(10/16) The weekend’s weather was
perfect for an outdoor festival and Thurmont’s
annual Colorfest benefited from it as more
than 100,000 people crowded the town’s
streets.
Though the festival inconveniences many
residents and drives others away for the
weekend, Colorfest is a fundraising
opportunity that few organizations get alone.
The Thurmont Ambulance Company sold 5,400
apple dumplings on Saturday alone, which is
about the number it used to sell during an
entire Colorfest weekend.
Schools, churches, Boy Scout organizations and
civic organizations had their own booths to
sell items and raise money.
Michael Hood and his family are from
Northern Virginia. The 2008 Colorfest was
their second festival for their new company
that makes Squid Lids, a fleece hat with longs
strips of fleece that hang down the back.
“Our kids swim and we used to do it as a
fund raiser,” Hood said.
He was pleased with the sales he was seeing
during Colorfest.
More than 1,000 vendors participated in
Colorfest selling food, crafts and other
items. Unique items included lamb burgers,
Ukrainian Easter eggs, robot sculpture and
more.
Susan Hilton lives in Emmitsburg, but she
grew up in Thurmont. She also returns each
year for Colorfest.
“I like to come and see the stuff and the
new crafts,” she said.
While she lived in Thurmont, she said the
traffic was a hassle during Colorfest, but it
was worth the inconvenience.
“Thurmont wouldn’t be same without it.
People look forward to it,” Hilton said.
The event, sponsored by Catoctin Colorfest,
Inc., donates all proceeds to different
organizations and events throughout Thurmont.
This year Colorfest sponsored two Thurmont
Movie Nights, donated 45 cases of food to the
Thurmont Food Bank and will present 22
scholarships to graduating seniors at Catoctin
High School, bringing their total scholarship
donations to over $120,000.
Before Colorfest opened on Saturday
morning, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s press
secretary Christine Hansen presented the
Thurmont Town Commissioners and Colorfest Vice
President Carol Robertson with a proclamation
recognizing the festival’s 45th anniversary.