LITTLETON, Maine — A nostalgic throwback to simpler times, the Littleton Family Fun Day drew families, extended families and vacationing passers-by to the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Cake walks, painted faces, pickle making and taking, obstacle course challenges, dunking friends, jail time at a $1 a minute and even a dramatic Maine Forest Service helicopter landing, were part of the festival that reminded some organizers of the old Littleton School PTC Fair.
“It was magical for us,” said Sara Deveau, a member of the Littleton Playground Revitalization Committee about the PTC fairs. “One of the big things is the cake walk. I remember doing that at the PTC Fair and this year, some were very creative with the cakes.”
Saturday’s event was part of a year-long initiative to raise funds for the town’s aging playground on Route 1 across from the town office.
Last May, a small group of Littleton residents decided to do something to help the town’s aging playground. And then one day Deveau was in the town office and noticed that the town manager had the same idea.
“She was collecting donations for the playground,” she said. “I said, ‘we can help.’”
And since that time, the grassroots committee, along with overwhelming help from the community, has raised nearly $70,000 toward the project’s $100,000 goal. They also received a $5,000 Rotary grant.
“Littleton is small, but people pitch in,” Deveau said.The goal is to renovate the popular 30-year-old playground that’s showing signs of wear and tear. The playground always has visitors and even travelers along Route 1, stop by to let children play, Deveau said.
The committee has already renovated the picnic area. But they need $100,000 to replace the playground equipment. The playground is on a 5-acre town-owned piece of land, said Deveau. And eventually, the committee hopes to build a basketball court and add walking trails on the property.
“Our goal is to order equipment this fall and have it ready for next spring,” Deveau said.
Last summer, the committee and many volunteers held the inaugural Family Fun Day. Other fundraising efforts have included bake sales, snowmobile races and a recent yard sale that brought in $8,000 for the playground project.
Still, the fun day is not just about raising money, Deveau said, adding that it’s also about having fun together as a community and generating enthusiasm for the playground.
And on Saturday, volunteers helped with cotton candy, popcorn, burgers, hot dogs, fried dough, ice cream, demonstrations, and games that were scattered throughout the grounds of the museum.
A multi-colored tractor train took kids for rides with each barrel car of the train occupied nearly all afternoon as its young passengers waved a quick farewell wave to Mom, Dad or Grandma. For a lucky few, their ride was momentarily interrupted by the Maine Forest Service helicopter flying overhead and landing right near the train.
The Presque Isle Fire Department Family Safety House was there with fire prevention tips along with demonstrations by Littleton Fire, Southern Aroostook EMS and the Maine Forest Service.
Maine State Trooper Cpl. Dennis Quint booked folks into the make-shift jail at a cost of $1 a minute or $5 to get out of jail early.
Local farm owner Nancy Wright did a pickle-making demonstration; Rhonda Shaw held demonstrations in the museum’s schoolhouse; and Christy Fitzpatrick talked about water and the watershed project.
“They really loved the watershed demonstration,” said Sara Jones of Hodgdon, who was at the event with family visiting from New Hampshire. “The games are fun, but they were really drawn to the demonstration. There are all sorts of things for everybody.”
LITTLETON, Maine — August 6, 2022 — The Maine Forest Service helicopter dropped by the Littleton Family Fun Day on Saturday at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum. (Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli | Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times)
LITTLETON, Maine — August 6, 2022 — There’s an art to spinning colored sugar into cotton candy and volunteer Barbara Tidd of Linneus is getting lots of practice on Saturday during the Littleton Family Fun Day. (Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli | Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times)
LITTLETON, Maine — August 6, 2022 — Face painting was popular at Littleton Family Funday on Saturday. Artist Grace Taupin paints Autumn School’s face. (Kathleen Phalen Tomaselli | Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times)
