HOULTON, Maine – Just an hour after opening, nearly 400 people had already entered a brewfest on Saturday and by 4 p.m., the line to enter the John A. Millar Civic Center was trailing outside the doors.
About half of those attending Houlton’s Blackfly Brewfest: Eclipse Edition were from away, although Jane Torres, executive director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, said she thought many came to be with family and friends for the total solar eclipse on Monday.
The small Aroostook County town has been preparing for an estimated 40,000 eclipse visitors for the past three years because it is in the path of totality and they are hoping the event-packed weekend festival, including the brewfest, will draw people to the town.
The influx began slowly. Traffic on Routes 1 and 2A earlier Saturday was light and parking downtown was abundant. About 50 or so mostly local families were taking a look at some of the festival event locations and sampling tasty treats from the five food trucks parked in Market Square.
Big Nazo, intergalactic creatures, came slinking out the back of the Houlton Eclipse Headquarters at Market Square before visiting downtown shops and taking selfies with visitors. Created by puppet-maker creator Erminio Pinque, Big Nazo is an international improv performance group of visual artists, puppet performers and masked musicians who will be performing throughout the Houlton Eclipse Festival Weekend.
One minute offbeat aliens were downtown, the next Big Nazo was dancing in the middle of the Blackfly Brewfest.
On Saturday afternoon, NASA scientists were outside the Temple Theater where they will be live streaming the eclipse on Monday, running test dispatches.
Several downtown shop owners and food truck vendors said the downtown had been relatively slow with a trickling of visitors. Although Erica Burkhart, owner of Serendipity Embroidery, said business had really picked up with orders for custom T-shirts.
The porta potties have arrived in town. There are several at all the designated star parks and in many locations downtown.
There was a bit of a problem with mud in the metaphysical tent, where astrologers, psychics and tarot card readers will offer their services, but Torres said she plans to get some straw for Sunday.
The brewfest attendance far surpassed last year’s regular festival, said Torres.
There were brewers, distillers and vintners from around the state with such offerings as Fog Town Brewing Company’s Path of Totality, Black IPA, Bigelow Brewing Company’s double IPA, Dementia Dog or Mossy Ledge Spirits’ Holy Hell Jalapeno vodka.
Town planners expect the crowds to pick up on Sunday with the most visitors arriving on Monday for the eclipse. The forecast for Houlton Monday is mostly clear skies, according to the National Weather Service.
