A brush with Hurricane Earl did not put a damper on the 24th annual Eastport Salmon Festival held on Labor Day weekend, September 3, 4 and 5.
     "We had a steady stream of diners during Sunday's dinner. There was between 325 and 350 who bought tickets," reports Jett Peterson of the Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce's Salmon Festival Committee. "We had a really outstanding menu and got so many compliments. I heard people praise the meal, saying it was the best salmon they've ever eaten."
     "It was a beautiful plate," she adds. "We had a big array of vegetables. The IGA is very supportive of our needs. Meg McGarvey made yummy rolls. Bob Del Papa supplied the cole slaw, and we had Raye's Mustard sauce for the salmon. This year we had people come back for the frozen blueberry dessert, so it was still in its frozen state and not melted."
     Among the servers this year were State Senator Kevin Raye, Gail Kelly of U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe's office, Nell Halse and David Morang of Cooke Aquaculture, and Sebastian Belle of the Maine Aquaculture Association.
     While the diners enjoyed their meal, music was provided by young fiddlers Jordan Baskerville and Rosa Bragdon, Steve Erwin, Fiddle Chick and the Water Street Pickers, Duane Ingalls and the University of Maine at Machias Ukulele Band.
     "John Constant sold his smoked salmon in the proximity of the food tents this year, and I think that benefits everybody," notes Peterson. "We have so many people who work hard on the water, and that adds to why this is so special."
     Ann Cornelison of the Salmon Festival Committee reports that the Friday evening community potluck pie supper at the Unitarian Meetinghouse attracted 50 people who brought in 40 pies. "It was great. Lee Suta and Millie Mulno provided the music. What a treat. They were perfect for the meetinghouse."
     There were 25 participants in the free three-day yard sale sponsored by the Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce, and organizer Meg Keay deemed it a success. "It drew a lot of people to the area. They had fun going around more than one time. Sellers kept putting new things out."
     The winds from Earl on Saturday morning led to the cancellation of the fishing derby and architecture tour, but the chowder and chili lunch was moved inside the Eastport Arts Center. Providing music were Stephen Sanfilippo, the Pink Capos, Jenny Penny, the Balkanistas, O'McCrelli, Keltic Schmeltic and a quartet made up of Heron Weston, Rafi Hopkins, Robert Sanchez and Luke.
     "It was just wonderful that these brave souls came on a day when the weather wasn't very good," points out Cornelison. "But they had a good time, there was great music, and we had to kick people out because the space was needed for the Eastport Gallery auction."
     June Hallowell of the Eastport Gallery reports the group earned $2,516.50 from the 38 pieces of artwork auctioned during the 14th annual Paint Eastport Day on Saturday. "Considering the weather that morning, I think we were lucky to do as well as we did."
     "Between 30 and 40 people registered, but only 25 actually brought in pieces," she reports. "We had some new ones and we had some regulars. The artists came from all over C North Carolina, Harrington, Baileyville, Princeton, our own gallery members."
     "We had a lot of bidders," she adds. "One man, his brother and the wife of one of them bought almost $800 worth of paintings."
     The raffle winner of the 17" wooden salmon sculpture carved by Ray Freden of Pembroke was Hugh Stubbins of Pembroke. Money earned from the raffle funds a scholarship at Shead High School.
     Peterson stresses that the decision to move the Eastport Salmon Festival up a week to separate it from the Eastport Pirate Festival is good business sense. "It's a better economic opportunity for us all. The members of the Salmon Festival Committee work hard to make sure we give part of our profits to help fund the chamber of commerce. We were a major sponsor of the double-page spread about Eastport festivals that ran in Bangor Metro."