Grant will support balloon festival

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The town of Dover-Foxcroft has received a $3,000 grant to support the Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival from the Piscataquis County fund of the Maine Community Foundation.

    The Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival just successfully concluded its Memorial Weekend celebration. This grant from the Maine Community Foundation will allow the festival to move its venue from the Charles Chase Municipal Airport to the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds in 2014.
    The festival was founded by the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft and the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce. Besides the colorful hot air balloons, the festival celebrates the heritage of local Maine artisans, agriculture and tradesmen while also affording an opportunity for non-profit organizations to sell food to the fairgoers.
    The annual three-day festival is scheduled next for May 30-31 and June 1, to be held at the fairgrounds.  The Maine Community Foundation grant will permit the festival to have greatly expanded food vending space as well as an enlarged area for exhibits and educational activities. The fairgrounds also will offer increased parking for attendees and the number of hot air balloons can be doubled.
    The grant application to the Maine Community Foundation was written and submitted by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council. The town of Dover-Foxcroft is participating as the fiscal agent for the festival.
    The festival is under the guidance of a community steering committee co-chaired by Jody Arno, owner of Raven Ridge Camp Care, and Jack Clukey, town manager of Dover-Foxcroft.
    Clukey commented that “everyone is excited about the opportunity to continue the festival on an annual basis and with the support of the Maine Community Foundation to be able to greatly expand the number of balloonists with a larger area for craft, farm and trade exhibits as well as additional space for the non-profit community to sell food.”
    With offices in Ellsworth and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people.
    For additional information on the PCEDC, visit them on Facebook or at www.pcedc.org. For more information on the Maine Community Foundation see their website at www.mainecf.org.