DIXFIELD – Willie Nelson seemed to be everywhere on Sunday afternoon at the rustic Countryfolk Music Theatre grounds beside Route 2 in East Dixfield.

Mingling with the large crowd, strumming a guitar by the highway, leaning against a car while smoking a cigarette, jamming with another musician, and checking out the simmering beef stew in a big pot beside a large, smoky outdoor fireplace.

The “Willie” sightings were the brainchild of Larry Bisbee of Countryfolk, who proclaimed Sunday as Willie Nelson Day and organized a Willie Look-a-like Contest that brought seven contestants out of the woodwork.

“Don’t it just give you the willies to see all these Willies here?” contender Lynn Bearce of Guilford asked Bisbee when two other look-a-likes walked by their impromptu jam session beside Route 2.

Using Elmer’s Glue and a pinch of powder, she’d cemented strands of hair from a wig to her face to better depict Willie’s mustache, beard and eyebrows.

“I’m doing this just for fun. There’s so much stress in this world that people have just got to have fun. But, I tell you, I have a lot more respect for men who can actually grow a beard and stand to have it on their face. This is itchy. I can’t smile without feeling my face cracking. I think it’s the glue,” Bearce said, trying hard not to wrinkle her brows or flash a smile.

The seven contestants, who all sported a red bandanna, were, Bearce, Bisbee of East Dixfield; Mickey Hinckley, 67, of Avon; 4-year-old Andre Nile of Farmington; Bob Rivard, 57, of Leeds; Lee Dodge, 62, of Rockport; and retired bee keeper Raymond Gould, 81, of Jay.

Bisbee said Countryfolk had never done a Willie contest before, but, when he realized Nelson would perform Friday in Augusta and Saturday in Presque Isle, he figured they could snag him while Nelson was en route to his next gig Sunday night in Vermont.

Sunday’s contest was Hinckley’s second.

“I won one 15 years ago when I did Willie at a rodeo, but I’m not good on stage,” said Hinckley, a retired 44-year employee of Forster’s in Strong. “People sometimes say I resemble him and sometimes I have a hard time convincing people that I’m not Willie.”

After mingling with the crowd that came to watch the contest and enjoy a variety of musicians perform at the end of Countryfolk’s eighth season, the contestants had two minutes each in front of five judges.

Each Willie was scored in five categories: facial looks, best dressed, humor, voice and presentation.

Bisbee, a retired disc jockey, Bearce of the National Hobo Gospel Singers band, and Dodge of The Old Windmill band, were the only real-time performers of the group, although Nile performed Johnny Cash song, “Ring of Fire” during judging.

Playing separately, Bearce and Dodge performed their favorite Willie tune, “On the Road Again,” and Bisbee performed “Good-Hearted Woman.”

Rivard, 57, a painter with Rodrigue and Son Co. of Lewiston, was a “shoe-in,” one judge said after naming him the winner based on his appearance and the fact that he was the only one wearing sneakers. “Always on my Mind” is Rivard’s favorite Willie tune.

“I enjoyed myself. It was fun,” said Rivard, who attended Friday night’s Willie concert and drew many double-takes.

Regarding such “Are you Willie Nelson?” questions, Rivard shrugs and matter-of-factly answers, “No, he just looks like me.”