BANGOR, Maine — Downtown businesses and other establishments offered an array of opportunities to relieve cabin fever Saturday with its first — but likely not last — Winter Fest celebration.
Abby Bailey, who works downtown, brought her daughters, Lydia and Elise. As the girls watched, Zachary Field, a local juggler and entertainer, made balloon animals for them.
“They got everything cleaned up. I’m impressed,” Bailey said of the banks of snow that were removed from downtown by the city’s public works crew over the past several days.
Tammy Bryant, Pennie Duff and Patti Falkner, who work at Camden National Bank, set up a corn hole competition in West Market Square.
There was no actual corn involved, though. Instead, players tossed bean bags at a platform with holes in it. Bryant said the group looked up the rules on the internet.
“The ugliest person goes first,” she said with a laugh. “We’ve had a pretty good turnout.”
All three women — as well as many others — wore plaid in honor of the festival, Paul Bunyan and “Lumberjacks in Love,” which is currently playing at the Penobscot Theatre.
Bill and Katie Miller of Brewer brought their daughters, Claire and Madison, downtown after dance class.
“We’re just going to kind of walk around and see what we can get into and see how the girls like it,” Bill Miller said while warming his hands over one of the fire pits set up in the square for the event.
Merchants got into the spirit as well, with several businesses offering discounts.
In the square and elsewhere downtown, there were children’s story readings, food and drink samples, cookie decorating, henna tattoos, pizza and s’mores for kids and a make-your-own terrarium event, which was sold out by early afternoon.
John and Rachel Dobbs, owners of Paddy Murphy’s, doled out maple taffy swizzles alongside their Irish pub.
Because Saturday was relatively balmy at nearly 40 degrees, the syrup wasn’t poured on snow to be twirled onto wooden forks as tradition calls for. Instead, it was poured onto clean snow gathered from the building’s roof in little plastic cups.
John Dobbs said that he had long wanted to see a Quebec City-style winter celebration in Bangor and Saturday’s festival was a first step.
Rachel Dobbs said that the festival began with discussions among John Dobbs, Leeanne Hewey of the Charles Inn and Cheryl Michaud of West Market Square Artisan Coffee but that once the word got out, several other establishments got involved.
“This is great. This is exactly what we wanted to see. People coming out. To have a whole bunch of little things people can do and try — or not try if it wasn’t their thing — has been lovely,” Rachel Dobbs said as she looked out at all the people gathered in West Market Square.
“This is exactly what we were hoping — just that people would come out and enjoy what’s turned out to be a really lovely day. I’m just wearing a flannel shirt. This is great. This is perfect. Everything that anybody could want,” she said.
John Dobbs said he hopes Winter Fest will become a tradition in Bangor.