Chamber letter

To the Editor:

The Bethel Area Chamber is pleased to announce that Frito Lay is our new Presenting Sponsor of the 13th  Annual Bethel Harvestfest, scheduled for Saturday, Sept 18, 2010.

A complete schedule of events can be found on our new website www.bethelharvestfest.com.

As is our custom, we encourage everyone throughout the area to join in the fun and create a scarecrow to adorn your front yard or porch. The theme this year is “Four Seasons of Fun!” The chamber would like to invite anyone who might be interested to help us decorate the gateway Welcome to Bethel signposts. Please give us a call if you are willing to do this – and we will make certain to acknowledge your efforts.

There are a few more vendor spaces left in the Arts and Crafts festival. We expect to sell out, so contact the chamber office soon for an application.

Calling all Chowdah Chefs – both professional and amateur. This year, we are adding a category for home chefs – call our offices for details. This event is co-sponsored by Sysco Foodservice of Northern New England and Kraft Foods. Free horse-drawn wagon rides are provided by Deepwood Farms and sponsored by Oxford Networks. Entertainment on our gazebo will be provided by a group of local musicians and sponsored by Allen’s Coffee Brandy and Stephens Memorial Hospital/Maine Health. A wood carving exhibition by Stone’s Wood Creations is sponsored by Maine Street Realty & Rentals.

The apple pie contest is something everyone looks forward to. If you love to bake, whether you are an at-home baker, or a professional, we invite you to contact the chamber to let us know of your intention to bring one or more pies to be judged and to have everyone taste and enjoy. Good Food Store will be supplying gift certificates as prizes in three categories – professional, amateur traditional pie and amateur non-traditional pie.

The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance invite all interested anglers – teams of three --  to join in the annual Two Fly Contest, starting at the “crack of dawn,” 6 a.m. Registration information and rules are posted on their website, www.upperandro.com. Their annual Driftboat Competition is on Friday this year. Sept. 18 will also bring the Bethel Historical Society’s self-guided barn tours as well as all their wonderful exhibits.

Chondola rides at Sunday River Resort, hiking, apple picking, alpaca farm visits, rock sluicing and more make for a complete weekend of fun at the 13th  annual Bethel Harvestfest & Chowdah Cookoff.

Robin Zinchuk

Executive Director, Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce

Robin Zinchuk, Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce