix Showband.
The Amazing Andy
Before the music begins on Thursday evenings (our traditional “Kid’s Night”, which includes discounted ride bracelets and the first round of kids’ bicycles we give away every Old Home Days), we’ve begun presenting magicians whose illusions and tricks delight children of all ages. And on Saturday’s, local fitness groups, martial arts groups, and others demonstrate their offerings in between musical sets.
Jeff Pitchell
Check back soon to see who will be playing at this year’s Old Home Days. In the meantime, check out below the list of bands (other than those mentioned above) that have performed at Old Home Days in the past. While we welcome back audience favorites on a regular basis, please know that each year’s musical offerings are unique. So, even if you’ve attended in the past, you’re sure to see someone new if you come on by.
Old Home Days Performers:
Ben Rudnick and Friends (kid-friendly rock)
The Bob Button Orchestra (swing)
Brand New Karma (rock from the 60s and 70s)
The Colbys (rock, soul, New Orleans funk and more)
The Convertibles (swing and standards)
Cruz Machine (rock)
The Dick Campo Big Band (swing)
Gary Fox (classic rock and originals)
Great Hill Mountain Band (country)
The Highland Rovers Band (Irish rock and tra-ditional)
Hot Cat Jazz Band (jazz)
The Mambo Sons (classic rock, blues and originals)
Mass ConnFusion (classic rock and blues)
Mixed Signals (classic rock)
One Up (acoustic rock and folk)
The Pangaeans (world music)
Rubber City Blues Band (blues and soul)
The Sophisticats String Band (jazz)
Soul Sensations (Motown and Philly soul)
The Sunshine Road Show (pop for the kids)
Village Jammers (country)
White Eyed Lizard Band (reggae)
The World Beatniks (world music)
World’s Smallest Quartet (rockin’ duo)
Old Home Days is always interested in learning about new performers that might be a good fit for our Glorious Celebration. If you think your band or other entertainment act would go over well at our three- day festival of fun, please e-mail EHOHD.Entertainment@gmail.com with your contact information and/or (even better) online media kit or web site link. While we may not have the time to get back in touch with all who send their info, we’ll definitely check out what you send. Thank you for your interest.
Carnival
Old Home Days would not be complete without whirling, twirling, spinning and winning rides selected to please your family. You may buy ride tickets at carnival ticket booths or better yet, why not get the most bang for your buck? Plan your family’s Old Home Day weekend enjoyment by purchasing an all-you-can-ride wristband, one for each of four sessions: Thursday night ($15), Friday night ($20),Saturday afternoon ($20), or Saturday night ($20). From junior riders to serious thrill-seekers, we have you covered!
More About Old Home Days
This traditional three-day festival was imported from New Hampshire, when in July 1897, Gov. Frank West Rollins, proclaimed throughout New England an “Old Home Week.” Rollins lamented, “I wish that in the ear of every son and daughter of New Hampshire, in the summer days, might be heard whispered the persuasive words: Come back, come back.”
By 1907, Old Home Week celebrations were being held across New England; East Hampton held its first Old Home Day on August 3, 1910, a period during which industrial East Hampton was emerging as a resort community. The premiere event in many successive festivals was a baseball game between East Hampton’s mighty nine and a rival out-of-town team. Old Home Day continued to be held until the start of the Korean War in 1950, when the festival was discontinued. Old Home Day was revived in 1978.
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