NEWBURYPORT — Federal Street was jam packed and abuzz with excitement Thursday evening as spectators cheered on racers during the annual Newburyport Lions Club Bed Race.
The race, which is a beloved Yankee Homecoming tradition, featured 16 beds this year, all of which hit the road at varying paces to uproarious applause and words of encouragement from attendees.
The excitement was so palpable, that when Frank Bertolino, secretary of the Newburyport Lions Club and chairman of the Bed Race Committee, said “On your mark, get set, go!” before each bed took off, it was barely audible because of the whoops and hollers coming from scores of onlookers.
“It’s the best street party in Newburyport all year long,” Mary McDonald, founding director of Tinkerhaus Community Makerspace, who had a bed in this year’s race said.
Luckily, predicted rain mostly held off, much to the relief of attendees, participants and organizers, after last year’s race had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather.
Between the 16 beds, various sectors of the community were represented, with everyone from Clipper Performing Arts, which walked down the street with a bed featuring a drummer, to the Museum of Old Newbury, which pushed a bed-shaped like an old timey ship, racing.
Despite the best efforts of all those actually racing, the Newburyport Fire Department, clad in matching jerseys, blew most the competition away, completing the race in 68 seconds.
“It was a good, pretty dominant victory,” John Fish of the Newburyport Fire Department said, after the race.
The fire department is no stranger to winning, having taken home the trophy in years past, and Fish said the fire department was happy to take part in the race for another year.
“This is just a fun event. We like to get out here every year and represent the department, and race against everyone else and have a good time,” he said.
While some took the race literally and others were there mainly to draw attention to their organizations, the evening was about bring the community together to cheer on their neighbors, enjoy snacks and even bring along some furry friends.
That fact was apparent when racers crossed the finish line, as rather than being concerned about their times, most simply expressed excitement at having completed the race and had smiles etched across their faces.
Bertolino said he was thrilled to see the community come out in full force, lining the street two to three people deep to support and participate in the event for another year.
“There is nothing better, especially in times like this, nothing better than to have everybody together and having a wonderful time, enjoying themselves, something to talk about, something to look forward to,” he said.
Bertolino also said the Lions Club enjoys hosting the popular event alongside the road race, because it brings joy to the people of Newburyport and gives the community something to rally around together.
“It’s nice to be part of the city, part of things that are making people happy, make people look forward to. We get some people that this is the only time they come out is something like this,” he said.