Children and community members take part in the colorful parade during the 2024 Fiddlehead Festival in Farmington. This year’s festival, set for May 3, will once again feature the beloved parade along with food, music, and family-friendly activities. File photo/Franklin Journal
FARMINGTON — The 12th annual Maine Fiddlehead Festival will return to the University of Maine at Farmington campus Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a full day of food, music and community celebration.
Free and open to the public, the event will be held in the High Street parking lot, the UMF amphitheater, and the courtyard between the Olsen Student Center and Roberts Learning Center. In case of rain, the festival will be moved inside the Student Center.
“This year’s festival will include several new ‘tent talks’ on topics of interest to local food and gardening enthusiasts,” said Mark Pires, UMF sustainability coordinator. Presentations include “The Art of Food Preservation” by Abigail Perry and “Growing Great Backyard Tomatoes” by Kate Garland, both of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Also, a screening of the short film Local Food Matters by area filmmaker Isabelle Rogers will be followed by a discussion.
The UMF Community Garden, led by Professor Gretchen Legler and student assistants, will participate for the first time with scheduled activities throughout the day, including onion planting at 10 a.m., greenhouse and pollinator bed tours at noon and a “seed in a cup” tomato planting activity at 2 p.m.
The event highlights the arrival of spring and the seasonal tradition of foraging fiddleheads. “After a long, cold winter, the Fiddlehead Festival brings folks together to celebrate the arrival of spring, the wonderful products of area farmers and crafters, and sets the stage for the active summer growing and farmers market seasons,” said Pires.
Local foraging expert Dave Fuller will return to the festival to share insights on safe and sustainable fiddlehead harvesting. Music and dance performances will take place on the festival stage, including the Franklin County Fiddlers and returning act Neveah Dance Circus.
“In addition to the celebration of food and the region’s agricultural heritage, the Fiddlehead Festival is also a venue to enjoy the talents of local musicians,” Pires said. “There is something of interest to festival attendees young and old. It’s just a great time to come together and celebrate.”
More than 65 local vendors are expected to attend, representing farmers, crafters, artisan food producers, and community organizations. “The response to this year’s call for participation has been truly enthusiastic,” Pires said. “We expect about seventy tables at the festival with local farmers, crafters, and community groups who share information on topics such as local land stewardship, community health and education, and addressing concerns of food security among our neighbors.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations for local pantries. “These will be distributed to area food pantries after the festival,” Pires said. Donations can be dropped off at the Sustainable Campus Coalition table throughout the day.
Chef Ashley Montgomery will lead a cooking demonstration focused on creative uses of fiddleheads, while food trucks such as The Ugly Dumpling and Fresh Eatz will offer meals on-site. Additional offerings will include spring greens, parsnips, seedlings, herbs, teas and preserved foods.
Festival organizers are also planning a kid’s zone with hands-on activities and farm animals. “We hope for a great turnout and pray for good weather, this year. The event will go on rain or shine,” said Pires. “Those who attended the 2022 festival will recall just how happy people were to be back together after two years of pandemic-related cancelations. It was truly a moment of great joy for everyone involved.”
More information and a full schedule of events can be found at www.umf.maine.edu/sustainability/maine-fiddlehead-festival or on the Maine Fiddlehead Festival Facebook page. For questions, contact Mark Pires at edward.pires@maine.edu or 207-778-7015.
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