Plans are underway for a Gorham Founders Festival to be held in 2020 that will coincide with the bicentennial celebration of Maine becoming a state. Traditionally an annual event, the festival last took place in 2015 after which the Town Council decided to set aside $5000 each year to be used for a celebration in 2020.
Councilor Suzanne Phillips is organizing a committee to plan what she hopes will be a community-wide event to be held on two days, one in the spring and another in the fall. “Although a committee met once a few years ago,” she said, “this time we will develop a comprehensive plan to involve many residents, businesses, and organizations in the festival and we will have some money to promote it.”
Phillips envisions activities hap- pening all over Gorham on each of the two festival days, with each location organizing its own event. These would be self-funded and the participating groups would keep any proceeds. There could also be a town-wide event, such as a float parade, that would tie the festival to the Maine Bicentennial.
The $25,000 earmarked for the project from the the Town of Gorham would be used for festival publicity and coordination. “There may be some state matching funds available for a Maine Bicentennial component too,” Phillips said.
The festival is in the preliminary planning stage. Phillis is asking people who would be interested in joining the committee to contact her at sphillips@gorham.me.us or 207-892-9847. The first meeting will be in mid-September.