LEWISTON — Weather forecasts appear favorable for the Liberty Festival, with fireworks scheduled for Saturday, July 4.
Decent conditions haven’t always been the case.
Rain and wind have forced the festival to postpone the fireworks celebration in two of the past three years. In 2014, the delay was two days.
Early indications, according to festival President Cathy McDonald, are that there is a 15 percent chance of rain Saturday, and even that forecast appears to be improving.
“If it stays at 15 percent, I hope the 15 percent is in the morning,” McDonald said.
All systems are go for the 19th annual Liberty Festival in downtown Lewiston and Auburn near the Longley Bridge. The Independence Day celebration includes live music on two stages, food vendors, dancers, fire tossing and a laser show leading up to a $20,000 fireworks display over the falls, which is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m.
The festival has added a Friday night of music and dancing — called The Fuse — at Veterans Memorial Park starting at 7:30 p.m.
The festival, run by a small group of volunteers, is only partially funded by the Twin Cities.
In past years, the crowd size had been estimated at 15,000, but even that may be low.
“It’s so hard to judge the size of the crowd because it extends in such a large area,” McDonald said.
Besides the downtown area, prime viewing areas include the top of Goff Hill and in Garcelon Park and softball fields in Auburn and along the river on Avon Street in Lewiston, McDonald said.
Boaters also gather above the falls on the Androscoggin River to watch the fireworks.
Like last year, the festival is holding a Light the Works contest, where one person gets in a scissor lift above the crowd and fires the flare gun that kicks off the fireworks show.
People can still sign up for the honor on the festival’s Web page — www.libertyfestival.org — or on the group’s Facebook page.
The entertainment schedule features the Lewiston Festival Stage in Veterans Memorial Park with comedian Mark Turcotte serving as master of ceremonies. Musical performers include Denny Breau, 4Play and The Skidmarks, a foursome of 11- and 12-year olds from Auburn.
The Androscoggin Bank Colisee Stage in Auburn features Blue Steel Express and guests from the Maine Blues Festival.
Girl Power Fitness will give Zumba demonstrations, while Pelletier Karate will also perform.
Flow on Fire will give a fire spinning demonstration between 7 and 9 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park.
Festival organizers have added a laser show that will immediately precede the fireworks. The light show will be shown on an old mill building along the river on Mill Street in Lewiston that will be visible from the bridge and Auburn side of the river.
Volunteers will collect $5 donations for parking in Lewiston’s downtown lots and garages and in Auburn at Platz Associates lot. The money will help fund next year’s festival.
ssherlock@sunjournal.com
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