Cultural and music festival to also feature village life of Vikings in Maine

LIVERMORE — For a taste of Maine's heritage circa 1000 A.D., the third annual Maine Cultural and Music Festival on Sept. 25-27 will feature an encampment of Vikings.

But instead of pillaging the countryside, the Vikings of Vinholm, a living history re-enactment group, will depict the Norsemen village lifestyle for three days, along with continuous cooking and arms demonstrations, according to festival planner Sylvia Lane.

"We're hoping it's something that people will want their children to see," Lane said Thursday in Livermore. "We are trying to make this festival family-oriented, because in the past, it's always been a music festival."

Proceeds from donations at the gate of this year's event will benefit Ethan Rines, 4, of Turner, and Kyle Kopec, 10, of Freeport.

Lane said that both boys, who have life-threatening allergies to peanuts, need specially-trained allergy dogs that can detect the presence of anything peanut-related.

"Help us help Ethan and Kyle get the dogs that will let them attend school and live normal lives," she said.

Money raised will help send the boys and their families to Colorado, where they will be trained with the two dogs.

The festival will be held off Route 4 in Livermore beside the Carriage House Cafe and behind Lane's Dragon Knights Gift Shop. Parking is free for the event, which will be held rain or shine.

Performers include Celtic flute by Jim Tilton, the Hibbibi Bellydancers, Portland band Syndicate 19, Paul Lovell and The Blues Machine, Crash Road Band of Jay, acoustic guitarists J.D. Hurt and Two Other Guys of Lewiston, Sonny Holland of Farmington, Asylum of Rumford, the Rev. Harns DeWitt of Stratton, Portland band Red Cross Sky, and more.

"We do a little blues, a little rock, a little country, and a little folk," Lane said. "We don't do heavy metal bands, because we want to stay family friendly."

Music begins at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, with Syndicate 19, followed by an arms demonstration by the Vikings of Vinholm. Lane said musicians will perform outdoors each day until 9 p.m., after which, they will resume playing inside the function room of the Carriage House Cafe until 1 a.m. the following day.

The Vikings will perform arms demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, and at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Events on both days begin at 11 a.m.

The Vikings will also conduct a Medieval Pig Roast at 5 p.m. Saturday. The roast and a country barbecue on Sunday will be all-you-can-eat for a price, Lane said.

Ethan Rines and his family, who are bluegrass performers, will close out the festival on Sunday, starting at 6 p.m.

"We've always had 400 to 500 people show up for the three days, so this year, we're hoping to get a thousand people," she said. "I want these little boys to have their dogs, so I want to have a substantial donation."

For more information, call 897-5880 or 897-9673.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com