Over 1000 attended Damariscotta’s first annual Blueberry Festival and Harvest Fair, held at the Damariscotta River Association’s Heritage Farm on Aug. 14. The festival was organized by the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and was such a success that all the blueberries were sold out within the first hour.
Fortunately, there were plenty of other blueberry products on hand, from pies, cakes and muffins to blueberry scented soaps, blueberry print tees and aprons, and perhaps most popular as the afternoon temperatures rose, homemade blueberry ice cream.
The festival, the first of its kind in Damariscotta, was designed as a family friendly event, and there was plenty for kids to do. A morning puppet show was followed by a short play based on the classic Maine children’s book, “Blueberries for Sal.”
In the afternoon, kids danced around the maypole, colorful steamers in hand. In between, they had their faces painted, tried their hands at printmaking with the Midcoast Printers, and did some free expression painting with local artist Brady Nickerson.
The festival also featured live musical performances and a wide array of vendors selling everything from handmade jewelry to blueberry-lemon whoopee pies.
Funds raised from the festival will be used for the fellowship’s new building fund, and shared with the DRA’s educational programs, led by education coordinator Sarah Gladu.
Gladu, who attended the festival with her husband and two young daughters, said, “I’m really impressed that they were able to pull off such a big event in their first year. I think it’s great. It has a nice feel. And I think it’s wonderful, [and] very generous that they’re donating [to the DRA].”
Event coordinator Lindy Gifford said she first got the idea for the festival because there was no existing blueberry festival in the Damariscotta area, and she wanted “a real family event.” “I’m very pleased,” she said, “not just because of the donations we’ve brought in, but because we wanted to raise visibility. I think we’ve succeeded in that.”
The fellowship, which has a strong social justice component and places heavy emphasis on children’s involvement, is currently without a permanent home, although they have high praise for their temporary home at Damariscotta’s Skidompha Library.
“We used to meet at the Edgecomb Town Hall,” said Gifford. “After winter storm damage, we needed to find a new location. Skidompha has been wonderful. We’re seeing lots of new people, young families, people are walking to church, our children’s program has quadrupled and we’re seeing lots of new faces. Many kids are familiar with the library and feel at home there.”
According to board president Anne Flanagan, the experience at Skidompha has affirmed the fellowship’s commitment to finding a permanent home in a downtown location, like Damariscotta. “We’re looking for a space that reflects our values and beliefs, has room for community meeting space, a food pantry…ideally, it would include welcoming space for the children, have plenty of parking, and of course, it must be handicapped accessible.”
“We were recently given a grand piano,” Flanagan said, “We’d love to find a home for that.”
As for the Blueberry Festival, Gifford said there are definite plans to do it again next year, although perhaps one week earlier. “The blueberries came early this year,” she said.
Flanagan had significant praise for Gifford and said she thought the event was “an extraordinary success.” “One thing we’ve learned, though, is that you can never have too many blueberries.”
