WILTON – The cancellation of the Wilton Blueberry Festival sparked disappointment for many residents of Franklin County. It was a difficult decision based on the pandemic-induced restrictions and guidelines recommended by the Maine Center for Disease Control, and the difficulty of trying to plan an event around them.
Once restrictions were lifted, several members of the Wilton community made a push to start planning the Blueberry Festival, and the collaborative results have become enough to revive the event.
“You can see from the schedule of events that a lot of people are getting involved, and it really is becoming a collaborative event,” Scott Lavertu, Executive Director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce said.
The collaborative effort came from a desire to continue the tradition and honor the annual event.
Events are planned for August 6 and 7 with a majority of the activities taking place on Saturday, and the planning committee has begun reaching out to major sponsors. The planning committee created a new social media account where all updates and announcements will take place for public viewing, and the flyer for the Blueberry Fest received immediate response.
“It’s been an incredible outpouring since making the post; it’s a little overwhelming,” Lavertu said. “It’s fun to see and it’s a fun problem to have, but I didn’t think my phone would start ringing.”
As of now, the posts include the disclaimer that some things are subject to change, but information will be forthcoming as more of the planning details are finalized. Other events are still being planned, and registration forms for events can be found on the Facebook page.
The parade and fireworks portions of the festival will continue, and new activities, such the Inaugural Golf Tournament, which will celebrate the opening of the Wilson Lake Country Club, and “Kegs and Eggs,” hosted by Ambition Brewing.
“Typically events like this are a year in the making; there’s a lot of detail that goes into the planning process. Since May 24 and since those restrictions were listed, there’s been a short window of time for a lot of people to commit to the event. It really speaks to the tradition, the feedback from the community and the service of those involved in the planning process that we’re able to do this as quickly as we are,” Lavertu said.
