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Children’s Festival cancelled

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Sue Jones, partially in view at left, leads children in a little limbo dance at the Children's Festival held at the University of Maine at Farmington's student center.
Sue Jones, partially in view at left, leads children in a little limbo dance at the 2015 Children’s Festival held at the University of Maine at Farmington’s student center.

FARMINGTON – The annual Children’s Festival has been cancelled.

The event was scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Olsen Student Center on the University of Maine at Farmington campus. A local favorite that is hosted by the Franklin County Children’s Task Force and free to attend, the festival is held mid-February and serves as a cabin fever reliever for families. It usually features face painting, dancing, food and other entertainment.

Earlier this morning, Children’s Task Force executive director, Renee Whitley, said via a prepared statement that it was brought to organizers’ attention that there was an issue at the student center. In order to “ensure the safety and warmth of all attendees,” Whitley said in a statement released this morning, organizers had decided to cancel this year’s event “with great sadness.”

According to UMF spokesperson April Mulherin, the issue was a loss of power sustained Thursday while some renovations were underway to a portion of the student center. UMF’s Facilities Management Department and a local contractor are working to address the issue.

“We couldn’t be sure the issue would be fixed by tomorrow,” Milissa Cousins, the Children’s Task Force office manager said. Organizers didn’t want event attendees and participants to potentially arrive tomorrow and discover the event had been cancelled, Cousins said, and so they had to make the decision on Friday.

It would have been the 33rd year of the festival, Cousins said. To her knowledge, it had not missed a year before.

“We are so appreciative that our partner, UMF recognized the needs of our little participants and notified is early this morning,” Whitley said in the release. “We look forward to a bigger and better festival next year.”

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1 Comment

  1. This must have been a tough decision to make, what a disappointment! Thanks to everyone who has made this event such a fun time and, for many of us, a family tradition that is well into its second generation!

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