This year’s Octoberfest, the culmination of an annual fundraiser for Lakes Region food pantries, will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, and feature a pumpkin-carving contest, helicopter rides, and free food.
The festival marks the final day of the annual Community Coin Challenge, which raises money for 13 food pantries across the region. Through the challenge, more than 200 mason jars have been distributed in the 10 towns across the region represented by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, which is hosting Octoberfest.
With a stated goal of raising $25,000, the coin challenge has raised more than $10,000 so far with the final counting taking place Saturday. The challenge raised about $38,000 in the past two years. According to event organizer Sheri Huff, the money raised will go toward the purchase of paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner and diapers for the pantries.
Octoberfest will take place from 1-4 p.m. at the Buck’s Naked BBQ parking lot on Route 302 and River Road. According to Huff, about 3,500 people attended last year’s event.
The event will feature a variety of free food, including subs, lollipops, sausage sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, donut holes, snow cones, candied apples and whoopie pies. Free events include face painting, a cupcake eating contest, horse drawn rides, a photo booth, and bouncy houses. Helicopter rides cost $35.
According to Huff, this year’s event includes 15 new activities, including trick-or-treating at the dozens of event booths and a costume parade.
Huff said she expects an even bigger turnout this year.
“Every year the festival seems to grow,” Huff said. “More businesses want to participate.”Huff said that mason jars have been placed in businesses and residences across the Lakes Region.
“Jars were placed in variety stores and bakeries and pizza stores, just all over the communities,” she said. “A lot of individuals take them and collect challenge coins at home, just every night they put their change in it. One dollar will feed a family of four for one day.”
“It’s our way of giving back,” she said.
Senatore said she expects the funds raised to increase substantially before the effort concludes.
Huff, who founded the Community Coin Challenge, said the drive is supposed to benefit the entire region.
“I wanted to do something that would be an advantage for all 10 towns,” Huff said. “The chamber is 10 towns, and I wanted to bring the 10 towns together. Each town has a food pantry, and that’s how we did it.”