Town turns out for Canton bicentennial Black & White Gala

CANTON — The town held its final fundraising event to raise money for the town’s upcoming bicentennial celebration on Saturday, May 1.
The four-hour Black & White Gala– originally scheduled for the town’s Feb. 5 incorporation date, but postponed because of COVID-19 restrictions — was held in a heated tent on the town’s ball field. The evening included a catered meal, cash bar, live music, a 50/50 raffle and door prize drawings.
Despite having to fight the morning’s high wind, BB’s Events & Rentals converted the ball field into an elegant dinner and dance venue. At dusk, 90 guests arrived wearing their black and white finest. The attendees, many of whom were from families that have been in Canton for multiple generations, were joined for the evening by invited guests Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Oxford, and her husband, Blue; Rep. Dick Pickett, R-East Dixfield; Select board Chairman Russell Adams and his wife, Kelly. Keim, Pickett and Adams shared congratulatory remarks with the crowd.

Adams was joined by fellow selectmen Don Hutchins, Brian Keene, Scotty Kilbreth and Carole Robbins. They presented a framed copy of the Canton’s first town warrant from 1821. The framed document was presented in honor of the Canton Historical Society (the organization received the document as a donation and gave it to the town) and the Canton Bicentennial Committee.
The guests enjoyed an assortment of appetizers and a steak kabob and chicken dinner catered by Lilac Mixology and Catering. Lilac also offered two signature drinks: “The Overlook,” a nod to Canton’s lake resorts, camps and hotels, and “The Canton Point,” honoring the agricultural history of the town. After dinner, the dance floor was filled with people enthusiastically dancing to a mix of hits from the 50s to today, performed by Portland-based Time Pilots.
Banners acknowledging event sponsors who made monetary contributions to the gala and the upcoming Summer Celebration were prominently displayed. Most have sponsored one or more of Canton’s four previous fundraising parties.
The Black & White Gala was sponsored by the Canton Bicentennial Committee. Committee members Phyllis Ouellette, Loretta Blancato, Brian Keene, Anne Chamberlin, Liz Rothrock, and others have been meeting since 2016 to fundraise and plan for the town’s anniversary. The next and final bicentennial event is the four-day Summer Celebration scheduled for August 5-8.
For more information about Canton Bicentennial and the upcoming Summer Celebration, email office@cantonme.com, or go to www.1821canton2021.org [1] or the Canton, Maine Bicentennial Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cantonmainebicentennial [2].