Yarmouth Clam Festival: Chelsie DiConzo

Lisa Belisle: Hello, I am Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to or watching Radio Maine. Today I have with me somebody that I think knows Maine pretty well, having lived here a long time, originally being from Rumford and now being the community events director for the Yarmouth Clam Festival, which is based right here in my own hometown here in Yarmouth. And today we're going to explore creativity and the human spirit with Chelsie DiConzo as we talk about the Yarmouth Clam Festival, and as sponsored by the Portland Art Gallery. So all the fun Maine things. And to be clear, Radio Maine is sponsored by the Portland Art Gallery. As of yet, we have not garnered a sponsorship with the Yarmouth Clam Festival. Well, let's jump in on that, because you are the community events director, which means that you are responsible for all things Clam Festival. One of the things is sponsorships. But you were telling me before we came on here that you also juried the craft shows, and I know that you've created some special inclusivity type things that have gone on with the Clam Festival that are new since I began going a long time ago. Your fingers are all over the Clam Festival.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yeah, I think that's one advantage that I have is seeing a few different clam festivals. I had previously worked for the Chamber from 2012 to 2017. So I was able to see four festivals under really great mentorship. And when you're an admin, or at that point I had gone up to be events manager, you learn a lot of the intricacies of it. When you answer every single phone call, every walk-in person, you really get to know the festival, the town, the history. So I was really lucky in that capacity. So in 2022 after Covid hit, I was the interim director. They needed someone with that experience. And at that point it was really great. I knew the festival so I didn't have to learn it. And overcoming all of those challenges was great, and being able to make my own mark and being able to do a couple different things that was new for the festival and I think important to the essence of it, it was really nice. So now that I'm back in a full-time year-round capacity, some really exciting things are going to happen. I think it just will all reinforce what makes Yarmouth and the Clam Festival so special.

Lisa Belisle: Chelsie, you were called into action in 2022 with very little notice to take over the Clam Festival. And even though you had this background in working on the Clam Festival, I'm sure it was quite something to be elevated to a place where all of a sudden you're in charge. So talk to me about that.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yeah, being in charge is wild when you have so many years of experience and you're learning from these people and they're the guiding force, it's great. But when you're actually the one making the calls, you're like, okay, this is new and exciting. But I think that opportunity for growth is something I just took a hold of, because we really overcame so many challenges to get it off the ground with labor issues and food shortages and just volunteer shortages, having people to come back. It really felt like every corner was a different challenge. And I think having that creative side of being able to solve problems in the moment, working catering helped, because you have to make these decisions on the fly because someone's going to get married regardless of whether something's happening or not. So with '22, it was a push, but I feel like it really set the precedent of we are back. With the two years without Covid, these groups really suffered. They weren't able to fundraise for two solid years. So everyone literally worked together to get it done. And it was a magnificent sight and I was glad that I was able to steer that ship. And I think it's just going to be great having five months this time instead of three, because I started in February, so I'm thankful for that extra time and it's going to be really nice to have a full year to plan it and to really take it to that next level.

Lisa Belisle: Your degree is in hospitality, tourism and management. Why did you make that choice?

Chelsie DiConzo: It's kind of a funny choice. It wasn't mine. When I went to school up in Vermont, I really wanted to do music management. That was something I was passionate in. So I was a technical theater major for two years. It was only an associate's degree, and I realized I wanted to keep going. I really enjoyed being a production manager and running the theater and the radio station, and I really enjoyed management. So the hospitality and tourism side, it was a really great fit and I was able to really just dive right in. And when I got back home, I realized that this was just the path I wanted to keep going down. So I got involved with even more events and now I'm here.

Lisa Belisle: You and I had this conversation before we came on air about growing up in Rumford and seeing how much has gone on in Rumford and the big changes in Black Mountain. And having also grown up in Yarmouth, the Clam Festival is sort of my version of Black Mountain, I guess. It's almost internationally known.

Chelsie DiConzo: Right? Yeah. We get people from all over.

Lisa Belisle: So what is it about growing up in a place that causes you to feel so fiercely supportive and wanting to show people, this is such a great place for you to go visit. We want you to come here. It seems like this has happened where you're doing this for Yarmouth now, but I can tell you also feel this way about Rumford and about the state of Maine in general. Some people just leave the state and never come back, but you're here. You chose a field that's allowing you to shine a light on these places.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yarmouth is so special that this event has been going on since 1965, and there are so many very wonderful nonprofits that benefit from this. Rumford doesn't have a main event like that, but when you really boil it down, it comes to community. Because when you grow up in a mill town, your parents work in the mill, your grandparents have worked in a mill, and it brings everyone together. So I think one thing that I really love about the Clam Festival, and I wish I could do in my hometown, but here is being able to have that showcase. And exactly what you said is, okay, how can I use my platform as an event organizer to really show other people what makes this area so special? And talking about the Clam Festival more specifically, it takes thousands of volunteers to put this together and they're willing to donate their entire year to planning this in some aspect, in that it just shows how dedicated people are to really make a difference in their community. For example, the First Parish Church, all the money that they raised for the festival, they literally put it all back into our community. So food pantries, other nonprofit organizations that need that extra help. It really is a selfless act to really put things together for the greater good. So yeah, just that community aspect, the people are what make it special.

Lisa Belisle: So I can say having come to Maine more than a few years ago and having been to the Clam Festival pretty consistently most years, there are certain things that my family and I do every year, and one of them is getting the strawberry shortcake from the First Parish Church from that booth there.

Chelsie DiConzo: You have to!

Lisa Belisle: We go down to the town green, I always get the lobster stew, and we always get a lime rickey and the Barbershop Quartet is singing. And for us, the food is really so fantastic considering that people do this on the fly in the back of a booth safely. Food safety issue is important, but the food is really great. But what's also great is every year you're coming back and you're seeing people that you haven't seen for a year, but you maintain that connection. It is like a homecoming in July for most of us over the course of time. So I remember not having had the Clam Festival for the years during Covid and how nice it was to walk up and walk down the street and be like, there's my third grade teacher and there's my neighbor. And I went with my older children. Do you feel like this is an important aspect of the Clam Festival, that it actually creates an event that provides ongoing community for people?

Chelsie DiConzo: We really say it's a village tradition because it really is the epitome of what makes Yarmouth special. Over time we still have folks who were here for the first one and their children participated in the festival, their children participated in the festival. So we have four generations of folks who really are just here to celebrate family and community and being together. We do have several people who say, I come back to the Clam Festival for my high school reunion. We get these people all together. So not only does it bring people together to fundraise for their groups, but it brings people together to just celebrate togetherness. And I think after Covid, when we were on that two year hiatus, people really missed it. They didn't get to go home, they didn't get to see those friends. They didn't get to walk down Main Street and see their third grade teacher.

And that was an important aspect for me with planning, is being able to give that opportunity back and really foster and see, we've had this tradition that has gone on for so long, how can I reinforce the importance of it? Because it's just what keeps it going. I need to make sure as the director that this event is going to be here for another 57 years. As long as Yarmouth stands, there will be a clam festival. And showing people the importance of why is a big goal of mine for this year. Because as people move into town, we've seen a huge influx of new blood. They don't really know that behind all of those food groups, you've got a family cooking your fried clams by hand because this benefits their groups. It is a labor of love. So it's really just about reinforcing the why and coming together.

Lisa Belisle: You raise a really important point. And that is that at this stage in my life, I am mostly going down to the Clam Festival and taking advantage of the food. But there was a stage in my life, in fact, for a big chunk of my life where I was volunteering and my brothers and sisters were volunteering, and they still, my brothers and sisters still volunteer and their children volunteer and my parents volunteer. And so some of the homecoming aspect of it is actually picking up trash. I can't even remember which group it was. Maybe it was the ski team, for example.

Whoever it is that's doing it now, I give you so much credit. I have done this. I know exactly what this is like. And you're out there and you're like, okay, well maybe the picking up the trash thing, it's not necessarily so fun, but you're with your teammates and your classmates and your family's helping you out. You've got your baseball people and you get to see the church people and everybody's kind of giving to the most of their ability. And then when they're done their shift, they go and watch the fireworks, or

Chelsie DiConzo: They go work another shift.

Lisa Belisle: They work another shift, which honestly, this is again one of the reasons why, I mean my sisters now who have multiple children, they're always working, they work through the entirety of Clam Festival and then they get out and they're like, okay, we're going to watch the parade or we're going to run in the race. So I just think it's such a nice thing to unite behind the work as a community, because you're right, there is a positive outcome when we generate the funds for these organizations.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yes, exactly. And I think again, it highlights making sure that when we talk to these new people in town, that they know the importance of volunteering because it really does have this huge ripple effect through the community, not just the Ski Club or the Boy Scouts. They do have their very important service projects, but the Lions Organization, the amount of charity work that these groups do is just phenomenal. It's not just about them. It's about the greater good in the greater community. And I think that's why people still do come back to volunteer once their kids are gone. Once they've got their empty nest, they really see the value of fostering this because it's just going to keep creating these long lasting memories for generations to come. It's just really lovely hearing everyone's story about pulling together and their history of volunteering. And that's just a very important piece of it.

Lisa Belisle: Another important piece is actually the opportunity for artists to bring their works to Yarmouth. And I chose these earrings specifically. I know you've been watching them the whole time. I'm trying to figure out which person it was that made these earrings and I'm sorry, I do not remember. If you're the artist and you're watching this and you made these earrings for me, they're lovely. My daughter Sophie picked them out as we were walking around at the, I think it was on the NYA lawn. So if we remember who this is, I'm trying not to give credit, but I also think there's something really wonderful about that, because I know for example, Page Eastburn, one of our artists for many, many years, she was putting art out on the lawn of the library. And I think it's so wonderful that we make art accessible that way. And I know your husband's a ceramicist and you've just described all of your art backgrounds. So I'm guessing you feel the same way.

Chelsie DiConzo: I do, and I think it's a testament to Maine in general, is we really are so lucky to be where we live. And then when you can really combine someone's skills of artistry and have it translate to something that really provides value, it really goes hand in hand. So we have about 135 artists and craftsmen at the festival during the show all three days. But on top of that, we also choose a local artist who does our poster every year. So Page has done it for quite a few years and it's always great seeing it, but I think one thing that makes art, art is seeing someone else's perspective. We all have our take on it. So having each of these different artists come through year to year and seeing their take on the Clam Festival, I think it just also adds to what makes us special, is you come from all these different backgrounds, styles, and people are really able to capture what makes the Clam Festival special in their own way.

So we are going to be unveiling this year's poster soon, which I'm very excited about. Amy Tonies is doing it, and she's a great artist. So we were really excited to have her on board this year. And I think having this platform of being able to share art that people look forward to every year is just really important. I love my husband so much because he's really fostered this appreciation for art, because it really does show, you can look at art from any time, and it's a time capsule. You see the history and what people were like and stuff. And we look back at some of these posters, Catherine Breer did a poster where the clammers were just digging. You feel that, because what makes Maine, Maine? So it's really nice being able to highlight different people.

Lisa Belisle: You've worked for so many different organizations. You have just this amazing breadth of knowledge, Port City Music Hall, State Theatre, Black Tie Company, Chamber of Commerce. Obviously you also have two children.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yeah, three and five.

Lisa Belisle: So somehow you've managed to do all of these things. And also I think I'm fascinated by the things that you've brought into this conversation that I think did not actually exist to the same level. You've created more inclusivity, you have more of a focus on people who are differently abled. I believe there's a sensory tent that exists that did not previously exist. I mean, you are working to do things that were never done before to bring more people to the Clam Festival to be able to enjoy it.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yes. So talking about the inclusivity efforts in '22, there wasn't time to do much, but the time I did have, I wanted to be able to make an impact, even if it was just for one person. Because if you've been to it, you know how special it is. And there are just a lot of people who weren't really able to come because of the accommodations or just having those barriers of entry. So before, when I was working with the Chamber of Commerce, I learned the ins and outs of it, but as I left, I worked for an agency for adults with disabilities. And that itself, it just goes to show that there are a lot of communities that aren't being served. I became a mom. So you say somehow I manage, somehow I manage. You learn to juggle all these things when you understand the importance of why they all make sense together.

So it's just one of those things where when your perspective shifts of what need isn't being fulfilled, what need is out there, that would make it a lot easier for someone to come in and enjoy. So the sensory tent was a big thing. It's a lot, and it's a lot of people, and you need that space to be able to just sit and regulate and take a breath. And as parents, it's so important to be able to have that safe space for your child. We have the family care station where moms can go to breastfeed or pump or change a diaper that's not on the pavement or in the middle of the grass. Having these spots where people can really have things a little easier for them, we're increasing handicap parking, we're bringing the shuttle back so people can access the festival without finding a place to park. There are just a lot of little different things over time that will compound and build the festival to be a spot where really anyone can enjoy. And that's just what needs to happen. So every year that I'm going to be doing this, it's just going to be one more thing on top of it. And then hopefully people just have a great time and enjoy themselves and create these memories that they'll take for the rest of their lives.

Lisa Belisle: I give you a lot of credit for that. And I also give the festival organizers, and I suspect you're probably part of this as well, a lot of credit for paying attention to how waste is managed at the festival. We kind of joked about picking up trash, but what I have loved is the composting station. I know people who have listened to the radio show over time know how I feel about composting. And it's so important because people come in and they enjoy their meals, they enjoy staying clean, and then you generate waste. There's food waste, there's paper waste, and the Clam Festival is doing a really nice job kind of sorting all those things out and making sure that things go to the appropriate place and not necessarily all being put in with landfills.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yeah, sustainability is a huge thing for the Clam Festival, not just ensuring the sustainability of the festival itself, but we really do have the power to make a change. And whether it's having people visibly be seeing these high school students sorting trash and getting composting things, the sustainability of trying to create less waste, we're just doing our part. And I think as we partner with other organizations in town to help take this to the next level, there's always room for improvement. But I'm really proud of what efforts we have done so far. It does make a difference. It's truly amazing how much waste we've removed and being able to protect our environment more, and it's about doing the right thing. So I hope in years to come that we really get to amp that up even more.

Lisa Belisle: The clam festival takes place when?

Chelsie DiConzo: So this year is July 19th through the 21st. It's always the third Friday in July. And I think it's just going to be, as long as weather cooperates. That's always the big wild card. But I think people post Covid are just ready to come out and celebrate and having this summer event be the pinnacle for a lot of people, it's going to be really exciting.

Lisa Belisle: How can people find out about the festival?

Chelsie DiConzo: So you can go to our website at clamfestival.com. We're on Facebook, Instagram, we've got a newsletter, and we're just going to be trying to spread the word as much as we can.

Lisa Belisle: And Chelsie, how early do you think people are going to start putting the chairs out along the parade route?

Chelsie DiConzo: This is always my favorite question because I remember one year specifically, someone had put out their chair, it was shortly after Memorial Day. I don't even think high school had graduated yet. I would anticipate, and I hope no one cheats on this, I bet we'll see one about 4th of July weekend.

Lisa Belisle: Okay. I think that's a fair bet, actually.

Chelsie DiConzo: Yeah. It's about a couple weeks and people are now clicking in, so I think we'll see. My favorite one is always the bathtub, or people put up bleachers for the parade. That's another aspect of the festival that's so great, is seeing these people. It's another tradition and people get creative about their seats, so it's just fun.

Lisa Belisle: Okay. Well, I'll be checking back in to see if your prediction ends up being accurate.

Chelsie DiConzo: Get your seat out.

Lisa Belisle: Yeah, exactly. Exactly right. I've been speaking with Chelsie DiConzo, who is the community events director for the Yarmouth Clam Festival held just down the street from where we're recording in Yarmouth, Maine. I highly encourage people who have any sort of inkling that this might be of interest to check us out because it's a great place to eat good food, be with your neighbors, be with people you've never met before, buy some beautiful earrings. It's a wonderful, wonderful Yarmouth tradition, and it's been my great pleasure to speak with Chelsie DiConzo today here on Radio Maine. I'm Dr. Lisa Belisle. Thank you for supporting our local artisans. And also thank you for supporting the Portland Art Gallery, and thank you for coming in, Chelsie.

Chelsie DiConzo: Thank you for having me.