LIVERMORE FALLS — Despite temperatures approaching 80 degrees on Saturday morning and light drizzle, a few hundred people of all ages participated in the Apple-Pumpkin Festival.

Parents and families listened to a variety of music from live bands, including Livermore Falls Elementary School students, mingled among about 80 vendors’ booths selling crafts and baked goods, and played games and activities with their children.

It was hard to miss the giant, inflated, bright-orange Tiger Slide, bounce-tent castle and climbing wall near the entrance on the Livermore Falls Recreation Fields. They were big hits with children.

A steady stream of people hiked from parking areas to the festival by 11 a.m., after the rain mostly let up, staff member Heather Doanne of Mercer said.

“The weather certainly hasn’t helped any,” she said. “It was a little slow this morning, but when 10 o’clock hit, they started rolling in.”

The festival was hosted by the Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce. A chamber official said there weren’t many pumpkins at the festival due to a shortage from their supplier.

People didn’t appear to be buying much of the offered wares. That was rather disappointing for Dan and Diane Page, owners of Dan-D Woodworks of Thorndike.

Their 4-foot wooden flowers were adored by small children, who also liked their silhouette yard art of howling wolves and a large crow. But there wasn’t much interest in their jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkins yard art or primitive and country decor.

“We haven’t sold any jack-o’-lanterns yet, and I thought we would,” Dan Page said.

By 11:15 a.m., they had sold a flower and an outhouse-design toilet paper holder.

They make and sell wooden art to supplement full-time jobs. Dan Page said his wife drives a school bus, and he works security for a job that was downsized.

They were hoping to sell enough to recover the festival’s $50 vendor fee, plus the cost of gas.

Over at the music stage a few booths down, Livermore Falls Elementary School music teacher Jan Gill and her students sang songs while some performed on musical instruments.

It attracted a large crowd, both seated under the canopy and standing outside.

Maine Dojo of Livermore Falls Sensei Jaaron Shaw and a handful of children gave martial arts demonstrations while Good Humor Ice Cream music played in the background from a truck.

Members of the First Baptist Church of Livermore Falls gave out free hot dogs, water and lemonade.

Behind them, near the second live-music stage, 20-month-old Mason Burke experienced his first Air Heads Popsicle. They youngster wasn’t quite sure whether he should lick it with his tongue or try to cram it into his mouth.

“He is experiencing a great day,” mom Angela Burke of Livermore said.

“We’ve come here in the past, but this is his first time, so it’s very adventurous for him,” she said. “There is lots to explore. He’s becoming familiar with apples and pumpkins this fall, so it’s nice to see them, and he’s enjoying the ice cream.”

Across the way, 8-year-old Casey Burhoe of Auburn and several children were mesmerized by about 3,000 honeybees from southern Russia that scrambled about in owner Leroy Cronkhite’s observation hive.

“They’re really interesting,” Burhoe said. “I always look forward to looking at them every year.”

“This is his favorite part every year,” step-mom Sarah Gile of Fayette said. “Once he’s around here long enough, he’ll be teaching all the other kids. Hopefully, he’ll be a future beekeeper.”

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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