Staff Writer
MAPLETON – Mapleton Daze is turning 20 this year and organizers hope community members will turn out in droves to help celebrate the milestone.
This year’s annual summer festival will begin Thursday, June 26 and run through Sunday, June 29. “At the end of last year, there were questions about whether or not there would even be a 20th year, but with the help of new and old volunteers,” said Nola Farley, president of the Mapleton Daze Committee, “we have managed to plan one of the best years yet.”
Several inflatable attractions will highlight this year’s festivities.
“We’ll be having a Bungee Bull, which is similar to a mechanical bull,” said Farley. “You sit on it like you would a mechanical bull, but it’s held up by bungee straps. There’s four people – one on each corner – that keeps the bull moving, and there’s an inflatable mat underneath that you get thrown off onto.”
Attendees will also have the chance to challenge someone to a friendly jousting match with inflatable pugil sticks.
“We’ll have a 25-foot in diameter inflatable mat with a disc in the center that both people stand on,” Farley said. “Then with cushioned or inflatable poles, you try to knock the other person out of the disc.”
A six-foot by 10-foot inflatable screen will allow spectators to watch “The Spiderwick Chronicles” Friday night.
“We were looking for some new added attractions and things we could do to bring some excitement to Mapleton Daze,” said Farley. “We also wanted to keep people on the grounds for a little longer than we have in the past. Typically, after the fireworks Friday night, people filter out, so Movie Night was a good opportunity to keep families there and have some fun.”
Once the fireworks conclude, people can direct their attention to the inflatable screen that will be positioned behind the Mapleton Elementary School.
“I’m guessing the movie will get started between 9:30 and 10 p.m.,” said Farley. “People can bring their blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy the show.”
An additional inflatable for younger children, The King Lion, will be on hand, as well.
“Basically the kids climb up it, go in through the mouth, slide down the other side and there’s a jumping room inside, too,” Farley said. “The great thing about all the inflatables this year is that they’re grand in size, they bring a lot of color, and they really fill space. They’re very visible from the road, so people driving by might say, ‘Oh, wow! What’s that? Let’s stop.’
“With a lot of food vendors coming in – both profit and non-profit – the grounds should definitely be full this year,” she said.
The schedule of events for this year’s Mapleton Daze is as follows:
Thursday, June 26
7 p.m. Woodie Waddell Memorial Cribbage Tournament at the Lions Hall. Fee is $2. Sign up at the door. Bring board and cards if possible.
7 p.m. Beano at the Lions Hall. Donations accepted.
Friday, June 27
5 p.m. Chicken Barbecue. The Lions Club will be serving supper at the Elementary School parking lot. One-half barbecued chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, roll and beverage for $6 per person. Takeout will be available.
Homemade Pies and Coffee. $2 per serving of pie and coffee only 50 cents. Sponsored by the Mapleton United Methodist Women. This event has become a very tasty, annual tradition.
New 2008 T-Shirts/Sweatshirts/Hats/Mugs will be on sale during the evening. Support Mapleton Daze activities by purchasing this year’s collectors items.
6-8 p.m. Jumping Castle. Additional Inflatable Attractions. Temporary Airbrush Tattoos by Tattitude, the Farrar Family. Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop, “stuff-n-fluff” bear for $11-$15. Bear comes with birth certificate and carrying case, T-shirts are $5.
6:30 p.m. Survivor Contest for ages 13 and up. Sponsored by the The Pizza House. Pre-registration at The Pizza House is required. Number of teams is limited. Registration deadline is Wednesday, June 25. Hosted by the Mapleton Boy Scouts.
7-8 p.m. Fire Safety House sponsored by the Mapleton Fire Department.
7 p.m. Scavenger Hunt sponsored by the Mapleton Fire Department. This event is for all kids.
7:30-9 p.m. Music by DJ Scuba Steve.
Fireworks 3-D Glasses will be on sale for $1. Proceeds will benefit the Mapleton Baptist Church.
Dusk Fireworks display. (Rain date is Saturday night – same time, same place).
Movie Night featuring “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”
Saturday, June 28
6-10 a.m. The Gloria M. McPherson Memorial Breakfast will be served by the Chapman Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club in the Lions Hall. Open to all. The menu will be eggs, ham, hash, baked beans, biscuits, coffee and juice. Cost is $3 for children and $5 for adults.
7:30 a.m. Mapleton Daze Fun Run. Registration starts at the school. The race will begin at 8 a.m., and is for all ages. Sponsored by North Country Auto.
9 a.m.-2 p.m. The Lions Hall will be open with past Mapleton Daze Albums for reminiscing.
9:30 a.m. Parade down Main Street, sponsored by Savings Bank of Maine. Participants should line up on the Dudley Road by 9 a.m. Call Debbie Sawyer at 764-1735 to register, or just show up the morning of the parade. There is no registration fee.
9:30 a.m. A Bike Parade will start at the Pool Road and lead the Mapleton Daze Parade through town. Participants should be at the end of the Pool Road by 9 a.m. to organize. Trophies will be awarded for the best decorated bike/trike/stroller or wagon in four age categories. Strollers or wagons age 2 and under. Bikes ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Thirty helmets are being donated by Aroostook Emergency Medical Services.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Haystack Historical Society Building will be open. Homemade Pie and Ice Cream Sale. Jim Cullen Look-a-Like Contest (prizes will be awarded). Book Signing by Mapleton’s very own Dena Winslow, Ph.D., author of “They Lynched Jim Cullen – New England’s Only Lynching.”
All activities to be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the schoolyard
Dunking Booth.
Petting Farm sponsored by the Nickerson Family.
Pony Rides. $2.
Children’s Games, operated by the Girl Scouts.
Jumping Castle.
Bungee Bull Riding (New this year).
Jousting (New this year).
Food Booths selling hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, pizza, doughboys, sausages, cotton candy, shaved ice, chips, drinks and much more.
Tattitude, airbrush tattoos.
11:30 a.m. Giant Haystack with hidden prizes, sponsored by the Presque Isle Rotary Club. Four age groups (4 and under, 5-7, 8-10 and 11-12).
Noon Watermelon Eating Contest. Sponsored by Friends Market. Prizes will be awarded in three age groups (7 and under, 8-12 and 13 and up).
12:30 p.m. Hula Hoop Contest in center of the schoolyard. Prizes will be awarded. Sponsored by Presque Isle Kiwanis Club.
Noon-2 p.m. Horse-drawn Wagon Rides will be given for the whole family. Provided by the Putnam Family.
12:30 p.m. Maine State Police Canine Demonstration.
1 p.m. The Raffle for the Girls’ and Boys’ Bikes and Wagons will be drawn at the sound booth on the school grounds.
1 p.m. Horseshoe Tournament. Call Danny Bretton at 764-0855 in advance for registration. There will be a $5 entry fee and it will be a “winner-take-all” tournament.
1:30 p.m. Wacky Lawn Mower Races behind the school. Registration will be from noon-1 p.m. or at the breakfast. Two age categories: 12-17 and 18 and up. Sponsored by the Chapman Ridge Runners Snowmobile and ATV Club.
3-8 p.m. Music Festival on Main Street featuring Wendell Hudson and Friends, Aroostook County Blue Grass, Elvis, and Donna Nelson and Friends.
5-6:30 p.m. Baked Bean and Ham Supper, sponsored by the Presque Isle Class of 2009, will be served at the Lions Hall. Tickets are $3 for children 12 and under and $5 for adults. The meal also includes potato salad, coleslaw, dinner roll and dessert. Tickets may be purchased at the door.
6:30 p.m. Alumni Banquet at the Elementary School. Advanced reservations only.
8-10 p.m. Street Dance for teens on Main Street with DJ Scuba Steve. Come to dance or just to listen.
Sunday, June 29
7 a.m. Sunrise Service will be held at the Gazebo with Nathan Gardiner and friends.
7-10 a.m. Breakfast at Mapleton Lunch. The wait staff will be members of the Mapleton Fire Department.
9 a.m. Jerry Dow and Merlyn Buck Memorial Walk. Pledges will go to the alumni scholarship fund. Meet in front of the Lions Hall. Call Katie Buck at 762-7891 for information.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. ATV Poker Run. Sponsored by the Mapleton ATV Club. Registration is by the underpass. Call Clayton Craig at 764-0092 for more information. It will be a 35-mile ride. Several nice prizes will be awarded.
