ASHLAND NEWS
by Susan Feeney-Hopkins
The town of Portage Lake is abuzz preparing for its upcoming Summer Round Up festivities throughout the weekend of Friday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Aug. 17. Portage Lake is expecting increased visitors and tourism due to the World Acadian Congress celebrations taking place throughout the St. John Valley.
Kicking off the weekend-long events Friday is the Town Potluck Supper being held at the Pavilion. Hosted by the Portage Lake Historical Society (PLHS), the dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and is free of charge. The PLHS will provide utensils, plates and napkins. Everyone else should bring a dish to share along with your own beverages. This is such a fun way to spend time with your neighbors and friends. “Portage Lake History and Hearsay” books will also be on sale.
Following the dinner at 7:30 p.m., the Luminary Memorial Ceremony will take place. This poignant ceremony is a special way to honor and remember your loved ones. Luminary bags will be on sale at the Town Office beginning Monday, Aug. 11 for $2 each.
The popular Whoopie Pie Festival starts the day’s events Saturday. The festival will begin at 10 a.m. continuing on until 1 p.m. Sponsored by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee (PLTC), the Whoopie Pie Festival has been a popular addition to the Summer Round Up events. The festival will be held on Main Street/Route 11 in the field next to Coffin’s General Store. Vendor tables will be set up, selling a variety of goods from whoopie pies and other baked goods, to crafts and yard sale items. Vendors can sell anything they choose; the only stipulation is they must include whoopie pies! Each vendor, regardless of what they are selling, should have whoopie pie samples available for the public to try. There will also be whoopie pies for sale. A friendly competition will take place for all pies. Trophies will be awarded for Best Original and Best Traditional. Vendor tables are still available for a fee of $10 per table. A Kids’ Carnival will take place immediately following from 1-3 p.m. Jessica Nason will be working her magic with the children providing them with lots of fun and games!
Saturday will also be a busy day for the Portage Lakers Snowmobile Club! They are sponsoring a Silent Auction from 1-5 p.m. at the Town Hall. Some of the items up for auction will include baked goods (whoopie pies, chocolate chip cookies and cream horns), homemade chicken stew, a picnic table with umbrella, 2 table umbrellas, a Jack Daniels race car hood, $150 DOC gas card, 50 pounds of potatoes (to be delivered to the Portage Lake area after harvest, so they will be fresh!), an Adirondack chair made by Darrell Soucy, and an overnight stay at Martin’s Motel in Madawaska. Stop in and bid high on your must-have item!
A super fun event everyone is looking forward to is the Dunking Booth fundraiser being held from 2-4 p.m. Come on out to get your chance to dunk your favorite town officers and neighbors! When will you ever get another chance to dunk your selectmen Danny Higgins and Dave Pierce? How about your Town Manager, Larry Duchette? Portage Lake’s favorite “Mountain Man” Jimmy Dumond will also be sitting on the dunk bench. Earn your bragging rights to say you’ve dunked a famous TV personality! And last but not least, Portage Lakers President Jenn Curran, along with Rudy Boutot, will give you a chance to perfect your aim. There will be a fee for your chance to dunk them with the proceeds going to the snowmobile club. I have a feeling the PLSC may be able to pay for their new groomer in full! This good-spirited event will take place on the grounds of the town hall.
Beginning at 3 p.m. at the Town Office parking lot will be the Motorcycle Rodeo with the Pine State Motorcycle Club. There will be several competitions to test the riders’ ability such as the Slow Ride, Ride the Plank and the Tennis Ball Pick Up/Drop Off among others. This is always a crowd-drawing event whether you ride or not. The PLSC’s annual Pig Roast will begin at 4 p.m. and will run until all the food is gone. The meal will include the pork and/or barbecue chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, rolls, dessert and soda or water. Take out will be available, but only after the crowd has been served. The fee is $8 for adults and $4 for kids. Seating will be available inside the town hall along with several picnic tables outside.
Another popular event taking place Saturday is the Canoe Carry, sponsored by the Portage Lake Historical Society. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the Canoe Carry re-enacts the portaging of canoes from Little Machias Lake to Portage Lake following the same route of travel and footsteps of the Native Americans and the area’s early settlers. A small group of current Portage settlers will portage canoes from the Little Machias lakeshore to a resident house on the edge of the lake. From there, they will join additional paddlers and travel down the lake to the Seaplane Base where drummers from the Wesget Sipu Tribe and spectators will welcome them. This is a really neat experience offering a glimpse into the past. If you would like to participate in the carry, contact Jim Dumond for more information.
A fireworks display will light up the night beginning around 8:45 p.m. The display is rumored to be bigger than last year and should not be missed! The fireworks will be set off over the lake from the Forestry Building, with many vantage points all around the lake and town. This year’s display, sponsored by the Portage Lake Tourism Committee, was possible due to a grant received from the World Acadian Congress.
A dance at Dean’s Motor Lodge will close the day’s events. Stop in for some live music by the band Common Crossing. There is sure to be lots of dancing and fun! After a good night’s rest, prepare for Sunday’s events which include a 9 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Church, followed by a buffet breakfast. All are encouraged and welcomed to attend.
The town parade will take place at noon on Main Street. Following the parade will be “Un Bon Vieux Temps” (aka: A good ole’ time) French Food Taste Fest, which will be held at the Pavilion. This very popular event drew more than 100 people last year with a larger crowd expected this year. Local residents will be providing homemade French food to sample. Items such as ployes, blood sausage and sugar pie are on the menu just to name a few. The tasting is free of charge, but the PLTC will accept donations. Live music will be provided by bluegrass favorites, the Fiddle Head Band.
The long-awaited Dubois Family Reunion, the highlight of the World Acadian Congress celebrations, will take place in Portage Lake. The Dubois Family descendants have been working very hard over the last several years fundraising and planning this huge family event. There will be souvenirs such as T-shirts, genealogy books and Christmas ornaments for sale. Visit the Dubois Family Reunion page on the World Acadian Congress website or contact Corrine Routhier at 227-0819 for more information or to register.
The town welcomes visitors near and far to join them for this very special occasion! The World Acadian Congress only takes place once every five years and has never been held in Aroostook County before. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate summertime and the region’s Acadian roots.
Masardis Lobster/Steak Feed Saturday
The Masardis ATV Club will be holding its second annual Lobster or Steak Feed Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Masardis Town Building. The feed is set to run from 1-5 p.m. or until the food runs out. The price for the meal is $12 for your choice of either a lobster or a steak. Hot dog plates will also be available for $5 per plate.
Susan Feeney-Hopkins is the correspondent for Ashland, Portage Lake, Oxbow, Masardis, Garfield, Nashville Plantation and the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 227-7760 or Feenhop@aol.com.
