HOULTON, Maine — Cool, fall-like temperatures did little to deter folks from turning out in near-record numbers for the 58th annual Houlton Potato Feast Days celebration Friday and Saturday in the Shiretown.
Friday evening featured a variety of activities for both the young and young at heart. Saturday’s schedule included a large craft fair in Monument Park, along with Community Market offering potato painting stations for children.
Main Street and downtown Houlton were filled with youngsters Friday evening for the annual doll and wagon parade as part of the 58th annual Potato Feast Days. (Joseph Cyr)
“[Friday] was a great evening,” said Jane Torres, executive director for the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce. “The doll parade had over 50 participants with the police and the ice cream truck escorting the group. And we also had a Miss Maine Princess, Bailey Soucy, leading the way.”
Torres added that the Touch a Truck on Broadway once again proved to be immensely popular with area children as the sounds of dump truck horns blaring rang out through the downtown. The miniature tractor pulls gave out more than 110 ribbons and 50-cent pieces to local children.
“And of course Ted and the Boys gave a great performance for a huge, but cold, crowd,” she said. “Despite the falling temps, most stayed to the very end which was well past darkness. The evening wrapped up around 9:30 p.m.”
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- Josh McLaughlin, a member of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, gets a lobster ready to serve Friday evening in Houlton. McLaughlin and Matt Donahue sponsored this year’s lobster feast for the Chamber. (Joseph Cyr)
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- Chris Bell, left, of Houlton checks out a tractor with his children Gavin, middle, and Ali during Friday night’s “Touch a Truck” event as part of Potato Feast Days. (Joseph Cyr)
The major attraction Friday was the chamber’s lobster dinner. With meal prices reduced to $10 for a single lobster, and $15 for a double meal, residents came out in droves. The chamber was able to offer the reduced price on lobster thanks to donations from J. McLaughlin Construction and Donahue’s Masonry and Maintenance.
In fact, so many people turned out for the lobster event that the chamber sold out, acquired more from Andy’s IGA and sold out a second time.
“As near as we can figure we sold 300 lobsters,” Torres said. “Some of those wonderful people stood in line for two hours. We still had about 30 people in line when we ran out.”
The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum displayed its new “World’s Largest Potato Basket” made by basket maker Richard Silliboy.
“I understand the quilt show had a great turnout and it was wonderful to see people wandering around town from the craft fair to the Ice Cream and Pie social at the Church of the Good Shepherd to Community Market on Saturday,” Torres added. “Potato decorating was very popular and this year was done as part of the market.”
