Nashua’s Water Over The Dam Days is this weekend

By Bob Fenske, editor@nhtrib.com

Nashua’s biggest party of the year – Water Over the Dam Days – begins today (Friday) in the city’s Cedar View Park.

“We’re really excited about what we have to offer this year,” Nashua Park Board President Nate Sinnwell said. “I think the biggest thing with Water Over the Dam Days is you just want to make sure you have something for everyone. I might be biased, but I think we’ve got that.”

Sinnwell said he has mixed emotions about a forecast for rain on Saturday.

“We sure don’t want to wish the rain away,” he said. “Now if it rained like from 2 to 7 in the morning, that would be perfect, but this is one year we’re not going to complain if we have to do a little moving around. Ask anyone, we need the rain.”

The event actually began Thursday evening downtown, with the crowning of the Water Over the Dam Days royalty, a hot dog-eating contest and a street dance.

Friday’s activities kick off with a golf tournament in the morning at the Nashua Town and County Club before the park takes center stage in the afternoon and evening, where the family-friendly triathlon that includes kayaking, running and biking takes place.

The Baldwin Band Shell will also make its debut tonight when the band Kriss Karr takes the stage at 8:30.

“It looks great. No, make that it looks awesome,” Sinnwell said about the band shell. “The guys that worked on it — the Mike Hannemanns, the Demro guys, Terry Hillesheim, everyone really — made sure it got done on time. We can’t thank them enough because obviously we were looking at a pretty hard deadline.”

The new structure on the “high end” of the park will be busy Saturday as well as three bands perform. Richie Lee and the Fabulous Fifties will play from noon to 2:30 p.m., Triple Threat will take the stage from 3 to 5:30 and the band Sushi Roll will bring down the curtain on the celebration from 8 to midnight, with a break for fireworks at 10.

“The best part of having the new bandshell is it’s on a little higher ground,” Sinnwell said. “That’s going to make it a little easier for folks to get around, especially if it rains.”

Saturday begins with the parade that will be led by Dan and Lisa Zwanziger beginning at 10:30 a.m.

“I said this last year, and I’ll say it again, but there is no greater feeling in the world than to see the park full of people,” Sinnwell said. “We put a lot of work into this, but to see so many people enjoying themselves, well, then it’s worth it.”

The Park Board took over the operation of the festival last year, and the board had plenty of help from Jeff and Tori Ulrichs, whose family coordinated Water Over the Dam Days for a number of years.

“I think we were all way nervous last year, but having gone through it has made planning this year a littler easier,” Sinnwell said. “Last year, thank God for Jeff and Tori, but we were a little bit like a deer in the headlights. Now, we know what to expect.”

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Water Over the Dam Days won’t be the only game in town.

At Old Bradford, the annual Civil War Reenactment kicks off with revile at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

The two-day event will include a variety of activities, highlighted by “battles” that will be fought by the Confederates and Union soldiers at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The cost is $5 per day, with children ages 3 and under getting in free, and lunch will be served by the Old Bradford Pioneer Volunteers.