Arts & Leisure
Celebrate Maine Festival will prove Vacationland is more than its beaches
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - With the temperatures predicted to soar to sweltering highs, the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce is offering a way to remember that York's stunning beaches are just one part of what Maine has to offer.As Chamber Member Liaison Katie Guay put it in her announcement of the upcoming Celebrate Maine Festival, "We have wonderful local farms, scenic state parks, the sprawling rocky coast, mountains to climb, and who can forget potatoes, maple syrup, blueberries and 'lobstah'?"
To celebrate all things good in Maine, the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with the Eliot Antique Tractor and Engine Association to offer "Celebrate Maine," a new festival showcasing the uniqueness of Maine.
And with less than one week left of York Days events to charm residents and visitors alike with the wonders of York's seaside vistas and the offerings of its many shops, Celebrate Maine will continue the fun when York Days is done.
Celebrate Maine is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., just a few miles out of town at the Raitt Farm in on Route 103 in Eliot. In the midst of the festival, however, it may just feel like you're a world away from the hustle and bustle of summertime.
"The Celebrate Maine Festival will feature a craft show, cow patty bingo, hay bailing demonstrations, potato print making, a display from the Maine Department of Agriculture and several Maine information and educational booths on Saturday and Sunday," according to a preview of the event supplied by the chamber. "In addition, a local farmer's market, an antique car show and a blueberry baking contest will take place on Sunday."
Sound like fun? You can even be a part of the event itself, as there's still room to sign up for the blueberry baking contest or participate as a craft vendor by contacting the chamber at 363-4422.
The event even offers something for the kids or - as organizers put it - for those who would like to be kids again. First, there's Zabby's Traveling Animals, a mini petting zoo, complete with pony rides, which will be on hand at the event on Saturday. Fans of the York Public Library's special summer events series will remembers some of Zabby's family - including newly-hatched goslings, bunnies and goats, who visited the library just last month.
The Raitt Farm event will also include a climbing wall and "Rat Race" obstacle course on Sunday, both sponsored by York Hospital and the local program, Choose to be Healthy.
And what would a summertime event be without face-painting? There's no need to find out, as Celebrate Maine will include talented artists from York Hospice painting creative creatures on festival-goers faces.
During both days of the event a "trackless" train from R & D Express Train Rides will take visitors around the Raitt Farm grounds.
The event will also feature some live music on the farm's flatbed stage - including York's own York River Ramblers on Sunday and Maine's own country music star Don Campbell, who will perform with his band at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Don Campbell Band was named Maine's Best Singer Songwriter in 2004 and 2005 and Country Artist of the Year in 2004.
Music fans are invited to bring along a blanket or folding chair to sit in comfort while listening to the tunes of 2003 New Hampshire Country Female Vocalist of the Year Erin Robertshaw at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday followed by Campbell and his band at 1 p.m., and, on Sunday, Paul Joyce - North America Country Music Association's 2006 Entertainer of the Year in the Youth Traditional category - and his Honky Tonkin' Guitar at 10:30 a.m., with the bluegrass music of the Sugar Shack at noon and the mellow tunes of the York River Ramblers at 2 p.m.
And the festival will, of course, feature classic Maine culinary delights - from "bean hole beans" to lobster rolls, corn-on-the-cob, hamburgers, hot dogs and Shain's of Maine ice cream.
For more information on Celebrate Maine, call the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce at 363-4422 or visit www.gatewaytomaine.org where a complete schedule is located in the "Visit the area" section on the homepage.
