HOULTON, Maine — A new flag will soon be flying at Riverfront Park in honor of the state’s 200th anniversary.
Houlton town councilors gave their unanimous approval Monday, Jan. 27, to fly the bicentennial flag in Riverfront Park in recognition of the state’s 200th birthday. The state donated the flag to the town, Town Manager Marian Anderson said.
“I think Riverfront Park would be a really nice place for this flag,” council chair Jane Torres said. “I think there is just one flag there, so it will be very visible.”
In May 2019, Maine’s Secretary of State Matt Dunlap unveiled the new flag design, which features a blue background with lighter blue across the bottom representing water; a pine tree based on the tree featured in the Maine Merchant and Marine flag in the 1930s; and the Dirigo star.
The Dirigo star, which Dunlap extracted from the State of Maine Seal for use on the Maine Bicentennial Commemorative License Plate in 2017, is a unifying symbol of Maine’s bicentennial effort, and it is used in the Maine200 Bicentennial Commission logo.
The bicentennial flag is intended to be flown during the commemoration of Maine’s 200th anniversary of statehood and is not a replacement for the current state of Maine flag.
March 15 marks the bicentennial of Maine’s statehood. A number of events are planned throughout the state in 2020 to celebrate this milestone. On that day, a celebration event will take place at 1 p.m.at the Augusta Armory and a bicentennial parade is planned for May 16 in Auburn.
For information on events planned throughout the year, visit maine200.org.
