FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — For 67 years the Maine Potato Blossom Festival has been providing amusement and fun for one and all. It is a hosted in Fort Fairfield each year in mid-July — that time in the heart of summer, when the potato blossoms are in full bloom. It is a celebration of our state’s top agricultural product, filled with fun festivities for all ages.
The potato is northern Maine’s primary agricultural product and in the 1940s Maine’s potato production was tops in the nation.
By 1994 however, Maine had fallen to the eighth-ranked potato producer and seventh in the number of acres devoted to potato cultivation in the United States.
Potatoes have always played a vital role in the economic prosperity of our region, especially in northern Aroostook County, where there are many large farms and plenty of fertile land. The number of acres of farmland devoted to potatoes has decreased in recent years because of rotational crops, conservation and fewer farmers. However, in the year 2000, Maine grew 63,000 acres of potatoes and nearly 90 percent of that was in Aroostook County.
With the significant contributions that the potato has made on our history and economic prosperity, is it any wonder that we still celebrate the potato each year with some of our best festivals? The Maine Potato Blossom Festival is one of Maine’s best known agricultural festivals. As previously mentioned, it coincides with and celebrates the arrival of blossoms on the season’s potato crop.
“The festival has brought enormous amounts of publicity to the area. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we’ve even been approached by some of the stars of the television show “Down East Dickering”, who have told us they would very much like to attend. They’re currently checking their summer schedule and nothing is for sure, but we have been in contact and it’s a definite possibility,” said Town Manager Michael Bosse, who is one of the many people helping to coordinate the event.
This year the festival will be a nine-day event with the coordinator’s headquarters located at 279 Main Street in the KeyBank parking lot from July 12-20, however, many events included in this year’s festival will span all across the town of Fort Fairfield. Festival coordinators calculate each year’s dates by the tradition that their huge parade is always the third Saturday in July, making Parade Day July 19 in 2014.
“The parade will begin at the driveway of the high school and will end on Forest Avenue,” said Bosse. “This will be the 67th year we’ve held the festival, so it’s been around for a long time, despite how much work goes into the preparation.”
When asked just how much work goes into preparing a festival of such magnitude, he replied nonchalantly, and with the confidence that can only stem from a community that truly comes together every year to produce such a massive event. He first thanked Billy Jo Sharpe, who has been the main coordinator of the festival, but there are many more people he claims can be attributed with the festival’s success.
“We have over 100 events, so there is certainly a large number of things going on, but each event has its own chairperson — and each chairperson has their own helpers, who put together their respective events,” said Bosse. “For instance, the Boy Scouts have been putting on a horseshoe tournament that continues to grow larger each year. They actually had to change it to a day-time event, rather than a night-time one, simply so everyone that wanted to participate could do so.”
The Potato Blossom parade attracts the young and the young at heart. Many legislative dignitaries and other officials make appearances during the festival. This year’s parade will begin at 1 p.m. and will travel down Main Street until parade participants reach the reviewing stand downtown.
To give a small teaser for just some of the traditional activities, you can certainly expect the Maine Potato Blossom Queen Pageant, the Annual Antique Tractor Pull and a fantastic fireworks show over the Aroostook River.
Every year, there is a banquet honoring the Farm Family of the Year and for the first time, in 2003, a Bluegrass Festival was established. This year’s festival will include bands such as The Kinney Family Trio, Roger Lilly and the Honky Tonks, The Fiddleheads, Wally and the Virginian and Common Crossing, the last of which will be performing on the last night of the event at 7 p.m. immediately before the closing fireworks ceremony downtown.
The unique events being held throughout this year’s festival will include nearly everything from Mashed Potato Wrestling to the Potato Blossom Pet Show, in which household pets will be shown off and judged on their beauty and talent at this very popular event. Ribbons will be awarded to every pet. Donations of food, cleaning supplies and blankets for Central Aroostook Humane Society are very much appreciated. The entry fee for the event will be $2 per pet, and leashes are required.
The Spuddy Recovery Triathlon will begin just as the parade starts, and while waiting for it to proceed to the reviewing stand downtown on Main Street, The Aroostook Medical Center and Acadia Medical Supply will host a unique County Triathlon consisting of walkers, wheel chairs, crutches and, of course, potatoes. There are only 16 slots available for this unique contest. For info and to apply to compete go to tamc.org.
The Maine Potato Blossom Festival is one of the oldest and most established festivals in Maine. Since 1937, no matter who you go with to the festival, there will be something for everyone’s interest. Who knew potatoes could be so much fun?
“The festival is really a tremendous asset and helps everyone. It allows us to celebrate an industry that has been in northern Maine for centuries,” said Bosse.
For more information about the festival contact Bosse at 472-3800.
