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Belfast adds 15 colorful chairs downtown as part of beautification project

Fifteen uniquely painted Adirondack chairs can be found scattered across downtown Belfast.

BELFAST, Maine — Residents and visitors of Belfast may see a little more color downtown, both around them and underneath them. 

Our Town Belfast is an organization that works to grow and sustain the downtown area through historic preservation and community events. Amanda Cunningham, the group's executive director, says they realized they had a lack of seating downtown.

"We have a really big hill here, so if you're all the way at the bottom and you want to chuck it all the way back up to the top, you need a place to sit down," Cunningham said. 

Now, with its new beautification project called "Sit Down Belfast," the group found a way to add more seating and color to the town simultaneously. 

Fifteen Adirondack chairs can be found scattered across town. Painted by artists from the area, each chair is one-of-a-kind, showcasing different artistic styles and even some hidden messages. 

"You know, they're all unbelievably beautiful in so many different ways, and I've just really enjoyed seeing all of them," Jacki Cassida, one of the artists involved in the project, said. 

Cunningham grew up in Belfast, left for a few years, and has now returned to support projects like "Sit Down Belfast" to preserve and improve the town she remembers.

"To return when I had my own child and to be a part of what is now a destination, not only to visit but to move to and to set up your business, is really inspiring," she said. 

Cunningham says the chairs will be out for the rest of the summer before being put away for storage this fall. She says they will then return next spring. 

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