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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet The Caribou Cares about Kids Tie-Dye Extravaganza on Aug. 10 featured face painting, a giant inflatable obstacle course, arts and crafts and even T-shirt tie-dying — but all 3-year-old Chloe White needed to have a fun afternoon was her imagination and a free balloon from H&R Block. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Though the annual Caribou Cares about Kids festival didn’t have a single rain-free day, it was just as packed with smiles and laughter as ever.
“The rain didn’t dampen our spirits,” said Superintendent of the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department Kathy Mazzuchelli.
Many outdoor events were moved inside — like Friday’s Tie-Dye Extravaganza and Movie Night as well as Saturday’s Adventure Teague Park events — but that didn’t seem to diminish attendance or good times. In some cases, it seemed to even amplify the event.
“People love having an indoor movie [at the Rec Center],” Mazzuchelli explained, adding that Friday’s Tie-Dye Extravaganza was incredibly crowded with lots of happy kids and parents.
“We had to move the parade, but that was a weather issue — once you hear thunder, you have no choice,” she explained.
Saturday’s rain again precluded outdoor festivities, but indoor activities kept a steady stream of people flowing through the rec center all day long.
“People were laughing and having a great time, we had great music and almost everybody was dancing,” Mazzuchelli said. “It was cool to see families walking around on Saturday in their tie-dye T-shirts they’d made on Friday.”
While schedule conflicts kept some from participating in the annual Caribou Cares about Kids Parade, which was moved to Sunday from Friday on account of rain, most all of the scheduled entries paraded down Bennett Drive through High Street with high spirits.
“We had good spectators and a great day — it was a good weekend altogether,” Mazzuchelli said.
Winning the award for Best Business Entry was the joint effort of The Par and Grill and Smith Farms.
Cary Medical Center won the spirit award for their parade float and the Caribou Maine Veterans’ Home took top honors in the Best Non Profit category.
The last dry parade held around Caribou Cares about Kids took place back in 2009 during Caribou’s sesquicentennial celebration.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Leading the way for the award-winning Caribou Cares about Kids float entered by the Cary Medical Center was an enthusiastic Monique Nadeau, who hadn’t lost the spring in her step even as she neared the parade’s conclusion. For additional parade photos, please see Caribou News.
