Main Street Mania makes world much smaller
PRESQUE ISLE — To kick off the 2011 Crown of Maine Balloon Fest, Main Street merchants of Presque Isle will be participating in another “Main Street Mania” Thursday, Aug. 25 from 4-10 p.m. Main Street will be closed to traffic from Blake Street to Academy Street during this time.
The theme for the 2011 Main Street Mania is “A World of Travel Destinations.” Participating merchants have chosen a travel destination which will be the focus of its atmosphere and products it offers for sale, both on the street and within the store.
File photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
MAIN STREET MANIA — The Presque Isle Lodge of Elks 1954 will once again host Main Street Mania Thursday night to officially kick off the eighth annual Crown of Maine Balloon Fest. In addition to food provided by local merchants, the event will include music by the local band, Barbed Wire; demonstrations, games, a bouncy house, vehicle rides and a comedy magic show by Roland Perry. Pictured, Rebecca Collins helped Perry with one of his tricks during last year’s Mania. This year’s street party will be held from 4-10 p.m. and Main Street will be closed to traffic from Blake to Academy streets during that time.
Café Sorpreso will become Hawaii for the evening. It will be featuring a complete menu of Hawaiian fare within the restaurant and will be selling appetizers from Hawaii on the sidewalk. The Northeastland Hotel will be transformed into a New Orleans location with food and sounds from the legendary French Quarter. Governor’s, Dead River and other Main Street merchants located outside the closed-off section will stake out new locations on Main Street for the evening within the area from Church Street to Academy Street and will be presenting the flavors of other travel destinations.
In addition to the unique and varied tastes being featured — and the sights and sounds of the different travel destinations — a variety of entertainment and fun activities are also scheduled to occur. Again this year, Roland Perry will be captivating youngsters with his highly-entertaining magic show. Barbed Wire, a local band with a wide-ranging repertoire and skilled musicians, will be playing on Main Street from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Demonstrations, games and other activities with prizes for young participants are planned, as well as a bouncy house and vehicle rides.
Again this year, the Presque Isle Elks Lodge is serving as the organizer and host for the evening.
“The Elks are proud to again be part of making another community-wide event available to the citizens of this area,” said Exalted Ruler Ernest Lovely. “It is occasions such as the Main Street Mania, the Christmas Light Parade, and the July 4th Celebration which help create a sense of community while also showcasing our revitalized Main Street area.
“Because the Elks Lodge is located in downtown Presque Isle, Main Street is our neighborhood,” he said. “We take pride in it and enjoy the opportunity to afford our neighbors an opportunity to ‘show off’ while having fun. On behalf of the Presque Isle Elks and the downtown Presque Isle neighborhood, I want to invite everyone to come join the fun on Thursday, Aug. 25.”
Additional information regarding Main Street Mania is available by calling the Lodge at 764-0985 or the Central Aroostook Chamber at 764-6561.
