MEXICO – The Moontide Water Festival carnival opens at 6 p.m. today.
The parking lot behind the town office is filled with rides, games, balloons, cotton candy, food and everything else anyone would expect at a carnival.
The event will run for two afternoons and three evenings over the next four days.
A portion of the proceeds from the four-day event will go to pay off about $7,000 in debt resulting from a canceled concert that had been scheduled for last year by the Moontide committee, said its chairman, Joseph Roberts.
Cushing Amusements of Wilmington, Mass., is supplying the carnival.
Roberts said it’s too early to determine whether a July 4th festival and fireworks will take place in 2007 in Rumford. If it does, with the Fourth of July falling on a Wednesday, the event will likely be for just one day.
This was the first year without a festival in downtown Rumford, and fireworks over the reflection pool of the Androscoggin River, in at least 10 years. The previous fireworks displays had drawn thousands of people.
“I’m not willing to speculate on next year. Hopefully there will be one,” said Roberts. “We’re concentrating on getting our debts paid off.”
The Moontide committee is continuing to schedule fundraisers.
The next event is set for Oct. 29 at the Rumford Municipal Auditorium when Mac McHale and Emery Hutchins, performing as Two Old Friends, will present a show of Irish and country music.
Comments are no longer available on this story