FARMINGTON – Saturday’s line up for Summer Fest 2019 promises to bring excitement and “Old Tyme Fun” to downtown for the 55th annual mid-summer event. On July 27 Broadway and Church Street will be closed off all day to accommodate vendors, demonstrations, displays, music groups and other entertainment – both on the streets and in Meetinghouse Park. The Franklin County Employees Parking Lot, on the corner of Main and Church St. will host the Food Court, rest tents and one of four music stations.
The Food Court will feature Clint’s BBQ, Juicy J’s Lemonade and Eatery, Lady Huck Lobster Rolls, Island Cow ice Cream and Carbon Catering, a new wood-fire grill pop-up food truck from Industry. On Broadway, there will be Sweet Life Kettle Corn, Slush Express, and Blue Crew Root Beer Floats.
Two music stations are located on either end of upper Broadway. At the East Station”, near the Old State Theater, the scheduled entertainers will be the Merry Plinksters at 10 a.m., Arizona Rose at 11:30 a.m., Flash! In the Pans at 1 p.m., Crooked Bill at 3 p.m. and the Sunday Project at 5 p.m. At the “Central Station” on the western end of Broadway will be Randy Gauvin at 10 a.m., Gambol Creek at 11:30 a.m., Stan & Dan at 3 p.m.. And in the middle of Broadway at 4 p.m., Shiva Lila will entertain with percussion and Sanskrit chants, Old Gold will play at the Meetinghouse Park gazebo from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The fourth annual Children’s Parade will commence at 11 a.m., with line-up at 10:30 a.m. at the Franklin County Children’s Task Force on Church St. This year’s theme for the parade and Old Tyme Fun in the park is “Tropical Paradise”. Ideas for costumes and decorations range from hula skirts to tropical fish and birds, luaus, tiki masks, palm trees, coconuts, etc. Children will march down Broadway to the traffic light and then head north on Main St. ending at the Meetinghouse Park.
Events at the park will include a children’s Tiki Bar, a Beach Photo Booth, Shark Bait game, Festival Fun Zone, Treasure Wheel Spin, Giant Bubbles, Sno Cones and more. The committee is still looking for musicians with band instruments to lead the parade. (Contact information below.)
The Spandits 5K and Kid’s 1-mile run will be held at 5:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. to benefit the Mt. Blue High School Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country Teams. Entrants may pre-register at www.spandits.com.
Other community events held on Saturday are the Farmer’s Market from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the District Courthouse parking lot, the Old South Church’s annual event, “Pie on the Porch” at the Holman House from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and “Picnic on the Lawn” at the Henderson Memorial Baptist Church from 11:30 to 1:30.
The Farmington Downtown Association organizes five main Summer Fest events: The Talent Show on Friday night, The History Mystery Scavenger Hunt, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Children’s Parade, the Great Float Race on the Sandy River at 1 p.m., and the Dreamin’ Big Bed Race at 7 p.m. on Broadway. (Look for another article on the Bed Race, coming soon).
Other events sponsored by the Downtown Association are the free Historical Horse and Wagon rides with Paul Mills, Farmington’s historian extraordinaire; free fire truck rides offered by the Farmington Fire Department; Farmland Fun on the front lawn of the Pierce House with Fred and Matilda’s petting zoo; street performer Michael Smilek with “Mike Magic” and a traveling bicycle printshop with “Little Chair Printing” from Portland, Maine, offering on-sight printing and sale of Summer Fest T-shirts.
At 7 p.m. the Farmington Gem Award will be presented to an outstanding member of the community. This award is sponsored by Mainestone Jewelry. Nominations for a deserving citizen may be submitted to Mainestone Jewelry at 179 Broadway.
There are still a few spaces open for exhibitors; vendors or promotional exhibits should apply soon. For applications and any information on Summer Fest, please contact Susun at susun@minikins.org or drop in to Minikins, 218 Broadway, Tuesday through Saturday.
