FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — The 71st annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival brought out much of the local community for the opening festivities on Saturday that included a townwide yard sale and a horseshoe tournament at Riverside Park.
The festival runs for 9 days and features dozens of events that celebrate Fort Fairfield and Aroostook County with food, games, music, parades, pageants, high school reunions and more.
Last year, an estimated 35,000 people visited the Maine Potato Blossom Festival. This year, the event’s new director, Meg Hegemann, hopes to attract as many or more visitors with returning and new activities.
Planned events through the week include fiddle music at the bandstand, a potato picking contest, an inflatable adventure park and karaoke at the beer garden. There will be a military veterans tribute at 10 a.m., the festival parade at 1:15 p.m. and the potato queen pageant at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21.
New additions this year are comedians for kids and adults (both family friendly), a sip and paint event organized by the Wintergreen Arts Center, and an evening of live music by local and regional artists Jacob Graham, Travis Cyr, and Putnam Smith and Ashley Storrow.
On opening day, July 14, more than 30 households participated in the annual yard sale, with many selling children’s toys and books, clothing and tools, and taking advantage of the opportunity to interact with the dozens of people who lined the neighborhood streets in search of bargain prices.
Wyatt Chambers (left), 8, and Kyler Chambers, 4, play during a yard sale held by Harley and Jake Willette during the townwide yard sale in Fort Fairfield on Saturday. The yard sales were among of the many events that kicked off the 71st Maine Potato Blossom Festival.
(Melissa Lizotte)
“We have a yard sale every year during the festival, and it’s a good chance to meet different people. Sometimes I run into people I haven’t seen in years,” said Thelma Milton, who sold clothing, toys, books and knick-knacks at her home on Brunswick Avenue.
Her son Gary Milton also contributed some items to the yard sale.
“I like talking with the people who come out,” he said. “We go to a lot of the other festival events, too. It’s a great event for the community.”
On Riverside Drive, Harley and Jake Willette decided to give away most of the items, including toys, games, camping gear and tools, at their yard sale for free. This is their first year participating in the townwide yard sale.
“We usually go to the different yard sales, but this year we decided to have one, too,” Harley Willette said. “We got a bunch of stuff together that we wanted to give away.”
As Paul Parady, right, looks on, Mark Babin of Fort Fairfield tosses a horseshoe during a tournament held as part of the kickoff for the Maine Potato Blossom Festival in Fort Fairfield on Saturday.
(Melissa Lizotte)
Just down the road from the Willette’s at Riverside Park the horseshoe tournament, hosted by Boy Scout Troop 194, brought out some friendly competition among its participants and a community spirit that many say is the best part of the Potato Blossom Festival.
“The great thing about the festival is seeing people come to town and having fun,” said Mark Babin of Fort Fairfield, who took part in the horseshoe tournament.
For a complete list of Maine Potato Blossom Festival activities, visit fortfairfield.org/festival.html.
