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Art in the Park & Strawberry Festival Friday and Saturday

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FARMINGTON – The annual Art in the Park & Strawberry Festival will be held July 25 & 26 in downtown Farmington. The two-day event showcases the area’s wide array of talent in art and craft work.

Throughout the day on Friday, the annual Art in the Park, a juried art show with prizes going to several categories, will fill Meetinghouse Park under the big oaks on Main Street.

From 11–1 p.m. Lobster Roll Bag Lunch will be served at the gazebo also in Meetinghouse Park. Just 

two blocks south, the Mt. Blue Community Access TV is holding an open house from noon to 3 p.m. at the station located in the basement of UMF’s Merrill Hall. Free BBQ, and tours of the station will be held.

The Farmington Fire Department will be barbecuing chicken like nobody else can from 4 – 6 p.m. at the courthouse parking lot. To work off all that good BBQ, the annual road race registration will be held beginning 4:30 p.m. at Boston City Lights on Broadway before the 5:30 p.m. Children’s 1 Mile Fun Run start on Broadway and the 6 p.m. adult 5K Road Race gets its start and finish on Broadway. Also on Broadway, the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area will be holding a benefit bake sale from noon-6:30 pm at the United Way office. Whole frozen pies will be available, as well as an assortment of other delicious treats, including slices of strawberry-rhubarb pie.

On Saturday, July 26, The Strawberry Festival kicks off on Broadway and Church streets. Performances on the Broadway stage make a non-stop run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature bands, the City Lights dancers, the New England All Star Dancers, traditional drumming and more. Broadway will be closed from Main to High streets as artisans take over with demonstrations of their craft under tents. The Fairbanks Neighborhood Schoolhouse Association will be serving up its annual strawberry shortcake, while an antique car show, more lobster rolls, wagon rides, a strolling magician and more keep the crowd entertained and fed all day.

The Healthy Community Coalition will be showing off its new Mobile Health Unit on Church Street all day on Saturday at the festival. Tours of the new unit and then outside, ideas of inexpensive ways families can be active during these beautiful summer days. Strawberries to sample and recipes to take home and try and free blood pressure checks from 10 am to 4 p.m. will also be available.

At 11:30 a.m., both the author, J Bean Palmer, and illustrator, Melanie Therrien, of “The Cape Cod Witch and the Pirate’s Treasure” will be available at Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers at 193 Broadway in downtown Farmington on Saturday at 1 pm to sign copies of their newly released book for young readers (recommended ages 8-13). Therrien, a fine artist, curator and teacher, will be painting an illustration for the next book in the Cape Cod Witch series during the signing. “The Cape Cod Witch and the Pirate’s Treasure” has had unprecedented success, selling almost 1,000 copies on Cape Cod in its first three months of release, and is now available at several Maine locations including DDG Books in Farmington.

The Tot Spot Family Tent in front of the Children’s Task Force on Church Street. The tent, sponsored by Blessed Baby Boutique, the Western Maine Mothers’ Center, Franklin County Children’s Task Force and WIC of WMCA, will be a great place for families to gather and offer many activities for children, but it has been a challenge for families to find a space to change diapers, breastfeed, get out of the sun, and relax. Under the tent will be a changing table, arm chairs, and some coloring pages and crayons for young children to take a break from the action. Also available will be information and educational materials from our local children’s programs.

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