ESSEX — Essex came alive on Saturday for Mae Hall Park Day, a celebration built around fun, family, and community. Crowds cheered on pageant contestants, while children lined up for face painting and adults lined up for cheeseburgers. The spoon and egg races offered the most challenge. Only a few contestants crossed the finish line with the egg balanced on the spoon. Graham Strickland (pictured) was the lucky giveaway prize winner of a John Deere toy tractor donated by Greenway Equipment.