BEVERLY — There are lobsters, lip-syncing and lighthouse tours.
Bicycle races, balloon rides and bocce games.
Farmers markets, face-painting and fireworks.
It's a formula that's worked for nearly half a century, and the tradition will continue again this year when the 44th Beverly Homecoming begins today.
The annual 10-day festival includes more than 80 events, with scenic Lynch Park serving as the seaside center of most of the activity.
"There's enough of a variety that there's something for everybody," said Bruce Doig, the city's parks and recreation director, who serves as Homecoming executive director.
Homecoming's signature events are the Lobster Festival on Wednesday and the fireworks finale on Sunday, Aug. 8. If the weather is good, both events draw thousands.
Another well-attended event is the Lip Sync Extravaganza, which features youngsters from the Recreation Department's playground program in a lip-sync contest on stage at the Lynch Park shell.
Last year, the annual Homecoming Road Race had more than 600 runners, one of the largest fields ever, not to mention several hundred spectators.
Filtered throughout the week are concerts, culminating with the traditional final day Lynch Park lineup of The Odd Ducks, Danny Vitale & The Earthshakers, and Horizon, featuring Ray Novack.
This year, there will be some extra music at one of the city's most scenic spots, the Hospital Point Lighthouse at the end of Bayview Avenue. The Folly Cove Choral Group will perform three 30-minute sets during the annual lighthouse tours this Sunday.
A new event this year will commemorate the day Babe Ruth played at Cooney Field in 1919. A marker will be dedicated in his honor tomorrow followed by a "vintage" baseball game played under 19th-century rules and an all-star game involving present-day Babe Ruth League players.
Befitting a city of such historic character, there will be historic walking tours of the downtown, the waterfront, and the Abbott and Central cemeteries. Many Beverly High School classes also use Homecoming as the basis for their reunions.
The main events for kids include Tiny Tots Day this Sunday and the Kids Carnival on Friday, Aug. 6.
"I get calls a year in advance for people who want to know the dates of Homecoming so they can make plans," Doig said. "People do get excited about it."
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