Spring is in the Air! Spring Basket Feztival is a Celebration of the Season

A Celebration of Spring

The Spring Basket Feztival at the Aroostook Shrine Club continues this weekend, April 8, 9 & 10. Shawn Lahey is the director of the event. He said it's similar to the Festival of Trees. “It’s the same concept. Folks come in and buy as many tickets as they want to purchase, and bid on the donated baskets.”

Local Donations

Local businesses have donated baskets filled with all kinds of things. “This year there are 41 local baskets and a couple from Bangor,” said Lahey. “The baskets have anything from candy to toys to chainsaws and camp chairs. We’ve got jewelry in some baskets. It’s whatever the businesses are able to donate.”

Celebrating Spring

The Spring Basket Feztival started last weekend and continues this weekend at the Anah Shrine Club on Houlton Road. The schedule for the next couple of days is April 8 from 5pm – 8pm, April 9 from 10am – 8pm and April 10 from 10am – 2pm.

Family and Friends Event

Lahey said it’s a fun event for people to get out and do something with family and friends. “That’s the thing we’re trying to really push for this event and the area. It’s the celebration of Spring. It’s right around Easter time for that purpose.”

Shawn Lahey made a video of the baskets. This shows it all:

Easter Bunny and Clowns

In addition to the baskets, there are other entertaining things to do. “We have the Easter Bunny, and we have  clowns making balloon animals. It’s a fun atmosphere to get out of the house after winter. People get the opportunity to win something.”

Live Drawing

The winners will be announced live on Facebook Sunday evening. Lahey said people really like that. “We do a live drawing on our Facebook page. Everybody loves the excitement of the drawing and didn’t even have to be there for it. We call the winners up at the end. Usually by Monday morning, all 41 baskets are in someone else’s house.”

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It's All About the Community

Lahey said the Shriners do these activities because they want to give back to their communities. “We're just people in the community. We’re in it to make people happy and make lives better.”