MATTAPOISETT — In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 20, approximately 100 vendors turned a usually spacious, green Shipyard park into a maze of colorful art, jewelry and snacks for the Mattapoisett Lions Club’s annual Harbor Days festival.

According to Helene Rose, scholarship chair of the Mattapoisett Lions Club, Harbor Days started as a small bike race over 50 years ago.

Now, it is the premier event on the Mattapoisett schedule each summer.

After a number of events during the week such as Taste of the Town and paint nights for kids and adults, Harbor Days weekend officially got underway on Saturday as the community gathered to shop and mingle.

“It’s awesome,” said Mattapoisett Lions Club President Lynne Foley. “The weather is with us. The crowd is with us.”

Singer and Rochester native Rebecca Correia entertained the crowd with tunes as they took breaks from checking out the endless forms of art available for purchase.

One vendor, Karen Donahue, specializes in creating a Mattapoisett staple: Seahorses.

“Mattapoisett is all about seahorses so it’s kinda like the place to be,” said Donahue, who has been coming to Harbor Days for the last five years.

Along with colorful seahorses, Donahue also designs horses and unicorns.

“Everyone here is very nice,” said Donahue of Harbor Days. “The people, the atmosphere, the music — Everything is awesome.”

Refreshment options were vast for guests as temperatures climbed over 80 degrees. Lemonade, ice cream, and best of all, lobster, was available for purchase.

Foley said her favorite part about the event is that it takes a whole community effort.

“Everybody comes together and it's a very nice time to see old friends and to make new ones from everywhere,” she said.

Another vendor, Pam Garrett, has been participating in Harbor Days for about a decade.

Garrett, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, specializes in handmade denim jackets.

“I’ve been coming here for like 10 years, she said. “It’s a terrific show.”

The planning process for the event started back in January, according to Rose.

Rose said that returning vendors have the first right to a spot to set up and a wait list is created every year.

“It's a great team of workers and a great team of volunteers,” said Rose. “I'm blessed to belong to this organization.”