HOULTON, Maine — The 55th annual Potato Feast Days celebration was another “mashing” success for the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce.
“It was another amazing weekend for us,” said Jane Torres, executive director for the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce. “There was a moment (Saturday) when I was standing in front of the library and could look downtown and see the community market and there was also the craft fair and the town was just filled with people. It was so nice to see people everywhere.”
Torres said she has noticed an encouraging trend at all of the town events this summer.
“Families are coming and they are staying longer,” she said. “People came to the craft fair and then stopped into the County Co-Op or Sadies Bakery and then on to the Community Market.”
On Friday evening, downtown Houlton was filled with youngsters for the annual Parade of Dolls. Starting at the Chamber office, children pushed strollers, pulled wagons or rode bicycles or tractors as they proudly showed off their favorite doll or stuffed animal.
“The parade is one of those things that people just seem to love,” Torres said. “It always draws a big crowd and it is so neat to see all of the kids dressed up with their dolls.”
The “Touch-a-Truck” event also drew a large number of children to Broadway as they were able to climb on fire trucks, tractors, garbage trucks and potato harvesters, and of course honk their horns.
Friday night’s lobster feast was once again another big hit, with about 250 lobsters sold. It marked the third straight year that Houlton has held a lobster feed. The Chamber originally ordered 225 lobsters, but Andy Marino donated an additional 25.
“The first year we did it, we only ordered 100 lobsters and sold out in an hour,” Torres said. “Last year and this year, we increased to 225 lobsters, which seems to be the perfect amount. We had two hours of rain last year, which impacted sales. This year we sold all 250 lobsters.”
Now that Potato Feast Days have come and gone, Torres said she is already changing gears to prepare for the annual Harvest Festival in late-September.
