The five-day celebration in Rumford is in jeopardy of being canceled.
RUMFORD – A summer extravaganza that has generally drawn thousands of people from throughout western Maine may not happen this year.
Bill Porter, chairman of the Moontide Water Festival Committee, said this week that the core group that has been organizing and running the five-day carnival in late June and the fireworks display on July 4th, has disbanded.
He declined to provide details on the decision, saying only that money raised from the carnival largely pays for the fireworks display.
He said the committee must raise about $40,000 each year to put on the event.
“If we make the fireworks display smaller, it will ruin it,” he said. “I don’t see a change in the decision by our group.”
Besides the fireworks launched over the reflection pool of the Androscoggin River, huge lighting displays on and above the water have been created.
Moontide Committee member Cheryl Dickson also declined to give comments.
Former committee member Arthur Boivin, a charter member of the group who often worked to create lighting displays, said he wasn’t sure what to think about the decision.
“It is kind of devastating. They are quite a group of people,” he said.
He declined to elaborate on why he resigned from the committee. “It was just time to move on,” he said.
River Valley Chamber of Commerce President Rosie Bradley said she was surprised to learn of the decision.
“I had heard rumors, but thought they were just rumors,” she said.
The Chamber board may hold an emergency meeting by the end of the week to decide, what, if anything, can be done.
“The cancellation is probably not a great thing for the community,” she said.
The events’ organizers may be tired.
“As with any committee, the same people year after year put enormous effort into it,” she said.
To put so many hours into the event that has sometimes drawn criticism from downtown businesses for so many years is an incredible achievement, she added.
During the carnival, most of Congress and Exchange streets, as well as a part of River Street, are closed for several days.
eadams@sunjournal.com
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