KINGFIELD — Kingfield Festival Days will begin Thursday evening with a doubles cribbage tournament starting at 6:30 at the Herbert Hotel and will continue with activities, parades, music and food through Sunday.

Activities include an inflatable star theater and the
“death-defying” stunts of a professional street bike freestyle team.

“I’m really excited about all the new things this year,” said Myra Coffin, committee chairwoman for this year’s event.

One new event, the Northern Stars Planetarium, uses a star projector, video and special effects in an inflatable dome to teach Maine schoolchildren about astronomy, she said. The planetarium will stage four or five one-hour shows between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday at Kingfield Elementary School. Tickets for reserved seats will be available from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday under the tent, or people can come Sunday and take a chance that a seat will be available.

The best part, Coffin said, is that there is no admission charge for the introduction to astronomy and space science.

Another new event, the Vertical Outlaws, a professional street bike freestyle team of seven based in southern Maine, will perform a 15-minute show every hour following the festival’s grand parade scheduled for noon on Saturday. The team will perform in the parking lot of Jordan Lumber Co.

There will also be mud football games and an old fashioned truck pull on Sunday, along with chances to improve skills during fly-casting activities with Bob Dionne of Aardvark Outfitters on Saturday, Coffin said.

Saturday morning will be dedicated to children, with a climbing wall, bike and doll carriage parades, games and prizes and a skateboard jam with prizes planned for 2 p.m. Saturday.

The grand parade on Main Street will have a “game show” theme with local businesses and individuals encouraged to dress up floats.
Another fun parade, the Whatever Floats Parade, will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the Carrabassett River. With a theme, “Sitcoms,” any non-motorized vessel can line up at the Lord’s Bridge for a ride down the river to the dam.

Music will highlight the event with a street dance led by local DJ Chesapeake on Friday night from 7 to 11. The event includes a “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” contest.

Beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, a Portland group, Truth About Daisies, will perform in a large tent set up in the middle of town. It will be followed by a performance featuring a Mt. Abram graduate, Josh Stewart, who’s working on a music business career.

Other highlights include “Let’s Make a Kingfield Deal” at 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by the crowning of Mrs. Kingfield at 6:30 p.m. Also: a weekend-long scavenger hunt, amateur photo contest, barbecue and roast pork dinner, and the third annual “Bring Out Your Best” cookoff at 1 p.m. Sunday. Any dish is welcome; the public samples and votes for their favorites.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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