Festival organizers still seek sponsors

Published: Saturday, June 6, 2009
By Rachael Scarborough King, Register Staff

NORTH BRANFORD — Organizers of the annual Potato and Corn Festival are still looking for sponsors and other donations as they gear up for the event, set for Aug. 7 to 9.

Recreation Director Pamela Gery told the Town Council Tuesday that she has already raised about $12,500 in sponsorships toward the estimated $50,000 to $60,000 cost of the event. She hopes to cover the rest of the expenses with more sponsors, water sales inside the festival and a raffle.

Last year was the first the festival expanded to cover three days, and about 13,000 people visited the fairgrounds at the Augur Farm property, according to the Parks and Recreation Department.

Gery said the department has been planning the festival for about nine months, and already has 17 food and 20 craft vendors lined up.

New events this year are set to include a tractor pull put on by the Agricultural Commission, a cross-country road race and a business exposition.

The town also plans to expand the free shuttle service it offered last year, so people will not have to wait in long traffic lines to access the festival.

“We struggled with (parking) last year, although it seemed to work,” Gery said.

The North Branford Touchdown Club is sponsoring a raffle to raise money for the festival. The $20 tickets, which are on sale at the Parks and Recreation Department at 1599 Foxon Road, enter participants in a raffle with a top prize of $5,000. Gery said she hopes to sell 3,000 tickets through the raffle.

She added that the fireworks display is again scheduled for Saturday night.

Admission to the festival is free.

It is scheduled to run from 4 to 11 p.m. Aug. 7; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 8; and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 9. For more information, visit www.nbpotatofest.org or nbparkrec.com.