By DEAN REA/The Herald — The annual Pine Needlers quilt show was the first event endorsed Thursday night to help replace the annual Blackberry Jam Festival with a series of summer activities in Lowell.
A May Day floral event, movies in the park and a car cruise also were high on the list of suggestions offered to replace the popular two-day annual festival because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 1 was the tentative date set to begin events that would focus on entertaining local residents, but committee members cautioned that it may too chilly then to resume last summer’s popular movies in the park.
A car cruise suggested by Rustie Ackland of Oakridge found favor by the board that voted Feb. 17 to cancel the festival for the second year in a row.
“That is a great idea,” said George Wild, who volunteered to check dates of area car shows to lessen competition for a cruise.
Ackland, an area bank manager, also proposed that local residents be given ballots to vote for their favorite cars during the cruise through neighborhoods.
A May 1 event featuring flowers that she suggested also was favored by board members.
Tony Moreci said a car show was among suggestions that local residents listed in a box he set up at the Bridge Town Market. Other suggestions: arts in the park, a dog show, a parade and a family fun day.
A driveway arts and crafts show and a chalk drawing contest for children were suggested by committee member Monica Thompson.
The quilt show drew immediate applause from committee members, who agreed to seek an indoor venue for the July 24-25 show.
“Wind is our enemy,” said Lisa Wilson, a quilt. guild member. Committee members wondered if the school gymnasium may be available for the show, which serves as a fund-raiser for the club. The quilters have always given all the festival show’s proceeds away each year to the Lowell Fire Hall, Blackberry Jam Festival, schools, library, Food Bank, Clothes Closet and other organizations.
City Administrator Jeremy Caudle, who substituted for chairman Lon Dragt, reported the committee has $12,433 to work with and said the March 18 meeting may be held in the library to provide room for planning.
“Now we need to know who is going to put all of this together,” Wild had warned committee members during Thursday’s meeting.