Summerfest gets dogs, people and sun

SUSAN JOHNS
Sun, 07/25/2021 - 6:30pm
Molly Clark, 2, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey and Finley Hartig, 4, of Sparta, New Jersey take in Summerfest. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alna’s Lianna Averill, 5, takes a fruit roll up break at Summerfest and views what grandmother Lucinda Tilas of Wiscasset shows her on a phone. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Kathryn Fedus, mother Kathleen Quirion and Quirion’s Newfoundland-poodle (Noodle) Brooke. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
From left, John Apczynski, daughter-in-law Sabrina, wife Elaine and son John Jr. eat in the shade of a tent. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Chuck Billings mans the grill. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
From left, Evie Herrick, 10, and Clover Apczynski, 9, and brother Bodhi, 7, enjoy Summerfest on the Wiscasset common July 24. Herrick’s sister Alex, 9, background left, said the crafts were her favorite part of Summerfest. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper

    Manhattan’s Kathryn Fedus figured wearing her hair down when taking her mother Kathleen Quirion’s Newfoundland-poodle (Noodle) Brooke through the dog parade unintentionally clinched the prize for the human-dog duo looking the most alike. The contest at First Congregational Church of Wiscasset’s Summerfest was Brooke’s first, and it and the treats that were part of it gave the Winslow dog, 2, a taste for more, Fedus said.

    Now Brooke, a taste-tester for Fedus’s “Farm to Fluffy” line of dog treats, will want to be in next year’s parade, the women said. Will Fedus and Brooke defend their title? No, they will go for a different one, Fedus said, laughing.

    She and Quirion got pixie cookies and magic bars at the bake sale. 

    Midway through Summerfest’s four hours on the common, church members Sally Howe and Carol Blake said the partial table of treats they were manning started as a full table and more under the table. “People are really in the mood to buy sweets today,” Blake said. She made apple squares; Howe, the fudge nut pie, banana bread, pumpkin bread and cranberry nut squares.

    Wiscasset’s Lucinda Tilas and granddaughter Lianna Averill, 5, of Alna bid on a coloring set in the silent auction. They arrived early in Summerfest and were still enjoying the festivities and upping their bid about two hours later. 

    Staying that long is always a good sign of how fun an event is, Tilas said. She had never been to Summerfest. She always had a schedule conflict, but not Saturday.

    Utah-raised Austin and Bailey Brown just moved to Damariscotta so it was the couple’s first Summerfest also. Austin was eyeing a “Frozen” book for their daughters Daphne, 1, and Claire, 3.

    Pastor Josh Fitterling said Saturday, he was very happy with turnout. People were excited Summerfest was held, he said. The church’s yearly fundraiser for area causes was off last year due to the pandemic, so the church fundraised through donations to still give to charities.

    Saturday’s weather was the pick of the weekend, sun and 70s F. “Oh, it’s awesome,” church member Carol Peck said. “God blessed us with a beautiful day.”

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