SEBASTIAN — With dusk rapidly approaching from the time change that morning, vendors packed up and dismantled their booths Sunday as the huge oak branch smoldered in the fire pit.
Along with the cleanup, one more thing needed to be done. The ceremonial fire, carried across the Indian River Lagoon to open the festival on Friday, must be returned to its source, the river.
“It’s our ritual,” said Clambake Foundation committee member Teddy Hulse. “We do it to protect us from hurricanes in the coming year. The one year we didn’t do it, we got three of them.”
In 2003, for whatever reason, festival leaders and the costumed castaways neglected to fire up a branch, walk it from Riverview Park to the dock and toss the makeshift torch into the gray, brackish waters of the lagoon. Locals remember what happened in 2004 — Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne pounded Indian River County and Hurricane Charley tore right through the center of Florida.
After than year, the festival was moved from early September to November and organizers never again forgot to return the fire to the river.
Clambake Foundation President Anjani Cirillo carried the branch and stopped to say a few words before she hoisted the smoldering, smoking piece of wood over the dock railing. She thanked the gods for another successful festival.
“Let people take care of each other,” she said, reflecting the mission of the Clambake Foundation to fund worthy local charities.
And, of course, she added a humble request for protection from storms.
The branch floated on the placid surface of the water and slowly drifted eastward as visitors to the festival lumbered to their cars, bellies full of good seafood, kettle corn and possibly a beer or two.
Children still played in the Kids’ Zone on the rock climbing wall and the pile of melting snow until their parents finally called it quits for the day and dragged them home.
Crowds sat on bleachers and blankets and listened to the last notes of the All About Nothing country band in the bandshell, with its female lead belting out hits by Wynonna, Bonnie Raitt and others.
It had been a full day and an eventful weekend, culminating with Sunday’s Chowder cookoff and auction. Three women were judged the best chowder chefs — Sunsan Crabtree of Vero Beach for her Manhattan Clam Chowder, Elizabeth Kybsch for her Seafood Chowder and Mary Suneson of Vero Beach for her New England Clam Chowder. Suneson also took home the crown for being Queen of Chowder.
The weekend’s weather was as if ordered by the Chamber of Commerce and Sebastian River Area Chamber Operations Director Britney Faulk said the Clambake was definitely good for business.
“I feel like there were way more people this weekend than in previous years,” Faulk said. “They have a lot more activities for the kids and people seem to be happy with the vendors and with the bands. We’ve definitely sold a lot more T-Shirts.”
Faulk said the festival, which has been estimated to bring in 60,000 people over the three days, has ripple effects for local businesses beyond the one weekend.
“I think it’s a big draw. We get a lot of people who call the Chamber who came to the area not knowing about the Clambake, but then they love it and want to come back next year for that reason,” she said. “They tell their friends and they come back again.”
All the proceeds of the Clambake to to benefit local charitable organizations who apply for grants for specific projects. The festival has pumped more than $300,000 into dozens of area nonprofit organizations to provide assistance and services to children, seniors, veterans and students.
Just up Indian River Drive, Earl’s Hideaway, Capt. Hiram’s and the Tiki Bar were packed with customers and the First Annual Pirate Fest at Capt. Hiram’s Sandbar carried on way into the evening after the Clambake closed.
The next major festival going on in the county will be the Firefighters’ Chili and Salsa Cookoff Saturday, Nov. 10. The festival is much shorter, from 5 to 9 p.m. one evening, under the oaks at Riverside Park in Vero Beach. Go to the firefighters’ website for more information.
