WILTON — As the 33rd Annual Wilton Blueberry Festival approaches this weekend, a festival charm bracelet has become “the hottest item in town,” Shannon Smith, festival organizer, said.

“I sold 100 in an hour on Facebook,” she said of the specially-designed bracelets available at the Town Office until Thursday. The supply is limited, and if any are left they’ll be offered downtown Friday near the bank on Main Street, she said.

Bracelets are on their way to Alaska, Spain, the Netherlands and all over the state. People purchase them for gifts, she said.

Some were purchased last weekend at the Rockland Lobster Festival when Smith enlisted Emblem Club members to help her enter a vehicle in the Lobster Festival parade to advertise the Blueberry Festival.

“I went to register my car for the parade and the people who were doing it bought them,” she said.

After purchasing a Mt. Blue High School basketball charm through an effort to help the team raise money to play basketball in Florida this winter, Smith noticed the word “fundraiser” on the back.

She called the company, told them what she wanted and three weeks later they came up with the design. Smith wanted a state of Maine charm with the festival on it but no date and a blueberry.

Smith would not say the number ordered but admitted it was a limited quantity. The bracelets are being sold for $15 each and benefit the Wilton Blueberry Festival.

It is fundraisers like this that allow Smith to plan for a variety of events over the two days.

Free, tethered hot air balloon rides will be offered from 5 to 7 p.m. on one side of Kineowatha Park, weather permitting.

About five people, depending on their size, can go up in the air and are given time to look around, she said.

“It is tethered so it only goes so far, but it is quite far,” she said.

A full-sized balloon for children to play in, provided by Damn Yankee Balloon of Dixfield, will be set up the other side of the park, she said.

More information about the festival is available at www.wiltonbbf.com and more information about the bracelets is available by calling Smith at 778-4726.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net