Thursday, October 27, 2016

Jack-o'-lantern!

The Jack-o'-latern is one of most recognizable symbols of Halloween. They are usually carried by trick or treaters on Halloween to frighten evil spirits. The story of the Jack-o'-latern is traced back to an old Irish Christian folktale, which is said, the Jack-o'-latern represents a "soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell".
Here is the folktale:
On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes a bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin, drink, and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming to rest.
In recent years, a pumpkin has been used for carving instead of the turnip. The pumpkin is much softer and larger-making it easier to carve than a turnip. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837 and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.
The King's Port Inn has availability on Halloween night. We have premium king rooms for only $89 a night. We also have Jacuzzi suites starting at $109 a night. Each room includes free continental breakfast, free wi fi, and free parking. To make a reservation, please call 1-800-286-5767. Call us and enjoy Halloween at the King's Port Inn!
The King's Port Inn

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

History Of Halloween!

The King's Port Inn would like to wish everybody a happy Halloween! Our town of Kennebunk is one of the best places in New England to enjoy Halloween. We have many historic houses and inns that date back to the early 1800's. Summer street, in Kennebunk, is a perfect example. These houses are usually decorated with ghosts and scary creatures, and offer a fun time for trick-or-treaters. It is also a safe place for families to go being a short walking distance from downtown Kennebunk.
The King's Port Inn would like to share a brief history of Halloween:
Although there is some debate on the origins of Halloween, if it believed to have been influenced by Christian dogma and the practices derived from it. Halloween is the evening before the Christian Holy Days of "All Saints Day". So, Halloween literally means "All Hallow's Eve", the day before All Hallow's Day. These Holidays are a time for honoring the saints and martyrs and praying for the recently departed souls who have not yet to reach heaven. In 609, Pope Boniface started this tradition at the Pantheon in Rome.
By the end of the 12th century the holiday evolved to the tradition of ringing church bells for the souls in purgatory. In addition, it was customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing bells and calling on all good Chistians to remember the poor souls stuck in purgatory. Then in the 15th century, in Germany, groups of people, often children, began going door-to-door asking for soul cakes in exchange for praying for the dead.
It was also believed that Halloween provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that sought vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities.
On Halloween, in medieval Europe, fires were lit to guide those souls on their way and deflect them from haunting honest Christian folk. Households in Austria, England and Ireland often had candles burning in every room to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes.
The modern day version of Halloween started in the early 20th century, with children going "guising" around the neighborhood. Trick or treating did not become widespread until the 1930's. In recent days, there has been a popular variant of trick-or-treating called trunk-or-treating. These are decorated car trunks that offer treats from a church or school parking lot. This being a safer alternative to going door-to-door.
We at the King's Port Inn hope you enjoyed this history. We have availability for Halloween and the month of October. We have premium King rooms for as low at $89.00 a night. Also, we have Jacuzzi suites starting at $109 a night. Each room includes free continental breakfast, free wi fi, and free parking. To make a reservation, please call us at 1-800-286-5767. We would be happy to hear from you.
The King's Port Inn



Thursday, October 13, 2016

October Activities!

The King's Port Inn would like to wish everybody a happy October! We hope you are enjoying this month and it's beautiful weather. There are still many activities going on in  Kennebunk and Kennebunkport during the month of October. We wanted to mention a few:
1. The Wicked 5K Road Race. The Nonantum Resort is hosting the 7th Annual Wicked 5K Road Race. Taking place on Sunday, October 16, at 11:00 am. The purpose of this event is to provide a fun, healthy event for all ages, skill levels, and families to participate in. The race is Halloween themed, runners and spectators are encouraged to wear their best costumes the day of the event. There will be t-shirts, prizes, give-aways, an after party, and more! There is also a new Kids 1K run, which costs only $5 to enter. All proceeds go to the Canine Community Corps of Ellis, Maine. For more information please contact Rose Bryant at 207-604-8953.
2. The Christ Church in Kennebunk is hosting it's annual Fall Rummage Sale. Taking place on Saturday, October 15th from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. There will be great bargains on toys, cloths, shoes, books, housewares, small appliances, home decor, and much more. The Church is located at 6 Dane Street, in Kennebunk. For more information please call 207-985-4494.
3. The Ogunquit Playhouse is featuring "Million Dollar Quartet", on Saturday, October 15, at 12 pm. This Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical is inspired by the true story of the famed recording session that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. This thrilling musical brings you inside that special night when those four major talents came together. It was Rock and Roll's best kept secret...until now! For more information please call the Playhouse at 207-646-5511.
4. Buck-a-shuck Oysters Return at Hurricane Restaurant every Sunday night starting at 4 pm. The Hurricane oyster bar features the finest mollusks from Maine and around the world. Slip 'em down for the count with your favorite wine, beer or cocktail. There are also unique and tasty oyster dish specials every Sunday. For more information please calk Luanne MacDonald at 207-967-9111.
The King's Port Inn has availability for the month of October. We have premium king rooms for only $109 a night. We also have Jacuzzi suites for only $149 a night. Each room includes free continental breakfast, free wi fi, and free parking. To make a reservation please call 1-800-286-5767. We would be happy to hear from you.
The King's Port Inn

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Fryeburg Fair!

The King's Port Inn is wishing everybody a happy October! Visiting Maine in October is such a great experience. The weather is still good, the tourist are gone, and all major attractions are still open. The leaves change color in beautiful shades of red/orange/yellow, and the air is crisp and fresh to breath. The holidays are approaching and but it's still months away from white snow!
There are many activities still to be enjoyed in the month of October. One of the most popular events in Maine during the month of October is the Fryeburg Fair.
The Fryeburg Fair was established in 1851, and will host it's 166th annual eight day fair October 2-9, in Fryeburg, Maine. It is considered to be one of the best agricultural fairs in the U.S. which offers non-stop livestock, agriculture and farming exhibitions with over 3,000 head of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, oxen and more.
The Fair is known for the best French fries made with just harvested Maine potatoes, along with an amazing assortment of food choices for everybody! Seafood, sausage, barbecue, onion rings, blooming onions, Indian pudding, crabmeat rolls, and many more. There is also blueberry pie, apple pie, cotton candy, candy apples, ice cream and more.
Fair highlights include horse and ox pulling, draft horse tandem hitches up to eight, calf and pig scrambles, cooking contests, flower shows, exhibition halls and crafts, handiwork, photos, art, forest and wood products; a full museum of old farm equipment and memorabilia with live demonstrations. There is also the "Little Red Schoolhouse" built in 1835, the milking parlor, firemen's musters, sheepdog trials, tractor pulling and parimutuel harness racing on the Fair's half-mile track.
The annual Fireworks show is Friday night October 7th, at 9pm, right after Laura Bell Bundy's show.
On Saturday, October 8th, at 10am, the Grand Parade will begin, and will last for 2 hours.
For more information on the Fryeburg Fair, please call 207-935-3268 or e-mail info@fryeburgfair.org.
The King's Port Inn has availability for the month of October. We have premium king rooms starting at $109 a night. We also have Jacuzzi suites starting at $149 a night. Each room includes free continental breakfast, free wi fi, and free parking. To make a reservation please call 1-800-286-5767. We would be happy to hear from you.
The King's Port Inn