Inaugural Lebanon Fest a resounding success

Festivalgoers gather around Butterfingers Da Klown as she face paints kids for free during the inaugural Lebanon Festival on Saturday. (Harrison Thorp photos)

LEBANON - From the breakfast burritos served up by the Rescue Department to the incredible cheeseburgers grilled to perfection by the Babe Ruth concession, Lebanon residents were eating it up at the town's inaugural Lebanon Festival held Saturday at the Hanson School soccer field.

About 40 vendors lined the fields selling everything from cookies and crafts to custom homes.

There were balloon twisters, clowns, face painting and games for the kids, even an adorable miniature Pinto horse named Captain who roamed about with his owner Lois Lang of Los Treasures Farm of Lower Guinea Road.

Festival organizer Rebekah Thompson said she was thrilled with how smoothly everything went and also with the turnout, which saw some 300 attend throughout the day.

Rescue Department Chief Jenny Parent grills up a breakfast burrito during the Lebanon Festival on Saturday as Travis Jorgensen of West Bowdoin looks on.

"For the first year I really feel good about how it went," she said.

Lebanon's annual festival used to be held in May and sponsored by the Rescue Department corporation but was discontinued, so Thompson offered to take the reins, form a Festival Committee and organize a brand new September festival instead.

While the old festival was mostly held on the parking lot of the Hanson School, the new one is held on the soccer fields, lending a more relaxed atmosphere for both vendors and festivalgoers.

Many attractions from the old festival were on hand like the Sanford Fire Department smokehouse, but there were also new wrinkles, like a karate demonstration by Family Martial Arts Center of Springvale and a fire suppression system demo by the Lebanon Fire Department.

Lois Lang of Los Treasures Farm in Lebanon with fest favorite Captain, the miniature Pinto horse.

Wildlife Encounters of Rochester was also on hand as well as longtime festival favorite Butterfingers da Klown.

House 20 candidates Bettie Harris-Howard and Karen Gerrish as well as write-in candidate Harrison Thorp showed up as well as State Senator Ron Collins and other politicians.

Several times throughout the festival Steven Wanager of Lebanon fired off one his vintage cannons to the delight of many.

Muncher from Auntie's House Bakery and Gift of Springvale was eating it up, too.

A parade of 30 or so vehicles kicked off the day rolling from the Old Town Hall to the Hanson School. Police, fire and rescue vehicles, town officials, antique cars and politicians all queued up for a slow procession down Center Road and onto Upper Guinea.

And while there were more trees than people lining the parade route, Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson, who did most of the organizing for the parade, said he was happy with the attendance for the first year.

Lebanon Festival sponsors include Spence and Mathews Insurance, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Batchelder Sales Inc., STS Construction, Phil's Fabrication, The Lebanon Voice, 4X4 Proving Grounds, Brian's Brake and Muffler and Thompson Auto Body LLC.

Contributors include Hilltop Fireworks, Dover Marine, Covered Bridge Sports, Farmfield Greenhouses, Lebanon House of Pizza, Goulet Auto Service and Milton Veterinary Clinic.

Matteo Diaz of Lebanon prepares to perform a kick with karate instructor Richard Smith of Family Martial Arts Center of Springvale.