NORWAY — Food, farming and culture is on the list for the first Foothills Food Festival set for 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, in downtown Norway.

The rain date is Sunday, Aug. 14. If the festival is postponed, it will be posted on CEBE’s Facebook page by 8 a.m. Saturday.

Many of the events will take place in the town square on Main Street across from the Norway Opera House and will overlap with Community Roots, an event on Saturday and Sunday at the nearby Alan Day Community Garden, 26 Whitman St. 

“Local farming and food culture are rebounding in Maine after years of over-dependence on unsustainable industrial imports,” said Ken Morse of Community Food Matters. “These foothills are alive with this movement, and we’re celebrating the rich diversity of these agriculture and performing cultures at our first Foothills Food Festival.”

The festival is a project of Community Food Matters, which is housed at the Center for Ecology-Based Economy in the Fare Share Commons on Main Street.

Sarah Carter, a festival organizer who works as a community nutrition educator for SNAP-Ed at Healthy Oxford Hills, said the festival will showcase and celebrate “all parts of the food system — people who make food, people who grow food, people who brew — all things related to agriculture.”

For foodies out there, there will be a local spread to enjoy. Riverside Lodge of South Paris will serve up artisanal pizza, Cafe DiCocoa of Bethel will feature Greek-themed and vegetarian food, along with garden creations from Anna Sysco. Fiddlestick Farm of Hanover will offer its handmade raviolis, Avalon Creamery of Otisfield will scoop up its small-batch frozen custard, Alex’s Mexican Food Cart of Bethel will roll in with spicy favorites, and Little Jamaica – Portland’s Island Flava will bring its authentic Jamaican food.

A beer garden organized by Norway Brewing Co. and operated by Café Nomad will serve brews from across the state in the fenced-in area behind Green Machine Bike Shop at 419 Main St., site of the former Longley Hardware Store. Maine breweries include Norway Brewing Company of Norway; Pennesseewassee Brewing Company, Harrison; Sunday River Brewing, Newry; Bear Bones Beer, Lewiston; Sebago Brewing, Portland area; Bigelow Brewing, Skowhegan; and Banded Horn, Biddeford.

Fare Share Co-op at the Fare Share Commons next to CEBE will host tours of its market and have samples and information from Durgin Dairy of Norway, Harmony Farm, Harrison; Wee Bit Farm, Orland; and Rob Nichol’s mead.

Also behind Fare Share will be the farmers market and Sprout children’s area. The farmers market will feature Ordway Grove, Black Mountain Farm, Pie Tree Orchard, Maple Springs Farm, Edgewood Nursery, Mid Ridge Farm; Ryerson Gone Wild will sell Maine chaga, ramps, vegetables and various mushrooms. Main Street’s newest bookstore, Food for Thought, will have a table behind the co-op with food-related literature.

The Sprout area will include gardening, composting activity, a feel-and-guess food game, mask-making, storytelling and a smoothie-making bike.

“It is very family-friendly. There are tons of activities for kids,” Carter said. 

CEBE will be the site of two talks. The sidewalk along Main Street will feature resource tables, including representatives from Roberts Farm, Maine School Garden Network, Western Foothills Land Trust, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine SNAP-Ed, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Books N Things at 430 Main St. will host Maine author Kathy Eliscu, who will sign her book, “Not Even Chocolate Can Fix This Mess.”

There will be a slate of live entertainment.

“Between local bands, which is a pretty good spread of different kinds of music to really appeal to the whole family, there will be talks from farmers and folks with knowledge in our community,” Carter said.

There will be art for festival-goers of all ages to create, and Maine artist Jacinda Martinez will be in attendance. On nearby Deering Street, there will be face-painting, tie-dying, hula-hooping, food-packaging musical instruments, papier-maché earth painting, corn hole, mask-making and community poems.

Martinez will feature her Fashion in the Raw photographs of garments she created from food and create a special piece for the festival. 100 Aker Wood will offer 10-percent-off framing of her prints purchased during the festival.

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Foothills Food Festival schedule

Entertainment

Performances featuring mostly homespun bands will be in the town square across from the Norway Opera House on Main Street. Jack Gentempo will host these musicians and others, including:
1 p.m. – Emilia Dahlin sings mesmerizing tales with raw, rootsy folk and dynamic jazz vocals.  
2 p.m. – Mark Lapping will speak about agricultural history and food renaissance.   
2:30 p.m. – The Cobblestones play old favorites including soft rock, bluegrass, country and blues.
3:45 p.m. – Fits of Blue play electric music and blues.
5 p.m. – Oen Kennedy is a singer/songwriter from Norway who makes music about the Earth.
6 p.m. –  Dance performance by Nevaeh, recycled instrument jam, mask showcase, food magic and poetry readings.
6:30 p.m. – The Youngerbloods from the Norway area play soul, funk and jazz band tunes.
7:45 p.m. – Singepole Mountain Band plays experimental, improvisational music based on rock, jazz, funk and blues.

Sprout area children’s contests

The Sprout area is behind Fare Share Co-op at 443 Main St.

1 p.m. – Cow Mooing Contest
2 p.m. – Egg Carry Contest
3 p.m. – Rooster Crowing Contest
4 p.m. – Juggling with food bean bags
6 p.m. – Prizes awarded on main stage

CEBE talks

The Center for the Ecology-Based Economy is in the Fare Share Commons on Main Street.

2:30 p.m. –  A conversation with Mark Lapping, retired university professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine, founder of the Maine Food Strategy, and co-author of “A New England Food Vision.”

3:30 p.m. –  A talk by Aaron Parker from Edgewood Nursery, a nursery specializing in unusual edibles including minor fruits, medicinal herbs, perennial vegetables and permaculture plants.