Let’s get the party started

Water Over the Dam Days started in celebration when the Nashua dam was opened.“I think it was back in 1990 when the dam got fixed, so they started the Water Over the Dam Days that year, either ’90 or ’91,” Kim Walk, mud run coordinator, said.For well over 20 years, Water Over the Dam Days has been a weekend full of fun for all ages.Four years ago, a fourth day was added and events spanned from Thursday to Sunday. This year the four-day festival was expanded to a five-day week with the addition of a Music on Main program.“Businesses have an open house, a big sale earlier on in the year, and it was really a big success and they wanted to do it again,” Missy Sinnwell, Thursday events coordinator, said.Besides great deals at the shops and music, kids will enjoy a special storytime. According to Sinnwell, children’s singer and author Chad Elliott will be entertaining Wednesday evening between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.This year’s Thursday events will be slightly different than years past.Instead of hosting a fundraiser meal, the Thursday evening entertainment will follow the day’s theme of “free” and will be an Elvis Presley impersonator show.“Our goal is to provide family entertainment that is free,” Sinnwell said. “Everything that the kids get to do that night is free of charge. We have a DJ they also have the prince and princess... tractor pulls, minnow races, bounce house.”Sinnwell credits one reason for the ability to put an a day full of free events.“We also had a lot of donations that we collected in town,” she said. “People wanted to give specifically for Thursday evening to keep that free.”While there is a long list of things to do from Wednesday to Sunday, one event stands out above the rest.“Our mud run that we have on Friday night is the biggest hit we have,” Walk said. “There are almost 500 people — just participants alone.”Walk and her family begin preparing the course well in advance.“It takes a good week of solid hours,” she said.This year’s two to three mile stretch is packed with obstacles.“We have 27 obstacles this year, a lot of the mud runs have a lot more running with fewer obstacles to partake in,” Walk said. “Each year we try to add at least three or four new obstacles.”