DANFORTH – Most of the year, Danforth feels like the town that the rest of Washington County forgets.

The last town before the Aroostook County line, and 58 miles up Route 1 from Calais, Danforth ordinarily flags little attention.

“We’re south of Aroostook County and too far north in Washington County,” Leola Cowan said as she sat with other Danforth Methodist Church women selling baked goods to the public.

“Most days you could shoot a cannon up the main street and no one would notice,” Darlene Gray added.

On Saturday, that wasn’t the case. Central Street was packed during Summerfest, Danforth’s annual civic statement in the crowded calendar of fairs in eastern Maine.

With vendors, raffles, crafts, street games, a grand parade, evening entertainment and even the appearance of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, it was evident that the tidy town of 629 isn’t as sleepy as its far corner of the county suggests.

Summerfest actually took place over four days, Thursday through Sunday. Thursday was dedicated to the town’s teenagers and Sunday was for an adult softball tournament. For the rest of the schedule, however, families were at the fore. Hometown pride was on full display.Scores of locals and visitors filled up the town that is, admittedly, isolated. It’s 35 miles to Houlton, 50 miles to Lincoln and farther to Calais.

Jennifer Gilman, the main organizer for Summerfest, knows well the impact of the event on the region that, at first glance, seems sparsely populated.

“It really brings families out, and people have scheduled their vacations around this,” said Gilman, a Long Island, N.Y., native who teaches at the local East Grand School. “It’s even prompted people to buy vacations homes here, after they see the place.

“It’s brought a lot of money to the area.”

The town’s calling card is East Grand Lake, which is dotted with boat landings and guide services for hunting and fishing. More than just a remote sportsman’s paradise, the Danforth portion of East Grand Lake has become a site for both rugged camps and luxury year-round homes.

“We are definitely seeing more people in the area, both in summer and year-round,” said Roland Knight, who owns the local grocery, Knight’s Thriftway. “Each year there are strange faces in the store. But when you see them again next year, you learn they’ve got a camp or bought some land here.”

Knight’s store lends the grocery carts to Summerfest to put on the grocery cart race – one of the highlights for those who spent their Saturday afternoon along Central Street to catch up on town news and watch the kids take part.

Carts in hand, kids race to place noodles, marshmallows and other items in the cart from baskets at points along the way. Then they turn the carts around – not easy at full speed – and head back to the finish. The $25 first prize always lures a crowd of contestants.

“I think that’s why they’re so aggressive,” Knight said.

An egg toss, a water balloon toss and other fun games that involve kids and adults alike followed.

The afternoon closed out with a family-friendly message about the perils of drunken driving, as Sheriff’s Deputy Donnie Smith gave a demonstration using “fatal vision goggles.” By wearing the goggles and steering golf carts, volunteers simulated the effects of different levels of alcohol on driving – for all to see.

Earlier in the day, Mary Zidalis of the Washington County Jail and David Burns of the Rapid Response Trauma Unit provided fingerprinting and safety tips for children, as a joint service of the county sheriff.

Summerfest planners moved the event’s weekend up one week this year, to move away from the Grand Lake Stream Folk Festival, always the last weekend in July.

Unwittingly they landed on the same weekend as Lincoln Days. For all the turnout Danforth had on Saturday, many in town felt that fewer crafters and vendors came aboard, maybe because of the conflict with Lincoln.

“Up here, it’s nothing to drive 50 miles,” Darlene Gray said.

This was the eighth year for the event, which was first organized by members of the Greater East Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.

Five years ago, when the chamber felt it was too much work to organize, Gilman stepped forward to take on the project herself – to save the event from dying out entirely. She counts on volunteers to assist here and there, but she still handles the bulk of the phone calls.

At the play performance in the town’s handsome Union Hall on Saturday evening, Gilman took a moment to announce that this would be her last year as Summerfest’s organizer. Five years is plenty long to be in charge, she said, and it’s time for someone else to take it on.

For one thing, she knows, her own children want to enjoy the event as much as the rest of Danforth’s young kids do.

Besides, there are other projects in town to cultivate. Danforth is trying to start an open-air market for Saturday mornings. Fliers along the Central Street storefronts are calling for vendors to share agriculture, arts, baked goods, crafts, horticulture and wood products.

The person to call for information, not surprisingly? Jennifer Gilman.