CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou saw a 10 minute period of heavy rainfall just half an hour before the community held its final Thursday’s on Sweden event of the year.
That caused the initial crowd to be smaller than usual, but then people started showing up as the music started.
Caribou Marketing and Events Coordinator Christina Kane-Gibson said she felt there was a really good crowd considering the weather, and that the band, The Adam Ezra Group, had a lot to do with the turnout.
“It was a little chilly and we had a little rain,” Kane-Gibson said, “but people still had a really good time.”
Kane-Gibson said that two or three vendors pulled out after the brief 5:30 p.m. rain, but that “mostly everyone grabbed a spot under shelter and waited it out.”
While the crowd dwindled near the end of the evening event, about 50 stayed until the very end, at which point members of the Adam Ezra group left the stage and stepped down to the street level to play The Beatles’ “Let it Be,” while inviting everyone to sing along.
“It was a cool moment, and something you’re only going to get in Caribou,” Kane-Gibson said. “People were singing together, laughing, and clapping, and that’s kind of what it’s all about. It was a nice moment to wrap it up for the year.”
Kane-Gibson said that next year she wants to enhance the event further and she is speaking to city department heads about getting a team together to help contribute “new ideas” and “new energy” into 2018’s Thursday’s on Sweden events.
For this year, Kane-Gibson said roughly 1,000 people came out for each of the events, with the exception of the Aug. 31 event and one other that had to be held inside due to weather.
“I definitely want to thank Gary Marquis of the Rec Department and Dave Ouellette of Public Works,” Kane-Gibson said. “It wouldn’t be able to happen without them at every event.”
Kane-Gibson also expressed thanks to Caribou Fire Chief Scott Susi and Police Chief Michael Gahagan for their help, along with “the whole community who came out to support the event.”
“I think one thing is really clear, and that is that it takes a team effort to make this happen,” she said. “It takes a lot of coordinating.”
The events coordinator also gave a shout out to the Sitel Corporation, which is the event’s “biggest sponsor” and pays for all of the musical acts featured throughout the summer.
“I think it was a really fun event,” Gibson said. “You get to connect to everyone, hear awesome music, have great food, and it’s a really cool and unique experience to Caribou. We want to keep it that way, but also want to expand on what we have, and are excited to see what 2018 will bring.”
