LISBON, Maine — The one and only Moxie Festival returned to Lisbon on Friday after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The festivities kick off with a fireworks show Friday evening, and events run through Sunday.
The festival started in 1982 and always falls on the second weekend of July. Organizers said it all started with a Lisbon native, Frank Anicetti.
Anicetti's store on Main Street in Lisbon was once home to a lot of Moxie memorabilia. Since then, the town has celebrated the Maine-native soda annually through various Moxie-inspired activities.
Nowadays, the festival brings thousands of people to the area.
In 2005 the Maine Legislature declared moxie as Maine's official soft drink. The soda was created in 1884.
The festival includes a Moxie chugging competition, a bass derby, live music, a fancy car show, many vendors, entertainment for people of all ages, and even a competition between the Lisbon Fire Department and the Lisbon Police Department.