The 2021 Edition of Mapleton Daze will be held June 22 through June 26 and will be loaded with many traditional as well as some new activities.
The committee hopes everyone can attend and help them kick off Mapleton Daze with a touching ceremony on June 22. The committee asks residents and visitors to join them as they host a COVID-19 Memorial Ceremony. This past year has been hard on many people in our communities and beyond, and the ceremony will honor those lost in Aroostook County and in Maine.
The Mapleton Lions Club will hold its Mapleton Daze chicken barbecue Friday, June 25, when friends and families gather to share stories and good times. Serving at the last Daze barbecue in this file photo are, from left, Lions Paul Grendell, Ron Leonard, Jake Graham and Eric Rodd.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
Lions chicken barbecue
2021 will see the return of the Mapleton Lions Club chicken barbecue at Mapleton Daze Friday evening, June 25, starting at 4 p.m.
Even though COVID-19 restrictions are starting to relax the dinner will be different. The club will grill barbecue chicken and add potato salad, coleslaw, roll and drink for the meal. This dinner will be drive-thru.
To purchase meals, diners will drive through the Lions Hall driveway. The cost this year will be $12 per meal. Diners will be asked to take their meals to th Mapleton Elementary School parking lot, where tables will be set up for their use.
Musical entertainment and other activities will be provided at the school parking lot followed by the Mapleton Daze Committee’s fireworks show at dusk. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the dinner and special events.
The Mapleton and Chapman churches will be back on Saturday, June 26, with their free breakfast sandwiches, as shown here at the last Mapleton Daze. Even the breakfast is free, though everyone is encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item to help stock the Community Pantry.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
Free breakfast sandwiches
On Saturday, June 26, from 7:30 to 10 a.m., the Mapleton and Chapman local churches will join forces and prepare free breakfast sandwiches for the community. The location will be next to the Mapleton Post Office.
Everyone is invited to stop by and grab a great treat. While the breakfast sandwich is free, the churches are also asking diners to consider bringing a canned good or non-perishable item for the Tri-Town Community Cupboard.
Car Show
The Mapleton Daze Committee is putting out the call for all antique vehicles for their annual Car Show that will be located at the Mapleton Baptist Church. Registration for the event is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church (across from the Mapleton Elementary School).
The committee also asks exhibitors to hop into the Mapleton Daze Parade, which will award a trophy for Best Antique Vehicle. Additional awards will be given out at the car show.
Children are invited to decorate their bicycles and be part of the Mapleton Daze Parade on Saturday, June 26. Bike riders will lead the parade just as these youth did at the last Mapleton Daze before the pandemic. (Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)
Mapleton Daze Parade
The big Mapleton Daze Parade will be held Saturday, June 26, at 10 a.m.
Lineup will start at 9 a.m. at the corner of the Dudley Road and Main Street. The parade will go through downtown and end at the Mapleton Elementary School/Mapleton Baptist Church.
The committee is looking for businesses/organizations, antique vehicles, queens from the Mapleton area and beyond, bands, farm tractors/equipment, churches, fire trucks from the different towns, etc., to be part of the parade, in order to make this the biggest parade Mapleton has ever seen (we need to make up for last year).
The committee will present awards for the Best Non-Profit, Best Business, Best Antique Car, Best Tractor, Best Queen Float and Best Overall Entry. If you would like to have entry into our parade, please come by 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 26, for lineup.
Pie and ice cream sale
Haystack Historical Society will be back with their annual Homemade Pie and Ice Cream sale starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 26. Serving will continue until everything is gone.
These desserts will be available at the Haystack Historical Society’s Museum on Main Street in Mapleton. The society expects 15 different kinds of pie to be available. The cost for a homemade slice of pie will be $2.50, or $3 with a scoop of homemade ice cream, or $3.50 with two scoops.
Historical Society members encourage everyone to stop by for this annual event and grab a slice or two of pie to enjoy.
Music and dessert
A new event following Mapleton Daze will occur this year. On Sunday, June 27, there will be music and dessert for all who attend.
Starting at 5:15 p.m. a mini-concert featuring Pastor Nate Gardiner and Sherri Calhoun will occur. Following their performances, dessert will be served at 6 p.m., and while is being served and enjoyed various musicians from our local churches will perform.
According to the organizers, admission and dessert are free, but the fellowship is priceless.
While there is no charge for the evening, there will be opportunity for attendees to donate nonperishable food items for the Mapleton/Castle Hill/Chapman food pantry. This is an event for everyone.
Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.
