Fort Fairfield hires experienced events planner as Maine Potato Blossom Festival director

FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — For more than seven decades, the Maine Potato Blossom Festival has been one of the premier  summertime traditions in Aroostook County. This celebration of our agricultural roots has been hosted in Fort Fairfield, once the Potato Capital of the World, since 1947 and attracts thousands of visitors to the region. The nine-day long  Festival boasts dozens of family-friendly events and competitions, lots of live music and entertainment, and of course,  amazing food options.

“Growing up in Fort Fairfield in a house located right on the parade route is one of the most vivid memories of  my childhood,” said new festival director Jane Towle. “Our small town exploded into a small city overnight and the excitement and energy  the event injected into the community is something I’ll never forget. I want to help the Festival return to that level of  excitement and energy, while bringing more people to Fort Fairfield to experience what The County is all about. Our storied history is steeped in agriculture and the potato industry. The Festival celebrates this and we aim to pay homage to the hard working men and women who have established and maintained our proud heritage for generations.” 

Towle is no stranger to planning and hosting major events, she was the event director of the World Cup and Junior World Championship Biathlons that were hosted at the Nordic Heritage Center. While the public might have attended the biathlon competitions and events celebrating the World Cup athletes, there were many other logistical  components that took an army of 500 volunteers to plan and execute. 

“It would have been impossible to host such successful biathlons without the hundreds of volunteers who stepped up to help,” explained Towle. “We had to house, feed, and transport the athletes and support teams, prepare the site for the competitions, ensure the events could be broadcast live to millions of viewers across the globe, host thousands of guests, and so much more. I hope that my experience in planning these events will serve my hometown well, as we seek to enhance the Maine Potato Blossom Festival on several levels. I truly hope we can utilize the talents and energy of residents throughout the region to showcase our beautiful part of Maine.” 

“Having served as the festival director, I know how much time, effort and energy go into making a successful  event,” stated Fort Fairfield Town Manager Tim Goff. “With Jane’s skillset, connections in the community, and her passion to see the Maine Potato Blossom Festival expand into an even larger draw for folks near and far, I am beyond thrilled to see Jane step into this role and look forward to working with her and our team of volunteers to build upon the  foundations we have established and see the festival blossom!” 

Planning for the 78^th Maine Potato Blossom Festival, which will take place July 12 through the 20^th in 2025, has already begun, but there is much to do.

“Our number one focus starting today is to entice more people to get involved and help us grow this event even more,” said Towle. “We are open to new ideas and approaches, I want to empower a strong dynamic team and welcome team members from all across Aroostook County to step up and join in the fun that is The Festival.”  

There will be a kickoff meeting for the Maine Potato Blossom Festival Planning Committee on December 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Fairfield Town Office. All are encouraged to attend!