How about them Bears.

Well, the unveiling of the bears is complete. Saturday truly was a day that will go down in Easthampton history. Even lifetime locals admit they'd never seen their town so alive. Streets full of people wandering around, enjoying all the incredible bears, patronizing local downtown shops they may have hardly noticed on their daily autopiloted commutes. I can't speak for all the businesses, but we had lines out the door from start to finish. Contrary to popular rumor, we didn't actually run out of ice cream, but I must admit we went through a ton. It's thursday now, and I'm finally all caught up and restocked with all the usual suspects and a good amount of the specials I like to rotate in and out. Phew.

(Image by Patrick Brough.)

Over at the official unveiling party at the public parking next to Whisker's, we scooped out over 500 free samples of Gabby's Bear Tracks ice cream! I even had to recruit retired scooper Katie Sojkowski to help with the scoopin'. Thanks Katie.

Gabby did a nice job too. The Teddy Graham on top was her handiwork.

Here's Gabby getting congratulated by Mayor Mike. Gabby rules. If she doesn't grow up to open up an ice cream shop someday, I'm thinking political office may be in her future...

(Image by Patrick Brough.)

It really was an amazing day, and as the links I shared earlier attest, a good time was had by thousands. The entire Easthampton City Arts team hit it out of the park on this one. They deserve a huge round of applause for making it happen. From Ellen Koteen getting the first grant, to Briana Taylor keeping it all together in the coordinator position, to the entire ECA team and the countless hours they volunteered over the past year plus to make it look so easy on Bear day.

I was going to do the walk around with my trusty camera for blog shots, and I'm sure I still will someday soon, once it stops raining. There certainly has been no shortage of camera totin' folks this week. It really has been pretty cool to see the town still bustling with, dare I say, tourists. So rather than post images you may likely have in your little digital camera already, I thought I'd share a few images from early last Saturday morning. 4 am to be exact. That's when Stuart Beckley, our beloved city planner, backed up the DPW flatbed to the loading dock at Eastworks, the hiding place for all the finished bears. It was an early start to a very long day, and I can't begin to claim more credit than being an extra deck hand for the ECA team's setting up of the bears, but I must admit it was one of the coolest things I've done since I rolled into this town.

Here we are, cruising down Union Street, pre-dawn, with a bed full of all-dressed-up bears with somewhere to go. I was impressed that the entire early morning team of Amy Davis, Briana Taylor, Stuart Beckley, John Pollack, J.P. Pascuche, and Mayor Mike each knew the names of all the bears, who created them, and where each will be sitting until October. It was easy to see how hard this still-not-quite-awake team has worked to make the bears that you now see among you happen.

After each bear was dropped in its spot, part of the team stayed to secure each bear to its new log home...

Here Briana Taylor, Amy Davis, and Mayor Mike complete the first bear installation. Worked like a charm. Obviously, they'd rehearsed this part a few times...

The sun finally rises. Stuart, planner by day, flatbed truck driver by early morning, helped to keep the crew moving, so by this time, most of the bears were already in place...


Don't be alarmed. This isn't a shot of mayor and city planner making off with one for their office. It's just John and Stuart putting one of the final bears in place...


Mayor Mike and J.P. taking power tools to 'Bear hugs', making sure cub #1 is firmly attached...


'Bearon' enjoying the flatbed ride enroute to his home in front of the old firehouse on Union Street...

I thought I'd also share a few more images from my clandestine visit with Briana to the bear hideout last week. Now that all the bears have been unveiled and are perpetually posed for snaps with your own camera, here are a few of all the bears together...which won't happen again until early October when they make their way up to the Log Cabin for the big charity auction. You can click on these to get a full-sized view...

Even Cartledge's on Union Street has bear fever! From their window...


Not to end on a sour note, but I did want post up a shot of the still missing 'Chrome Bear' by Michael MacTavish. It is a pretty cool one, one of my favorites actually, for its shininess and simplicity. In case you didn't get to see it before it was swiped, here it is...


You can get a map of Bear Fest right here at Mt. Tom's, along with lots of other cool BearFest stuff (the beer mugs are particularly cool). And check this out, 'Jen' put together a BearFest map on Google... BearFest goes GoogleMaps

I think it's going to be a beary good summer. If, of course, summer actually decides to arrive...