Preparations for Windham Summerfest ramping up

By Masha Yurkevich

The beginning of June means that Windham Summerfest is coming up soon, and once again this year it promises to be a daylong event filled with fun activities and getting to know your community better.

Windham Summerfest is welcoming back the popular band 
Motor Booty Affair for a performance at this year's festivities
on Saturday, June 21. COURTESY PHOTO 

The event is being held on Saturday, June 21 at Windham High School. The Summerfest parade line-up starts at 11 a.m. and the parade kicking off at noon. All other activities following the event will start at 1 p.m. at WHS.

The Grand Marshal for the Windham Summerfest Parade will be Charlie Hammond, former Windham Fire Chief. The Modern Woodmen of American Hometown Hero for this year will be the “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” Foundation created by Bill Diamond of Windham.

“The mission statement we use is ‘Bringing Unity to the Community,’” says Deb Matthews, Chair of the Windham Summerfest. “We all feel that sharing this day with our families, neighbors and fellow community members shows us what an amazing town that Windham is. We want everyone to join us for a free fun filled day and make the best of it.”

She suggests visiting and bringing a picnic lunch, some folding chairs and spending the day with the community.

Not only is the Windham Summerfest a fun way to spend the day, but it is also a wonderful way to get some advance Christmas shopping done while supporting your local community vendors.

As participants, many often do not see everything that goes into preparation for the Summerfest and all the challenges that come with it.

“A big challenge and difference that we are faced with is trying to keep it fresh and new,” says Matthews. “We want to engage all ages with the offerings, with the music and the activities. We are always on the lookout for a new way to entertain the community members whether it is a new musician or a different activity. We always welcome new committee members with a different perspective. Each year presents us with new challenges, and we face them head on. I think the biggest challenge this year was the rising cost of so many of our offerings. We have so many generous business sponsors and many had to cut back. We appreciate every single one of our sponsors and their continued support. We also have to thank the Town of Windham and Windham Parks and Recreation; without their financial support and day to day help, we would not be able to do this.”

For Matthews, one of her favorite parts about the Summerfest is the music.

“As always, I am excited about the music. The bands this year truly offer a variety of sounds for many generations. Motor Booty Affair always has us on our feet, dancing the night away and waiting for the fireworks. Them Talking Monkeys start the day at 1 p.m. with a mix of 70s and 80s rock that will have you jumping out of your seat. The Vista Cruisers will make the 3 p.m. start time fun for the ‘oldies’ lovers in the crowd,” says Matthews. “We will have a ‘block’ party before the parade at the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 with Tyler Dhone performing from 10:30 a.m. until the parade kicks off at noon. This is our latest change to try to bring people out and enjoy this special day.”

While the event will go on rain or shine, Matthews and everybody involved in the event are hoping for sunny skies.

“We have had many years of Summerfest being cold or rainy, this year we are all praying for sunshine,” says Matthews.

Michael O’Neal with Keeping Kids Safe will also be present at Summerfest. O’Neal is a former part time Deputy Sheriff for Cumberland County for over 17 years and is the founder of Keeping Kids Safe (KKS), a non-profit which started in 2008. Keeping Kids Safe offers personal safety training and teaches the Grip, Dip, and Spin technique that could help save children from predators. He also teaches various other child-friendly programs and educational programs like anti-bullying, internet safety, and date escape.

Apart from selling hamburgers at Summerfest, O’Neal spreads awareness about internet safety and about what Keeping Kids Safe does.

“We teach our kids the Stop, Drop, and Roll method in fire but we never taught our kids what to do if a stranger grabs them,” says O’Neal. “Social media is a great tool, but also a very dangerous one.”

2025 Summerfest promises to be a day full of fun and the community is strongly encouraged to attend the event and enjoy live music, local food, and end the day with fireworks.

“We want the community to know that the event is free to all,” says Matthews. “If you choose to purchase food from the nonprofit food vendors or from one of our many talented crafter/vendors, that would be amazing but not required. We just want everyone to know we do it for the whole community and hope that they have one of the best days.” <

Windham Summerfest returns June 22 for 34th year

By Kaysa Jalbert

Summerfest makes its way back to Windham on Saturday, June 22 taking on the theme “Summerfest Turns Back Time.” New to this year’s Summerfest is an updated parade route designed to give participants the best views and the best parade experience from start to finish.

The parade route for this year's Summerfest is different and
starts at noon June 22 from Stadium Drive at Windham Center
Road, proceeds up School Road, turns right onto Route 202
and finishes on the Windham High School grounds.
FILE PHOTO

This year’s Summerfest is a free event for everyone to enjoy live music and activities, to support local vendors and non-profit food booths, and is packed with many more features to bring the community together.

Parade floats will be based on this year’s theme. Float-makers can be as creative as they choose, but will be judged on specific criteria such as, best depiction of the 2024 theme, best depiction of Summerfest principle of “Bringing Unity to The Community,” most creative, most entertaining, and the judges’ choice.

The parade kicks off at noon on June 22 from Stadium Drive at Windham Center Road and will proceed up School Road to take a right onto Route 202. Staging areas will be at Public Works and Stadium Drive Parking lot. The parade finishes at 1 p.m. on the Windham High School grounds.

“We are excited about this new route and feel it will make it easier for our guests to enjoy every aspect of this exciting parade,” says Windham Summerfest committee co-chair Deb Matthews.

In addition to announcing the new parade route, Matthews said that this year’s Summerfest Grand Marshal will be Rich Drummond, the athletic director for RSU 14.

All the Summerfest booths will be open for the parade and continue into the evening. There will be community booths for local non-profits to share their good works, and the food booths operated by non-profits as a means of fundraising.

The Summerfest business expo is mostly local, and they provide fun activities for attendees while the crafter vendor area provides a wide variety of items for purchase.

“We have so many amazing sponsors that have provided us the ability to offer this event to our community for free,” said Matthews.

More fun and active features included will be a rock wall, two escape rooms, and an inflatable village.

For special guest entertainment, juggler Jason Tardy will perform and address topics such as what is bullying, the roles bystanders play in bullying, how to become an upstander and help fellow students, and what to do if you are bullied. He will also describe his own personal struggle with bullying and how he overcame it.

Other Summerfest performers will include a magician, balloon twisting, Mad Science, and tons of music. Musical performances include Jimmy Macisso playing on the Main Stage at 1 p.m., the Get on Up Band on the Main Stage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Dave Debree performing on the George Hall Memorial Stage from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

An Amateur Radio Relay League will be appearing at this year’s Summerfest in which members from the Wireless Society of Southern Maine, WSSM, will be setting-up field day operations in the ballfields directly behind the main Summerfest event venue. Throughout the day and evening, anyone, young or old, is welcome to join the team of ham operators to learn more about Amateur Radio and participate in making radio contact with operators in other distant locations.

Summerfest 2024 will also host a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament that starts at 2 p.m. and is open to anyone between the ages of 5 and 18. In addition, the Golf Ball drop sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce will start at 5 p.m. To end the evening, fireworks will be launched at 9:30 p.m. from the Main Stage.

“I feel all our events connect with our attendees. It is so important to the Summerfest Committee and me that we offer this to our community as a free family friendly event,” says Matthews. “I want your whole family to attend with you. I want you to spend the day, and if you cannot afford to spend any money pack a picnic lunch and relax. Watching the kids’ faces, seeing how happy the grandparents are to wave to grandchildren while they run and play, seeing Mom and Dad and the joy they get from these sweet moments.”

Every year presents a new challenge to the Summerfest Committee whether in booking all the acts or coordinating with the town, police, fire department and schools, or just hoping for good weather. According to Matthews, however, the biggest challenge remains in fundraising.

“We changed our sponsorship model last year and had great success,” she said. “We also keep an eye on the sky, fingers crossed and pray for sunshine.”

Matthews says the event will be full of vendors and booths and that annual public attendance for Summerfest runs between 2,500 to 4,000 people.

The Windham Summerfest Committee has been working on this year’s celebration since last June and its members include Deb Matthews, Tommy Matthews, Barb Maurais, Jacob Chouinard, Karen Rumo, and Camille Swander. <

Windham Summerfest promises to be a day loaded with fun

By Masha Yurkevich

Starting with the opening parade at noon Saturday, June 24, Windham Summerfest will continue to be a day filled with fun activities, music, and food capped off by a spectacular fireworks show after dark.

Windham's popular Summerfest celebration returns Saturday,
June 24 with a full slate of free activities intended to bring
unity to the community at Windham High School. Events
include a parade starting at 10 a.m. and fireworks after dark.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Deb Matthews has served as the chair of the Windham Summerfest Committee for the last four years and has been with Summerfest off and on since about 2007.

“Summerfest has always been a family-oriented event,” says Matthews. “Our goal is to bring multiple generations of families together to spend the day enjoying each other and our many activities.”

It has been a challenge to keep Summerfest running smoothly.

“I was involved in the beginning when the committee asked me to coordinate a craft fair for them. I was in charge of the Windham Athletic Boosters Craft Fair at that time, Matthews said. “My husband and I were involved for a few years. About 2013 it was running out of steam, volunteers were exhausted and they struggled to find committee members. They discussed cancelling Summerfest. The Windham Parks and Recreation Department and many others tried to revitalize Summerfest. They started us on the path we are on today.”

The general idea and motto of this year’s Summerfest is "Bringing Unity to the Community.”

According to Matthews, Windham Summerfest is a family friendly event, and all ages are encouraged to attend and enjoy a fun-filled day.

“Each year we try to bring in new activities, demonstrations, music and fun. I want to see our neighbors interacting with all our vendors,” she said. “We encourage each vendor to make their booth fun, attractive and enticing to draw people in.”

This year the crafter and vendor village is full of beautiful items to purchase, and it could be a perfect time to get some early Christmas shopping done.

“The best thing for me personally is that the entire event is free,” Matthews said. “Non–profits sell food to raise money for their individual organizations. I want you to come and spend the day. If you cannot afford to spend money at this time, that is okay, pack a lunch and come play.”

This year, Mrs. Maine will also be part of the Summerfest activities. Amanda Shute, Mrs. Maine America 2023, is an Auburn resident and says she’s excited to proudly pay homage to her husband's hometown of Windham at Summerfest. Shute was selected as the local title holder of Mrs. Auburn in May 2022 and was awarded the state title on April 3 during the annual Mrs. Maine America Pageant this year. She will compete at Nationals at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas in August.

“My year consisted of making community appearances to advocate and fundraise for several charities,” says Shute. “In June of 2022, I launched a non-profit called, ‘Get Cyber Fit,’ which is aimed to educate families on creating healthier online habits. I have proudly invested over $60,000 in services to the community within the past year, working with Educate Maine's Tech Night, ran several tables at Family Events, and built a social media page focused on online safety education.

Shute said that as Mrs. Maine, she has a wider reach to equip families with the knowledge to have safer online experiences.

Holding the title of Mrs. Maine America awards her the opportunity to carry out her dreams by paying her success forward and amplifying her community work, along with elevating the voice of other women and the causes they are passionate about in the Mrs. America Program.

Shute’s mission statement is "Pay your Success Forward" and she’s ready to participate in Windham Summerfest.

“I have used over a decade of experience to identify a need and use my knowledge to help drive change for such a critical and growing need,” she says. The Windham Summerfest Parade will help to celebrate Shute's community impact. “

You can follow Shute’s journey and show support on social media by finding her on Instagram @mrsmaineamerica2023. She is still working toward her fundraising goals and can be supported through Venmo @Amanda_Shute.

Keeping Kids Safe will also be a part of this year’s Windham Summerfest. Its founder, Michael O’Neal, served as a part-time Deputy Sheriff for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department for more than 17 years, and founded Keeping Kids Safe in 2008. The organization offers personal safety training and teaches the Grip, Dip, and Spin technique that could help save the lives of children from predators.

O’Neal also teaches various other child-friendly and educational programs like Anti-Bullying and Internet Safety Date escape.

“We teach our kids the Stop, Drop, and Roll method for fire safety, but we never teach our kids what to do if a stranger might grab them,” said O’Neal.

Keeping Kids Safe became part of the annual Summerfest activities in 2015 and has been helping to educate the community about simple methods to keeping themselves and their children safe.

Summerfest is entirely free to attend and kicks off with the opening parade down Route 202 to Windham High School and will be followed by many fun activities, bands, food, games and vendors behind the high school. <

Summerfest returns to Windham in a big way Saturday

Windham Summerfest launches with a
parade starting at noon Saturday, June
18 running from Lotts Drive to
Windham High School and the festivities 
end with fireworks about 9:35 p.m. 
Saturday evening. FILE PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

Summerfest is back and as Windham emerges from two years of scaled-back versions of the popular community event, this year’s festivities and activities promise to return some normalcy to the town following the pandemic.  

The daylong event at Windham High School kicks off with the annual Summerfest Parade starting at noon Saturday, June 18. The parade line-up begins at 11 a.m. with the route starting at Lotts Drive then running up Route 202 and ending in the WHS parking lot. Awards will be given for Best Depiction of the 2022 Theme: “Windham – Welcome Back,” the Best Depiction of Summerfest Theme: “Bringing Unity to the Community,” Most Creative, Most Entertaining and the Judge’s Choice. Award category winners will receive a $200 Visa gift card.

As Summerfest participants arrive at the high school grounds starting at noon, they’ll find a Car Show hosted by Yankee Cruisers AYAH. The car display runs through 5 p.m. and is open to everyone. There is no registration fee to display a car, but donations will be accepted with proceeds benefiting Riding to the Top of Windham. Car show awards will be presented at 5 p.m.

The annual 5K and 1-Mile Memorial Races will start at 7:45 a.m. Saturday at WHS in conjunction with Summerfest. Race, run, walk, or wheel in honor of veterans and in remembrance of Toby Pennels of Windham. For more information or to register to participate in the races visit runinarace.com/Tobysdream

There will be plenty of free entertainment, food, craft, and community booths open to the public through the day into the evening. Magician Phil Smith will be on hand throughout the festivities and there will be a community cornhole tournament, a photo booth and a free bounce house for children sponsored by The Refuge Church.

The TRAWL Band will perform on stage from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by the presentation of the Modern Woodmen Hometown Hero Award at 2 p.m. by Hannah McFarland and Matthew Neadeau.

There will be a K-9 demonstration by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department at 2:15 p.m. The Cryin’ Out Loud band takes the Summerfest stage from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a demonstration by dancers from the Maine Dance Center at 4:30 p.m.

Cousin ITT sponsored by the Windham Legislative Delegation runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Winners for the Summerfest Scavenger Hunt and the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Golf Ball Drop will be announced at 7 p.m.

Golf balls are being sold by the Sebago Lake Chamber of Commerce for $10 each, with a total of 1,000 golf balls available. The golf balls will be dropped during Summerfest at 3 p.m. with the winner receiving 20 percent of the amount collected. If all golf balls are sold the winner would receive $2,000 cash. Additional prizes will also be awarded. Proceeds from the golf ball drop will benefit the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, its events and annual programs.

The Motor Booty Affair band takes the stage to perform from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and this year’s Summerfest will draw to a spectacular close with fireworks not to be missed at 9:30 p.m.

The Windham Summerfest Committee has been working on the event since last June and includes Ed Ohmott; Aaron Pieper; Barb Maurais; Tommy Matthews; and Committee Chair Deb Matthews. <