Dear Reader,
I date my life around the events that Mid-Maine Chamber hosts, and the grandest of those is the Taste of Waterville, now in its 26th year. And what a difference a year makes. CGI and some Colby College offices are in 173 Main St. The Bill & Joan Alfond Downtown Commons is nearly complete. Waterville has seen the sprucing up of storefronts like REM, Waterville House of Pizza, The Last Unicorn and the introduction of new ones like Portland Pie Company. Plus, new outdoor dining at Itali-ah and You Know Who’s Pub just began. Waterville is on the move, and so the Taste will happily move with it.
This year, the Beer Garden (thank you, Valley Beverage) will be in the corner of the Concourse’s Spring Street entrance on the restaurant side. Adjacent to it will be the vendor booths. And then on the inside, towards Haines Park (behind Day’s Jewelers) will be the Bite Booths in the same spot as last year. Children’s Events sponsored by Skowhegan Savings Bank will remain in the same place in The Concourse behind Jewel of India and Key Bank. Beer Garden entertainment as well as performances throughout the day and evening are brought to you by Kennebec Savings Bank.
Downtown parking will require a bit of creativity this year, but where there’s a will, there’s a way! Waterville Parks & Recreation have done a great job clearing as much as they can at Head of Falls, and thanks to our golf cart sponsors — Key Bank, T-Mobile and Winslow Community Federal Credit Union — parking will be available at the north end and golf carts will shuttle you to the event. How cool is that?! We also recommend parking across the Two Cent Bridge in Winslow at its town offices after 5 p.m. We’ll shuttle you from Head of Falls, too.
Sustain Mid-Maine will continue to accomplish its major recycling efforts. It is working this event as a fund-raiser so tip them accordingly, please. They’re making our region cleaner and safer for all. Recycling is sponsored by Inland Hospital and Eye Care of Maine. And Huhtamaki is once again donating dozens of cases of Chinet paper plates to make our recycling efforts easier. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our friends at Central Maine Disposal as well — your efforts compliment the hard work of the City of Waterville’s Parks & Recreation and Public Works departments! It takes a team….
None of this would be possible without our major sponsors. If you see them around or do business with them, please thank them for their support: Consolidated Communications, CGI, MaineGeneral Health, New Dimensions, Central Maine Motors, KVTC, Colby College and Valley Beverage. Better yet, support their business! For a complete list of Restaurant and Bite offerings go to www.TasteofWaterville.com.
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