| The Times Record Article II |
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Moxie Festival begins Friday by Debra Hatch -- The Times Record Lisbon Falls -- The town's bicentennial celebration wouldn't be complete without the 16th annual Moxie Festival, and this weekend's festival is slated to be one of the largest and busiest yet. The festivities are expected to bring tens of thousands of people here to celebrate the bitter tasting liquid first developed in Union in 1876 and carbonated in 1884 by Dr. Augustine Thompson. Moxie has had a long history spanning more than a century. Frank Ancietti has continued to promote the drink, especially in Maine. An Atlanta, GA distributor and brewer holds the secret recipe, but the drink and all that comes with it is more accepted in the Northeast. Anicetti's store, Kennebec Fruit Co., at Route 126 and Main Street, remains a Moxie shrine with orange-colored decor. He sells the beverage and Moxie ice cream, as well as Moxie memorabilia. But no one has to enjoy the drink to attend the festival. The festival will kick off Friday with a fireworks display at Capital Circle in Lisbon Falls at 9:30 p.m. Rain date is Saturday. Saturday's activities include a 5-kilometer road race at 7:30 a.m. and a Brunswick Naval Air Station flyover at 9:00 a.m. when the parade begins. The parade is expected to span two to three hours. Activities throughout the day include Moxie recipe contest judging, a lunchtime chicken barbecue, a clown, children's games and the fire department's annual auction. Items for bid include a basket of candles from Village Candle; autographed photos from Leonardo DiCaprio, Cindy Crawford, Bob Doyle and Jim Carrey; autographed books from Bill Cosby and Stephen King; and gift certificates from area businesses. Proceeds from the auction and other raffles will go toward the cost of a thermal imaging camera for the fire department. The camera could cost $5,000 to $25,000. A Beanie Baby raffle will be held at the same time as the auction. Music and dancing also are part of the festival with performances by Anderson Gram, Down Home Blue Grass, Bobby Gates & the Dixielanders, the Countryside dancers, Coastal Cloggers, Mr. Marks Music Machine and the Manchester Brass Quintet. And Sunday, ducks and canoes will take to the water to help wrap up the festival's events. For a full list of events in the Moxie Day's festival visit (http://www.lisbonme.org) on the Web or drop by the town office to pick up a schedule. Reprint from: The Times Record - Thursday, July 8, 1999 |