EAST GRAND LAKE, Maine — CLIC, the Chiputneticook Lake International Conservancy, will be hosting its free annual hot dog roast on Half Moon Island, aka Old Man Island, at the northern end of East Grand Lake on Saturday, July 6 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Maine time (noon to 2 p.m. New Brunswick time). With the exception of two summers during the height of COVID, this picnic event has taken place every summer for going on two decades.
Attendees arrive by boat, sailboat, kayak and canoe to socialize, swim and eat Maine’s famous red hot dogs and what, over the years, some attendees have described as the best French fries they’ve ever eaten. Whether it is because of the taste of the potatoes, the seasoning, or the love with which they are prepared, at the end of the picnic, there are never any potatoes left to be fried.
One or two officers of US Homeland Security will be on the island to ease the arrival of our neighbors from the opposite – Canadian – shore. They’ve always seemed to appreciate the relaxed atmosphere while they give the Canadian attendees easy access to the US.
CLIC, founded in 1992, describes itself as a group of people which advocates for those on and around the Upper St. Croix River Watershed’s five Chiputneticook Lakes: North, East Grand, Mud, Spednic and Palfrey, as well as for those on Deering Lake in Orient and Bracket Lake in Weston. CLIC volunteers monitor the lake waters for clarity, put up signs reminding boaters to check for invasive species, place boating safety buoys in spots on East Grand on behalf of the Department of Inland Fisheries, and more. In recent years, the group has taken part in efforts to keep the Forest City dam in place with operational water gates,
Please put this picnic on your calendar as a way to extend your 4th of July celebrations. Bring your own boat to the boat ramp in Orient which is on the Public Landing Road. If you don’t have a boat, kayak or canoe, contact a friend who does and join the festivities.
