Ferry Beach Retreat for Memorial Day Weekend 2025 (Friday, May 23 – Monday, May 26)

First Parish in Concord, First Parish in Lexington & Follen Community Church

First Parish in Concord, First Parish in Lexington, and Follen Community Church will have a retreat together at the Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center in Saco, Maine over Memorial Day Weekend. For many years, First Parish in Concord and First Parish in Lexington have enjoyed our retreat together, and for the first time the Follen Church will join in. (They had previously had retreats at a camp in Brewster on Cape Cod, but that facility is now permanently closed.) The joint 3-congregation Ferry Beach Retreat Committee is busy making plans together for our weekend!

Families, couples, and singles of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend! Here’s some info to get you started thinking about joining this year’s retreat weekend.

The Ferry Beach campus is in Saco, Maine, right on the beach. There are a variety of housing choices, with the majority of rooms being in three dorm buildings. Bathrooms are shared in the dorms and rooms have 1- 4 beds in various configurations. There is one dorm floor that is ADA accessible. There are three cottages (houses) that can sleep 2-8 people, who decide to rent the full cottage together; three cabins that sleep 1-4, and there are four rooms that are like basic motel rooms in one building, two of which are ADA accessible (these accommodate 1-2 people). A large campground is also available for tent or RV camping. All families register with the Ferry Beach office starting April 7th. Please refer to the Registration steps outlined in this PDF.

Activities: The weekend is mostly an R&R weekend with ample opportunities for connecting with UUs from our three congregations. There are a number of activities planned by the joint Planning Committee and others happen organically on the spot. For example, on Saturday and Sunday evenings, there will be a Social Hour before dinner with folks gathering on the Dining Hall porch. Folks are welcome to bring wine or beer to that but must take care that only those 21 or older have some. (There is no storage for wine or beer by Ferry Beach, so you must keep it under your own control at all times.) Possible activities throughout the weekend may include a bird walk, sand structure contest, croquet tournament, volleyball, basketball, tennis, time on the beach, sitting on the big porches, Bingo, bracelet making, a very popular with all ages “Rock Talk,” scavenger hunt, playing board games, singing (bring your Rise Up Singing book and your guitar, if you like) and a campfire with s’mores. Some folks bring their bikes to explore the area or drive to nearby towns and attractions. On Sunday night there will be a Talent Show in the Gayla Theater – singing, skits, dancing, and other performances are welcome. We are a loving audience to all ages! Let the Planning Committee know if you’d like to offer an activity or help with something!

Warmly,

Your Ferry Beach Coordinating Team