WASHBURN, Maine — Washburn will debut a new tribute to veterans and a first-ever memorial car show during the upcoming August Festival.
The festival will take place from Friday, Aug. 19, to Sunday, Aug. 21.
The 40th annual parade, meals, crafts and music are on tap, along with the Washburn District High School alumni banquet. But organizers will introduce some new offerings that they hope will draw participation from residents and visitors alike.
“The festival brings a lot of people into town. A lot of families have family reunions and classes have class reunions during this time,” said Washburn Town Manager Donna Turner. “It really does a lot of good things as far as bringing people together.”
Thanks to the Washburn Rotary Club, the town’s Veterans Park has a new addition. The club has created a memorial walkway at the park, which will be covered with engraved bricks to honor veterans.
The club has sold nearly 150 bricks and orders are still coming in, Turner said. Each brick is engraved with a veteran’s name, military branch and years of service.
A dedication ceremony for the walkway will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The weekend will feature the inaugural Dana Woodman Classic Vintage Antique Car and Truck Show. Woodman, a U.S. Army veteran and longtime Rotarian, died in November and was known to have detailed cars since he was in high school.
“He was a big member of the Washburn Rotary Club and always, always talked about cars,” Turner said. “So they decided they’d do a car show and would name it in his honor.”
The Washburn Police Department will premiere a bicycle rodeo for kids ages 12 and under. Kids can participate in skills competitions, bike and helmet checks, and there will be a raffle where they can win bicycles donated by local businesses.
Also new this year is a Festival of Baskets to benefit the Washburn Memorial Library. The event operates like the familiar St. Apollonia Dental Clinic Christmas Tree Festival: people can peruse the baskets and buy tickets for those they’d like to win.
The 25 baskets feature items donated by local businesses, as well as the library. Tickets will be sold until the time of the drawings Friday evening.
It has been a festival tradition to name a local couple as king and queen of the celebration, and this year the honor goes to Ron and Gayle Dickinson of Perham.
Ron, who has lived on the Nutting Road his entire life, is the son of Ellen and Milford Dickinson.
He served as a Perham selectman, worked at local farms and had a 12-year career as an insurance agent. He retired as a major from the National Guard after 22 years of service. He enjoys hunting, fishing and reading.
Gayle grew up in Washburn, the daughter of Morris and Shirley Churchill. Both her father and grandfather, Walter, served with the Washburn Fire Department.
She worked 18 years at the Maine Farmers Exchange and recently retired from Northern Maine Community College after 15 years. She is proficient in handiwork and crafts, including painting and woodworking.
The Dickinsons raised three daughters: Michele, Angela and Beth, who are now grown and live elsewhere in Maine. They also have seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They enjoy camping, gardening and traveling.
Throughout the weekend, the Salmon Brook Historical Society Museum will welcome visitors to explore local agricultural and homestead history. Bands and a deejay will provide musical entertainment both Friday and Saturday.
Activities for Friday, Aug. 19, will include a book signing with author Beverly Knowles at the library, the alumni banquet, a Washburn vs. Madawaska soccer game, a movie in the park and glow-in-the-dark flag capture.
Saturday, Aug. 20, will feature the Washburn Trail Runners Club breakfast; crafters, a dunking booth and amateur radio demonstration in the park, the annual festival parade, children’s games, a mini firemen’s muster, the bike rodeo, brickyard dedication, a drive-through supper and fireworks.
On Sunday there will be antique tractor pulls and a gospel concert.
