Crowds, sun take a shine to Lebanon Festival

Evan Wilson, 6, of Lebanon is helped by Captain Natasha Kinney of Lebanon Fire and EMS as he "knocks down" a second-floor blaze before moving on to the first floor. (LebanonVoice/Harrison Thorp photos)

LEBANON -Lebanon Festival organizers added two large tents to this year's festival area and many thought they'd be needed due to a threat of rain, but Saturday's weather turned spectacular just like the festival itself.

Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson, the only member of the board seen on hand for the festivities, estimated some 700 may have attended throughout the day.

Festivalgoers were welcomed with a tidy array of eclectic vendors and brilliant sunshine to boot.

Rebekah Thompson was the chief organizer for the festival, which posted on its Facebook page late in the afternoon, "What an awesome day we had today. We are so thankful for each one of you who came out and supported us."

Another welcome addition to the event was several musical acts, including fiddler Milt Jackson & Friends, the Montsweagers Celtic Band and Brian Saulnier,

A big hit with the kids was a fire hose game put on by Lebanon Fire and EMS in which they shot a stream of water trying to knock a beanbag window out of a small wooden house stand. Lebanon Fire and EMS Captain Natasha Kinney helped the children don firefighter jackets and adjust the hose to let loose the mighty stream to "knock down" the flames.

Other popular events were Wildlife Encounters and a bike decorating contest.

But the biggest attraction had to have been the weather, which had earlier in the week been predicted as unstable with periods of rain throughout much of the weekend.