FARMINGTON — The Farmington Downtown Association’s 55th annual Summer Fest that was to be held on Saturday, July 25, has now been canceled. Several individuals voiced their concerns to the Association regarding public health and safety and the type of message the festival could potentially send to the public.
“A few people were really against it,” Summer Fest coordinator Susun Terese said in her downtown store, Minikins Quality Fleecewear. “It’s not your usual political thing.”
The majority of the festival’s usual programming such as musical performances, races and a food court was already canceled to prevent large gatherings. Instead, local businesses were planning on holding a Summer Fest sale and Farmington Underground was to host a downtown scavenger hunt. Farmington Historical Society’s Ladies of the Suffrage Movement had been planning on wearing period costumes outside of the Octagon House and providing information on the women’s 1918 suffrage movement.
The Ladies from the Suffrage Movement pictured above from left Marion Scharoun, Jane Woodman, Claudia Bell, Theresa Forster and Jo Josephson were planning on hosting an event on the lawn of the Octagon House during the Farmington Summer Fest. Courtesy of Jane Woodman
Prior to the cancelation, some business owners such as Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers were alarmed to hear that the festival was taking place.
“We’re talking about encouraging excess foot traffic, not a winning idea in my perspective,” Brechner said in a phone interview.
Owner of Up Front and Pleasant Gourmet Nina Gianquinto had felt similarly and was planning on closing the day of the festival to prevent an overload of people wanting to enter her small grocery store.
More information regarding the Farmington Summer Fest’s cancelation will be available in Wednesday’s, July 22, Livermore Falls Advertiser.
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