Family Day at the Beach Saturday

A good time will be had by all at the annual Family Day at Yirrell Beach, happening on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., (rain date Sunday, July 28).

Marc Wallerce, owner of the Winthrop Marketplace, and Betsy Shane of the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce will spearhead this year’s good old-fashioned day to hang out at the beach.

Joining beachgoers will be the Boston Circus Guild which will perform on Yirrell Beach. Also on the beach there will be inflat-able slides, free contests, great music, carnival game prizes, giveaways and of course a hearty BBQ – hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, veggie burgers – there will also be pizza but not on the grill. There will also be Gatorade, water and slush. This will be a cash only event.

“We’ve been doing this for 22 years. It originally was a commit-tee and Phyllis Fluet volunteered to put this event together,” said Marc Wallerce, who introduced food to the event in 2004. Marketplace employee Kevin Miccichi will pitch in grilling and Shane will operate the slip-n-slide.

“We’ll be bringing in truckloads of ice and food,” Shane said

The event is proudly sponsored by the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, Better Beaches Program, Save the Harbor, Save the Bay, The Department of Conservation and Recreation, The Win-throp Marketplace, Woodside ACE Hardware, For Kids Only Af-terschool (who help run all of the games), Silver Clean, Elliot Whittier, First Priority Credit Union, ASAP Drains, Robert Paul Properties, Harborside Dental and East Boston Savings Bank.

All proceeds raised will go to the Winthrop Chamber of Com-merce who supports small and local businesses.

“We do the food, but Betsy and her crew do everything else,” Wallerce said.

“This is a community event and the Chamber is part of that community,” Shane said. “It’s a great day for Winthrop to come together.”

“Last year was a record year, the beach was packed from one end to the other,” Wallerce said.

Shane also noted that Save the Harbor, Save the Bay helps pay to bring in the circus performers.

“They’re all about better beach programs,” Shane said. “They really support us. When’s the last time you went to the beach and there was a circus?”