BUCKSPORT – A weekend of family fun.

That’s what organizers of the Bucksport Bay Festival promise festival-goers and that, they say, is what has kept people coming back for nine years.

The ninth annual festival gets under way this weekend, promising some new features plus some old favorites, and, according to festival coordinator Lisa Whitney, something for everybody.

“This has always been a family-oriented event,” Whitney said. “We try to have something for everyone no matter what your interests.”

Music, food, crafts, children’s games, a parade. It’s all there and more.

“There’s part of the day that everyone can enjoy,” she said. “And people appreciate the fact that we try to keep the costs low.”

Most of the events at the festival are free, and tickets for some of the children’s activities are not expensive, she said.

The festival, sponsored by the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, was established to mark the completion of one phase of the restoration work at Fort Knox and always coincides with the annual encampment of the 20th Maine Civil War re-enactment group at the fort.

This year, Whitney said, the festival also will mark the work being done on the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, she said. The Maine Department of Transportation will have a display on the project at the waterfront.

Although the festival officially runs from Friday night through Saturday night, other events have been scheduled around it. This year, the arrival of a U.S. Navy frigate will kick things off Thursday night. The USS DeWert, a 453-foot frigate, will make its second appearance at the festival and will arrive at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The ship and its 220-sailor crew will be welcomed by the Rick Haseltine Band.

The visit by the Navy has become a popular tradition with both festival-goers and with the sailors, who generally get involved in the activities. A contingent is scheduled to march in Saturday’s parade, and a number of crew members plan to run

in the annual 5K Family Fun Run.

The DeWert will offer tours of the vessel throughout the weekend.

Music is the cornerstone of the festival. The third annual Teen Talent Night will kick things off Friday night and there will be performances at two stages throughout the day and evening Saturday.

Most of the teens in the talent contest are local and all of the performers on Saturday are from Maine. There already is a waiting list of performers to get a spot at the festival, Whitney said.

The Kids’ Center will be back again on the waterfront featuring the Bounce House and, new this year, a crafts table. Volunteers also will offer face painting and balloon animals for the youngsters.

More than 60 vendors will line the waterfront and with as many as 20,000 coming into town during the weekend, the festival offers an attractive venue for them and for the Main Street merchants, some of whom also set up a booth at the waterfront.

“It becomes a marketing tool for a lot of merchants,” Whitney said. “Many of the Main Street merchants have a booth on the waterfront with a sampling of their merchandise and encourage folks to step up and visit the shops on Main Street.”

Feedback from the merchants indicates that the festival definitely has a positive impact on their business.

A full schedule of the festival events is available at the Chamber Web site: www.bucksportbaychamber.com.