LINCOLN – Myke Spencer had what she considered a fairly full day. The fitness instructor drew as many as 20 new customers to Curves, met some fellow Lincoln businessmen for the first time and, best of all, she heard Baxter roar.

Baxter, it should be said, is not a customer, nor a friend nor a beau, but he is a bear. An authentic 550-pound Maine black bear, that is, who lived a feckless criminal life, breaking into cars, homes and garbage cans in search of victuals, until he was caged at the A.E. Howell Wildlife Conservation Center & Spruce Acres Refuge.

Baxter generally enjoys lounging around at events such as the fifth annual Trade Show and Community Fair, and will occasionally give his trainer, Art E. Howell Jr., a friendly lick to the face, but he does not like to be moved.

He was in transit Saturday morning from the parking lot into the gym at Mattanawcook Academy when he suddenly expressed his displeasure. Loudly.

“He was back there in the parking lot and I heard him,” Spencer said from well inside the gym.

“He let out the biggest roar I ever heard. Oh, that was something.”

Baxter and his roar were among the reasons more than 700 people attended the Lincoln Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce event Saturday. A bald eagle and two owls accompanied Baxter as well.

About 50 businesses and craftsmen from the region and the Bangor area set up booths. A variety of service organizations, including Penobscot Valley Hospital, the local Rotary Club, veterans organizations and Health Access Network also had displays in the gym and cafeteria.

Most businesses and residents said they found the forum helpful. Arlette Richard of Richard’s Sport Shop on West Broadway said she used the event to promote Richard’s lines of motorcycles and ATVs, an especially prudent move given the lack of snow this winter and the business being known as a snowmobile outlet.

“Hopefully this helped people look at us in a different light,” Richard said.

Dave Merkel, owner of Lincoln Computer Services, was less enchanted by the show.

“It still seems like a lot of people in Lincoln don’t understand computers,” Merkel said. “Not a whole lot of people seemed to like coming to the booth.”

Lincoln Computer and Richard’s were among the businesses that offered significant discounts on items. One ATV at Richard’s was marked down $654.

The event is the chamber’s leading annual fundraiser. Chamber members said they would not get a count on how much money the event raised for a few more days.