The first major event of Windham’s annual Summerfest, held June 21 at Windham High School, was the parade. The town’s Police Department opened the parade as the honor guard. The grand marshal of the parade was former Fire Chief Charlie Hammond, who rode alongside former state Sen. Gary Plummer.

The Modern Woodman Hometown Hero Award went to Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, an organization dedicated to speaking up for abused children. Other noteworthy parade moments included Northern Light Mercy’s float honoring cancer survivors, as well as Shriners, among other groups, driving around in small cars.

One of the more notable all-day events was the Children’s Entrepreneur Market, in which over a dozen young entrepreneurs sold their wares to attendees at the entrance of the high school. Organizer Rachael Giallongo told Lakes Region Now that the program, which originated in Utah, recently expanded to Maine, and will hold 13 total markets in Maine this year, including at Sebago Days next month. Giallongo said that the purpose of the program is to get kids excited about owning businesses, learn financial skills, and allow them to make friendships and plan future markets together.

Some of the young entrepreneurs at Summerfest included Cecelia, who was selling her homemade pens to raise money for local animal shelters; Walsh and Warner, who created dozens of bird houses out of leftover wood from yard cleanups; Lauren, who sold art and tote bags featuring cats; and Jaxson, who was selling sports cards drawn by him and his brother, including one of AJ Moody, a member of Windham High School’s two-time state champion boys basketball team.

Older vendors included Windham and Raymond Pride, selling buttons and friendship bracelets; local author Philip C. Baker, who was selling copies of his novel “Hunger Hill,” a crime thriller set in Munjoy Hill; Jeff’s Traveling Board of Wonders, a traveling ouija board museum selling various items related to horror media, while also promoting its upcoming paranormal convention in Augusta on Sept. 6; and Friends of the Presumpscot River, a Westbrook-based nonprofit looking to restore and protect the Presumpscot River valley.

The festival also saw the Pat Moody 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. The event was hosted by Jacob Chouinard, a member of the Windham High School class of 2023, who had served on the Summerfest Committee as part of his graduation project. Summerfest Committee Chair Deb Matthews told Lakes Region Now that Chouinard came up with the basketball tournament while serving on the committee, and that this was the third year that the tournament was taking place.

Games were played over the course of seven rounds, with 15 teams facing off, and all four of the gym’s courts employed simultaneously. Following the final elimination round, three teams emerged victorious with OG XLP winning in the fourth-sixth grade bracket, Maine Heat winning in the seventh-eighth grade bracket, and The Freesebees winning in the high school bracket.

Musical acts included Them Talking Monkeys, a 70s-80s tribute band; The Vista Cruisers, a 50s-60s tribute band, and Motor Booty Affair, a disco-focused band. Tom Matthews, who was in charge of planning the events, said that the presence of Motor Booty Affair meant that attendance would increase significantly from the previous year.

Other activities included SparkYou, a children’s science show, a game of bingo hosted by the Lions Club, and various bouncy castles and carnival games. The festivities ended with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m., and Tom Matthews said people had told him the fireworks were some of the best in Maine.