HOULTON, Maine — The town of Houlton will celebrate all things potato this weekend as part of the 61st annual Maine Potato Feast Days.
But while the event may be returning, many of the staple attractions will not be offered this year as the area continues to deal with COVID-19 cases in the community.
“We are trying to do all of our events outside this year, so hopefully that [COVID-19] will not be too much of an issue,” Jane Torres, executive director for the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, said.
The popular lobster feast, which often yielded sales of more than 250 tasty crustaceans, is not happening this year due to skyrocketing prices. According to Torres, the price for a single pound-and-a-quarter lobster was $15, making it far too risky of a venture to place such a large order.
The Chamber was planning to sell lobsters to go for $25 for one and $42 for two, but advance ticket sales were extremely poor. Torres said they had only pre-sold eight tickets prior to deciding to cancel.
“In year’s past we had some business sponsor this event, but the money just wasn’t there,” she said. “We will revisit it again next year to see if we can bring it back.”
Instead of lobsters, a baked potato bar will be available outside the County Co-Op on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring a variety of toppings to be heaped onto a freshly baked potato.
Children’s events will be the focus of Friday’s activities as Broadway will be closed to traffic for a “Touch-a-Truck” event starting at 4 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., a Mad Science show will be held at the Houlton Amphitheatre and the always popular Children’s Parade of Dolls begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Chamber building.
The evening closes with a candy drop at 6 p.m. at Monument Park.
On Saturday, a large craft fair will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Monument Park., while the Church of the Good Shepherd will host a yard sale and pie and ice cream social. The Friends of the Needle Quilt Show will not be held this year.
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