Special to Aroostook Republican
There are only two more days until the 2008 August Festival begins. Washburn booms with excitement and festivities through the weekend of Friday, Aug. 15, Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 18. Congratulations go out to the 2008 grand marshal, everyone’s favorite farmer, Herman Doody, and the August Festival King and Queen Wendell and Joyce Doody.
The blue festival brochures are in stores and businesses throughout the Washburn area and are also available at the Town Office.
Friday, Aug. 15, special items include a free hotdog roast as part of the Katahdin Trust Company Customer Appreciation Day, and there’s a reading award presentation and story time at the Washburn Memorial Library.
The annual Alumni Banquet will be held at the high school starting with a social hour at 5 p.m. and supper to follow at 6 p.m.
The Aroostook County Bluegrass Band will be at the park from 6:30 to 8: 30 p.m. and JR Mitchell with feature entertainment and karaoke on the porch of the Town Office. The evening will end on a high note with the movie “A Night at the Museum” playing on the side of the Salmon Brook Historical Society barn.
The many Saturday, Aug. 16, events include a great breakfast at the Washburn Trail Runners clubhouse, featuring scrambled eggs, home fries, French toast, bacon or ham and coffee or juice.
Arts and crafts will be in the town park starting at 8 a.m. and there will be Bike and Baby parades on Main Street in front of the Town Office at 8 a.m. The big parade starts at 9:30 a.m. and goes from the corner of Berce and Main streets, and ends at the high school. There will be a living history display on the museum lawn and the Salmon Brook Historical Society museum opens at 9 a.m. Also at 9 a.m. at the town park, there will be an SCA Medieval Troup, and Maine Event horse-drawn wagon rides will go from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Washburn Fire Department Chicken Barbeque will be served starting at 11:30 a.m. at the municipal parking lot and there will be antique tractor pulls at the Penobscot/McCrum plant on the Parsons Road starting at 1 p.m.
A fun Kids’ Carnival will be held at the elementary school soccer fields from 1 to 4 p.m. and a wrestling demonstration will be at the bank parking lot from 1 to 4 p.m.
The horseshoe tourney registration starts at 1 p.m. at the Thomas Brewer Park with the double-elimination event starting at 2 p.m. A country music jam with Paul Clayton and Friends will be held at the elementary school from 2 to 4 p.m. and McLaughlin’s Big Band will be playing at the elementary school parking lot from 2 to 4 p.m.
The Washburn Rotary’s famous rubber Ducky 50/50 Derby will begin at 4 p.m. and the launch point will be at the Mill Pont Foot Bridge.
There will be a baked bean supper sponsored by the Lidstone Memorial Methodist Church at the Civic Center from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and a video dance for all ages with KC and Company at the high school gym from 6:30-8 p.m. and Randy Michaud will be playing at the elementary school parking lot from 8 to 11 p.m. Scapegoat will be presenting their music and a light show from 8 to 11 p.m. at the town park, with a starting time of 9:30 p.m. for the fireworks.
On Sunday, the famous Perham Ladies Brunch will be held from11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Salmon Brook Historical Society museum opens. There will be ATV pulls on Gould Street with the registration at 11 a.m. and the pulls starting at noon. The Gospel Concert featuring local artists will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the high school gym.
