LISBON — The Moxie Festival Committee has announced that the 2013 Moxie Festival theme is “Moxie: A Maine Tradition.” The winner, John Hardesty, resides in Dallas, Texas, but calls Maine “home.”

The committee chose Hardesty’s entry from a selected list from previous nation-wide Moxie Festival theme contests.

A native New Englander, John Hardesty was born in Lawrence, Mass., but has deep roots in the Lisbon area. While growing up he spent many days at his grandmother’s and step-grandfather’s farm on Ferry Road in Lisbon. His parents, the former Margaret Ashton and Nap Hardesty, were married in the farmhouse.

His uncle, Charles Earle, and his parents and siblings, lived for many years on Frost Hill and owned much of the land down to the river. Earle, a member of the Lisbon Falls Masonic Lodge, worked at both the Farwell and Worumbo mills. Hardesty’s aunt, the former Martina Ashton, met Earle while both worked at the Farwell Mill. They were later married in Lewiston.

In addition, Hardesty remembers attending many ceramic classes with his mother, aunt and grandmother at a farmhouse on Webster Road. He fondly recalls riding on the American Legion train on summer nights around downtown Lisbon. Hardesty attended many Moxie Festivals and enjoyed the parade with family and friends.

He developed his strong preference for Moxie at an early age while growing up in the farmhouse and spending many holidays and summer vacations in Maine. Moxie became and remains his soft drink of choice. To this day, after spending time in Maine, Hardesty always returns to Texas with a suitcase full of canned Moxie that he carefully rations until he returns “home.” He has passed on his passion for Moxie to his grandson in Texas who now requests a can whenever the two get together.

Hardesty and his wife, Deborah, currently live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Hardesty received a basket filled with Moxie items from The Kennebec Fruit Company store in Lisbon Falls. He will also return home to Maine to be one of the judges for the Moxie Festival Parade on Saturday, July 13.

Visit www.MoxieFestival.com for the latest information on events.