Strawberry Festival at St. Philip’s

Sat, 06/24/2017 - 4:00pm

    For the 65th year, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Wiscasset held its annual Strawberry Festival June 24.

    Volunteer Jon Young said he has helped with the event for the last 30 years. Among other things, Young’s task this year was to locate and buy fresh strawberries for shortcake and sales in a season when the berries were slow to ripen.

    “It is running behind schedule due to Mother Nature,” said Young.

    He was able to procure 200 quarts from Beth’s Farm Market in Warren and some from Fairwind’s Farm in Bowdoin. The majority went into shortcake and the rest for sale by the quart, said Young.

    “It takes everyone,” said Young. The event included a silent market, live pie auction, live music, children’s activities and several craft displays. It relied on more than 20 volunteers. The proceeds went to outreach programs such the Help Yourself Shelf food pantry and Feed Our Scholars, said Young. Additional funds go to the $40,000 steeple repair project and for general church maintenance, he said.

    “It is a little smaller,” said church deacon Marcia Richardson about the festival. She recalled her first one in 1964. She said there was a large auction tent in the early days. Richardson has been a church deacon more 19 years.