An anniversary that almost wasn't: Iconic Weirs Beach sign celebrates 70 years

WEIRS BEACH — This weekend marks 70 years since the iconic Weirs Beach sign arrived to welcome visitors and residents alike down Lakeside Avenue.

There will be cake served in celebration of this milestone, at 9 p.m. on Saturday, right at the sign, followed by scheduled fireworks over Lake Winnipesaukee at 9:30 p.m. Local business owners, residents, and visitors are all welcome to join in the festivities.

The neon sign first arrived in the city on July 19, 1956, and was installed July 21. The 4,400 pound sign cost $2,200 to construct in 1956, equivalent to about $27,000 today. Arthur “Red” S. Dale from Tyler Advertising, of Laconia, designed and built the sign.

Pictured in a photo taken of local business owners standing in front of the new sign, still on wheels at the time, was the late Bob Lawton, uncle of Ward 1 Councilor Jon Hildreth. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the sign, in a new photo, Hildreth stands on the same side his uncle stood, decades before.

Robert Ames, president and treasurer of Weirs Action Committee and owner of Half Moon Enterprises, also has a long history with the sign. His late father, Sidney Ames, was responsible for its construction, gathering business owners in support of the endeavor. Robert Ames was just 2 months old at the time.

“It’s iconic. When you think of Weirs Beach, you think of the arrow sign,” he said.

Hildreth said without the vibrant sign at the intersection of Lakeside and Daniel Webster Highway, the boardwalk might be missed by passersby. “It beckons people in.”

When Alison Hildebrand first came to Weirs Beach, she instantly fell in love with the area, moving to Laconia in 1998. To get involved with her community, she attended a Weirs Action Committee meeting. Listed on the meeting’s agenda was a “new beach sign,” and she wondered why it needed to be replaced.

Having lived in Chicago for 12 years, she witnessed firsthand what she called, “the town of restoration.” While living there, she volunteered to help clean up junk during restoration of the Chicago Theatre.

“It’s so exciting to see something come back to life. And I said, ‘Why don’t they just do it with this?'”

Once bids started going out for a new sign, Hildebrand asked, “Well, why can’t we keep the same sign?”

As requests for bids were going two weeks hence, Hildebrand had to act fast, and get at least 2,000 signatures. She put up black and white posters at local country stores and gas stations reading, “Save the Weirs Beach sign.”

At the time, she was also working as a flight attendant, and was on the go constantly. Hildebrand’s friend, George Sullivan, helped gather signatures as well, reaching well over 2,000. Due to the overwhelming response, the City of Laconia decided to put out bids for refurbishing the sign.

In January 2002, the sign was restored for approximately $28,000 by Jutras Sign and Flag, in Meredith. The city’s original budget for a new sign was $40,000.

Joe Jutras sent Hildebrand a refurbishment bid for the sign, offering repairs for less than $30,000. What really caught her attention was the company’s commitment to the sign’s authenticity.

“They found the original manufacturer of the sign, and the part numbers, and the pieces. It was just incredible. So, a lot of the sign is still what it was, because they did this research.”

When Jutras Sign and Flag transported the sign for refurbishment in Concord, community members panicked as they saw their village's beloved sign driving down the interstate on a flatbed truck.

“How can we make sure this isn't going to happen again when I'm long gone?” Hildebrand thought.

In 2005, just ahead of the 50th anniversary of the sign, Hildebrand and Sullivan received a plaque from the New Hampshire Preservation Society, ensuring it was safe from being taken down. This distinction is typically for barns, churches, or old homes, but after much persuasion from Hildebrand, the iconic, neon sign received a designation, preserving it forever.

During restoration, the sign moved 8 feet closer to Lakeside Avenue, to a relocated traffic island. Prior to this, there was two-way traffic on either side of the sign, which is now two lanes of one-way traffic. Later, in 2017, a further improvement project separated the island into two sections, with a crosswalk in between.

Also in original photos, the sign was yellow, with black supporting poles, a black arrow, and vibrant lights illuminating the arrow at night. Now, the sign is rid of its supporting pole, which used to sit 3 feet above it, and is now blue, with a red arrow.

The neon lights were originally chaser bulbs, which repeatedly create running light effects. A spinning mechanism uses a small electric motor in order to rotate the lights in a repeating pattern. Ames said this was one of the last lighting mechanisms like this in the country at the time. In 2018, they were changed to incandescent bulbs, up until 2024, when the switch to LED lights began, finishing up in May 2026.

For 70 years, the sign has invited residents and visitors alike down Lakeside Avenue, and is a Motorcycle Week staple; lines forming to take photos in front of the two-sided sign every June. The sign is also regularly pictured on event T-shirts.

“It signifies motion. Let’s move, let’s go,” Ames said.

In case of rain, committee members will share plans to postpone or move forward by 10 a.m. on Saturday, at facebook.com/WeirsBeach.WAC.

During the anniversary celebration, the fireworks and festivities are funded by the community. Hard-working volunteers from the Weirs Action Committee, as well as local businesses and vendors, contribute.

“I'm very pleased that it's going to continue, and for how long I am alive, I'm going to be involved with it,” Hildebrand said. “And of course, look out for the 75th. Not that I want to see time rush by, but it'll be a big one.”