Welcome To Potatoland

Language Level: Basic

Standard American Accent

The Maine Potato Blossom's Festival takes place every year in Fort Fairfield, a small town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the US border with Canada. Fort Fairfield is simply beautiful in July: visitors come over the hills into Aroostook County to see field after field potato's plants and their blossoming flowers. 

The programme begins on Tuesday, July 11th with a Gospel Music Festival. This is followed by beauty contests  for for all ages; there is a bicycle rodeo and a five-mile walking race; there are cooking contest for the best potato recipe and the best pie; there are street dances and barbecues. The festival parade takes place on Saturday, July 21st and on Sunday, 22nd there's a horse show, a regatta and a duck race on the river. The festival ends in real style, with music and fireworks over the River Aroostook. And we musn't forget the mashed potato wrestling: the men watch and eat, while the women battle in a giant mashed-potato ring!

Glossary:

Potato Blossom: Floração da batata Inglesa

Cooking Contest: Concurso de Cozinha

Recipe: Receita

Fireworks: Fogos de Artifícios

Mashed potato wrestling: Luta Livre no purê.

Period: De época

Settlers: Pioneiros

Travel Information (no audio available)

The French Connection

28 miles (44 km) North of Fort Fairfield you'll find Van Buren. This is home to "Acadian Village", with original period buildings, including a chapel, school house and village store. The Acadians, who were French settlers, came to the area in the 18th century after the English government had deported them from Nova Scotia, Canada.

A short drive across the border into Canadá and you'll find Grand falls, New Brunswick (above, left). Today you can across the border into Canada without any problems, but in 18th century this land almost caused a war. US and British Settlers both claimed the area: fortunately, their government agreed on today's borders and avoided a war.