WILTON — Wilton Blueberry Festival returns Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4 – 6, with events scheduled at various locations throughout the town.

This year vendors will be set up on Main Street on Saturday only but several things will be happening Friday.

The First Congregational Church, whose Blueberry Bazaar was the forerunner of the festival will be selling hot dogs, finger rolls, water and cold beverages Friday and Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. Captain Eli’s blueberry soda, blueberry coffee cake, blueberry cheesecake and blueberry pie a la mode will also be sold, organizer Al Kaplan said Tuesday, July 25. The Church Mouse Thrift Shop will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days, he noted.

Friday evening the chicken barbecue will be held at 5 p.m. It will be served take out style, although some tables will be set up outdoors. Tickets may be purchased earlier Friday. The crew will be preparing 175 half chickens.

On Saturday, floral bouquets and some vegetables may be purchased.

Tickets for the annual raffle are on sale now from any church member with winners drawn at the church Saturday about 5:30 p.m. Prizes include a floor carpet valued at $345, $50 worth of lobsters, two camp chairs, a case of oil, maple syrup and gift certificates to various local businesses.

The United Methodist Church from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday will be offering a bag lobster meal and bake sale. The yard sale will not be held, Pastor Lorrie Aikens said Wednesday. “The ladies will be setting up the quilt show for Saturday,” she noted. Luncheon sales will take place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with the quilt show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From 1-4 p.m. Friday the Fire Department will be giving free truck rides with pick up and drop off taking place near the Civil War Monument [Monument Square]. Friends of Wilson Lake will be giving free boat rides on Wilson Lake at that time. Six or seven boat owners are volunteering their time to provide tours around the lake, FOWL President Sandy Muller said July 16.

The boat ramp will be closed from 12:30 to midnight because of the boat rides.

The Wilton Free Public Library will hold a book sale, 1-4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 128 Weld Street, the former Bass factory.

Road races are also set for Friday with the one mile fun run set to start at 6 p.m. from the GD Cushing School. At 6:30 the 5K and 10K races will start at the town garage on the Weld Road. There may be temporary delays/closures during the races. Drivers should obey all safety flaggers.

At 6 p.m. Friday the area near Monument Square from High to Prospect streets will be closed off for the street dance set for 7-9:30 p.m., Renee Woodard said Tuesday.

Ambition Brewing and Calzalaio Pasta Company will offer outdoor service from 6-9:30 p.m. Friday and 12-9 p.m. Saturday. Food trucks will also set up at Monument Square at 6 p.m. Friday and at Bass Park 6-9 p.m. Saturday.

The Pop Rocks, a band from the Jay area that has been together about six years, will be providing the music for the street dance, member Chris Bonnevie said Tuesday. He plays guitar and sings; Scott Gray plays bass, keyboards and sings; and Jason Young is the percussionist, he noted.

“We can play all kinds of music,” Bonnevie said. “Most of our stuff is 1970s, 1980s and 1990s rock. We will throw in some country, some heavy metal if people want that.”

The Lions Club pancake breakfast, 7-10 a.m. in their tent near Monument Square kicks off Saturday morning activities.

Saturday there are several road closures planned: 7-9 a.m. Main Street from High Street to the Post Office; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Main Street from Prospect Street to the Post Office; 10 a.m. to noon Weld Road from Colby Miller Road to Main Street and Main Street from Weld Road to Lake Road; and 5-10 p.m. Main Street from High Street to Lake Road, Gilbert Street and Lake Road from the bridge to Bass Park.

The boat ramp will be closed from 9 a.m. to midnight Saturday to prepare for the fireworks. No boats will be allowed to enter the water during that time. There will be no parking allowed in the boat launch area and all vehicles and trailers must be removed. Foot traffic from the bridge to the fire lane will be prohibited.

Western Maine Transportation will be providing shuttle services Saturday, making a continuous loop between Academy Hill School, GD Cushing School, 128 Weld Road, Kineowatha Park entrance, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Franklin Savings Bank and the corner at High and Main Streets.

Parking will be available at the two schools, 128 Weld Road [small parking lot], Kineowatha Park and the municipal lot on High Street.

Parade line up begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning with kick off at 10 a.m. People may register that morning, Woodard said, noting line up will be in the big, open parking area of the former Bass factory on Weld Road. There is a motorcycle class going on that day in the parking lot where line up has been in prior years so the area near the Town Office will be blocked off, she noted.

The parade theme this year is Hawaiian Luau and prizes will be awarded in several categories.

Tyngtown Club will be holding its annual pre-ordered blueberry pie sale from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Congregational Church.

Various crafters and vendors will be set up along Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday only. Artisan shops on Main and High streets will also be open during those times. The farmers market will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McGillicuddy Park on Main Street.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 59 High Street, will hold its annual lobster roll sale Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.

Wilton Farm & Home Museum will hold an open house, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Western Maine Play Museum will feature a kid’s fun fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. while Main Street Garage will hold the second annual classic car show from 12 to 2 p.m.

Woodard said two new things this year will be bungee trampoline jumping and the mechanical shark at Kineowatha Park from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. The latter is similar to a mechanical bull ride for kids, she noted.

“There will be all kinds of free things for kids at the park Saturday afternoon,” Woodard stated. “There will be two bounce houses, an inflatable water slide and a large obstacle course. The Lane’s will bring their petting zoo, Martin Woods Farm will be giving free horse rides. The Mt. Blue High School robotics team will be giving demonstrations, have their root beer float stand.”

Musical entertainment Saturday includes High Mileage 12-3 p.m. at Monument Square, Sammie Angel at Bass Park 1-3 p.m., Pete Finkle 4-9 at the square and Autumn Addicts 7-9 p.m. in the park.

Autumn Addicts is a group from Wilton featuring Jeremy Wilkins on guitar, his step-daughter Autumn Conklin who sings, Alex Wilbur on guitar, Crandon Starbird on bass and drummer Claude Tardy. Tardy can’t make it, Mike Ryan will fill in for him, Wilkins said Tuesday. The band has been together about three years, “does a little bit of everything from rock, pop, country, covers, new and old,” he noted.

The fireman’s muster returns after several years absence because of the coronavirus pandemic, Deputy Fire Chief Michael Lilley said Wednesday, July 26. Scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, it will be held at the GD Cushing School rather than on Main Street where it had been held in prior years.

“I’m not sure how the new location will work,” Lilley noted. “We will do our best to make it the best muster we can. We are in hopes of continuing it into the future.”

The muster features four events, two of which are known beforehand and two mystery events related to firefighting skills, he said. Wet and dry hose competitions are the known events, the mystery ones could deal with hose skills, putting fire gear on or something similar, Lilley stated.

There are transformers on poles near the Cushing School, the area where the muster will be held is a bit different, he noted. “We will make it work, we are resourceful,” he added.

Lilley encouraged other local fire departments to sign up, come and show off their skills. “It’s fun to watch, come cheer on your department,” he said.

Blueberry bake off judging is at 5 p.m. while the blueberry pie eating contest is at 6 with both held in the Lions tent near Monument Square.

The fireworks over Wilson Lake will begin about 9 p.m.

The festival concludes with an ecumenical communion service at 9 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 6, at Bass Park. Wilton Ecumenical Community Outreach sponsors the service which is a way to recognize the community’s hard work during the festival and the many programs supported by the member churches.

David Zamboni, David Smith, John Balicki and Lorrie Aikens, pastors of the baptist, congregational, episcopal and methodist churches, respectively will give short sermons on the theme “God is with us here.” Brad Aikens and Margaret Arsenault will provide special music. Those attending should bring their own chairs as the park has limited seating.

For more information about the festival, call the Town Office at [207]645-4961, Woodard at [207]645-3120 or visit the Facebook page.

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