AREA — Towns throughout Franklin County are evaluating their annual summer festivities and are either altering or cancelling celebrations in an effort to prevent further transmission of the coronavirus.

The Wilton’s Lion’s Club has followed the lead of the Wilton Blueberry Festival and has cancelled their annual June yard sale and has currently made no announcement regarding an alternative date.

Farmington’s Fourth of July parade has also been cancelled, but United Way of the Tri-Valley Area Executive Director Lisa Laflin said they are still discussing alternative forms of celebration.

The Phillips Old Home Days festival in August, which includes the Friday parade, horse-pulling, a craft fair and a lumbering competition, has been cancelled. An announcement on Facebook from May 1 reads in part, “The Phillips Chamber of Commerce is saddened to announce that we have cancelled Phillips Old Home Days 2020, but will return in 2021 to celebrate Maine’s 200th birthday then.”

Weld’s Heritage Day that was to be held July 25, has been cancelled. However, the Weld Historical Society is currently planning a day this summer during which food, crafts and local products would be available for sale throughout town. 

Weld’s annual Heritage Day held in July has been cancelled, but The Weld Historical Society is currently working on plans for an alternative celebration. Children line up to participate in featured games during last year’s Weld Heritage Day. File Photo

“Folks looking to purchase such offerings would drive around town and would, using common sense and the direction of the vendors, be able to shop locally. Buy some plants, buy some crafts, buy your dinner…just like Heritage Day, but a touch more spread out!” President Sean Minear of the Weld Historical Society wrote in an email.

Minear said they would keep the public informed through town-wide postal mailings and through posts on the Weld Historical Society Facebook page. 

The Webb Lake Association has cancelled the Lake Day that it hosts in Weld every July, but the association’s chair, Lise Bofinger will be partnering with the Weld Historical Society to offer condensed events throughout the summer.

“We don’t want to totally shut down everything and have people hiding in their camps, but we also want to keep people safe. We’re trying to figure out a way to make that work,” Bofinger said.

The Webb Lake Association and the Weld Historical Society will be updating their Facebook pages and mailing out newsletters to town residents once dates of proposed events are finalized.

The Strong town website announced the cancellation of Pierpole Days, the annual July celebration that includes fireworks and horse-drawn wagon rides to commemorate the Native American settler, Pierpole, and his wife, Hannah Susup.

Strong’s Pierpole Day held in July has been cancelled. At the Pierpole Day parade from last year, from left, Alden Pratt, his sister Avery Pratt and Killian Pillsbury are seen on the River Run Farm float. By the cab is Susan Pratt. File Photo

Efforts to reach organizers of Rangeley’s Logging Festival and Kingfield Days were not successful. Additional information will be published as it becomes available.