W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 A U G U S T 1 9 , 2 0 2 4
F O C U S G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E
THE COUNTY'S
CLAIM TO FAME
Aroostook is known for its
potatoes and its Potato
Blossom Festival
W o r d s a n d p h o t o s b y F r e d J . F i e l d
C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E
ยป
"T
he County" is a moniker often used when speak-
ing of Maine's Aroostook County. e bold
claim may be justified by the fact that Aroostook
is the largest county east of the Mississippi River.
e signature summer celebration in the County
is the nine-day Maine Potato Blossom Festival. e
potato is king here and the festival's signature event is
the parade through downtown Fort Fairfield. e parade
has an agrarian feel befitting this agricultural county.
Maine's potato industry had an estimated $1.3
billion in output in 2022, according to a March 2024
technical report by University of Maine professor
Todd Gabe. Of the Maine land devoted to the grow-
ing of potatoes, 91% is in the County.
The parade moves through
the heart of Fort Fairfield
where Town Manager Tim
Goff estimated the crowd
at 5,000 to 7,000 people.
Two Supermen from the Bangor-based Anah
Temple Shrine greeted the Fort Fairfield crowd.
Alliterative banners
adorn light poles in
Fort Fairfield.
