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L.L.Bean Commemorates 100 Years on Main Street with 100th Anniversary Hometown Anniversary Celebration

Freeport is the Destination for L.L.Bean’s Centennial Festivities Beginning July 4th – Music from Chris Isaak and Jo Dee Messina, Along with Outdoor Fun and a Spectacular Fireworks Display

Freeport, ME, May 30, 2012 – Outdoor retailer L.L.Bean announced today the highlight of its centennial year – the L.L.Bean 100th Anniversary Hometown Celebration to be held July 4-7 in Freeport, ME. The four-day event will be chock full of free outdoor entertainment and activities for the whole family, with free daily concerts in L.L.Bean’s Discovery Park, the 35th annual L.L.Bean 10K Road Race, visits from the L.L.Bean Bootmobile, special guests and much more. 

L.L.Bean has enlisted the musical talents of Chris Isaak, veteran rocker and recent recipient of New York’s WFUV radio “Artist of the Year” to headline one of the many free outdoor concerts at L.L.Bean’s Discovery Park on Saturday, July 7. Other performances include American country music artist and Grammy nominee Jo Dee Messina who will perform on Wednesday, July 4, with another free outdoor concert in the park.

In addition to the open-air concerts, L.L.Bean will host four days of family-friendly activities, including a Fourth of July parade, children’s performances, appearances of the L.L.Bean Bootmobile and free Outdoor Discovery Schools® instruction. The celebration will culminate on Saturday, July 7 with a spectacular fireworks display. Additional activities running throughout the four-day celebration include:

• Wednesday, July 4
• 35th annual L.L.Bean 10K Road Race and Freeport Fun Run/Walk (7:30 a.m. & 9:15 a.m.)
• Freeport Fourth of July parade, featuring  the L.L.Bean Bootmobile (10 a.m.)
• Free concert featuring country artist Jo Dee Messina in Discovery Park (7:30 p.m.)

• Thursday, July 5
• Free Outdoor Discovery Schools demonstrations, including kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
• Visits from retired Red Sox player Rico Petrocelli, Wally the Green Monster and the World Series trophies (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
• Muddy Bean Boots ice cream sampling, a special flavor created by Gifford’s in celebration of L.L.Bean’s 100th anniversary (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)

• Friday, July 6
• Outdoor games with World Champion Snowboarder Seth Wescott and visits from notable Maine authors (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
• Farmers’ market with kid-friendly arts and crafts (1-5 p.m.)
• Free concerts by regional artists (2-9 p.m.)

• Saturday, July 7
• All-day street festival with local crafts, food and live entertainment (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
• Free outdoor concert featuring headliner Chris Isaak (7:30-9 p.m.)
• A spectacular fireworks display (9 p.m.)

For every person to participate in the festivities, L.L.Bean will donate $1 to the National Park Foundation through its Million Moment Mission – a year-long campaign designed to support the National Park Foundation’s programs for kids. For each outdoor moment shared, L.L.Bean will donate $1 to the National Park Foundation up to $1 million.

“While much has changed in 100 years, much has remained the same, especially our appreciation of the outdoors,” said Steve Fuller, L.L.Bean Chief Marketing Officer. “There is no better way for L.L.Bean to celebrate its centennial than to enjoy the outdoors with our customers, employees and local community right here in Freeport where it all began.”

L.L.Bean’s founder Leon Leonwood Bean believed that spending time outdoors was fundamental to happiness in life. In this spirit, L.L.Bean is hoping to inspire people to get outdoors and encourage a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts throughout the 100th anniversary year. In addition to the Million Moment Mission, as part of the anniversary celebration, L.L.Bean is giving away more than $100,000 in outdoor gear and Outdoor Discovery Schools experiences through the Get Out(fitted) Gear Giveaway. As part of the Get Out(fitted) Gear Giveaway, for every day in 2012, a deserving group or individual will be selected to receive L.L.Bean gear or an Outdoor Discovery Schools experience (valued up to $500).

L.L.Bean also offers a great opportunity for children and families to participate in a wide range of outdoor recreation with its Outdoor Discovery Schools® (ODS), where expert guides provide an easy and affordable way to learn more about a favorite activity or try something new for the first time. Throughout the anniversary year, ODS is celebrating “100 Years with 100 Adventures,” with the launch of an expanded roster of outdoor adventures.

For more information on L.L.Bean’s 100th Anniversary Hometown Celebration, as well as ways to get involved in the company’s 100th anniversary initiatives, visit www.llbean.com.

About L.L.Bean, Inc.
L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. While its business has grown over the past 100 years, L.L.Bean still upholds the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. To celebrate the company’s centennial, L.L.Bean is reigniting America’s passion for the outdoors, with donations of nearly $3 million to organizations that engage young people and their families in outdoor recreation. Over the past 10 years, L.L.Bean has given nearly $26 million to local, state, regional and national conservation, human service, education and arts organizations.  L.L.Bean products are rigorously tested, guaranteed to last and always shipped free. The 200,000 sq. ft. L.L.Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook,   Twitter and YouTube.