LISBON — Peter Brown tried to explain why he and his wife, Trudy, make the pilgrimage to Lisbon every year to attend the Moxie Festival.

“We don’t have anything like this in New Hampshire!” he said.

You’d have a hard time finding anyone at this year’s Moxie Festival who would disagree with the Browns. 

The second day of the festival kicked off with the longest parade in the state. This year, it was the biggest yet – and anything but boring. 

The parade truly had something for everyone. “American Idol” star and Maine native Julia Gagnon mingled with children riding precariously on unicycles. Clowns, the Ghost Busters and a Moxie-themed Darth Vader rubbed shoulders with a giant stuffed bear waving an American flag from the back of a vintage car. Both classical ensembles and rock bands jammed out on floats, serenading an endless stream of Shriner cars. A fan favorite among the cars were the tiny trucks, which represented everything from Moxie soda to the state tree. 

For the Browns, however, the festival was about more than just the parade. 

Although she now lives in Durham, New Hampshire, Trudy Higgins Brown has deep roots in Lisbon. Not only was she born and raised in the Moxie capital of the world, she shared that the parade is a part of her family history: Her father, Earl Higgins, a former principal at Lisbon High School, used to narrate the event. 

Underneath the event’s joyful spectacle, Higgins Brown said the festival is still about reuniting with friends and family. She uses the celebration as an opportunity to get together with her childhood classmates from Lisbon High School. Cracking open ice-cold Moxies together, the old friends forged new memories as the Moxie mania unfolded before them.

Miss Maine 2024 Jennie Daley, left, of Sullivan, and Miss Maine’s Teen Eva Benjamin, of Hermon, rides Saturday with Bill David, of Auburn, during the Moxie Day Parade in Lisbon Falls. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Saturday’s Moxie Festival lineup, however, offered more family-bonding opportunities than just the parade. One of the most popular events was brand new: a performance by Gagnon and her fiancé, Nate Haven. 

Not only was Gagnon performing at the concert, this was her first time at Moxie Festival – and she was delighted to be there. 

When asked about her first Moxie Festival, Gagnon shared how special it was to witness the joy, fun and love the event inspired among attendees. 

“There’s so much dedication and joy here,” she explained. “I don’t see a single person that’s unhappy. This is really a celebration of happiness.”

Gagnon fans were excited to see the “American Idol” singer perform there. 

“American Idol” star Julia Gagnon participates Saturday in the Moxie Day Parade in Lisbon Falls. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Before her performance, Gagnon was outside signing autographs, taking pictures, and chatting earnestly with devotees and strangers alike. 

While waiting in line to meet the singer, Rachel White shared that Gagnon’s performance was one of the main reasons the young family decided to go to the event. 

White’s 9-year-old daughter, Alice, is a fan of the singer. 

“I’ve never met any celebrities before … so it’s really cool to meet one,” she said. 

Alice gushed over Gagnon’s performance on “Idol.”

Alice was also excited to meet Gagnon because she’s a budding vocalist herself. According to her mother, she was Dorothy in a local theater group’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” 

When they finally met, the two bonded over the difficulties of singing “Over the Rainbow.” 

At one point in their conversation, Alice told her, “You’re an amazing singer.” 

Gagnon responded with, “I’m sure you’re an amazing singer, too.”

To much fanfare, Brad Beaustreet won his 12th Moxie Chugging Contest in a row. Besting his performance from last year, he defended his title by guzzling eight cans of Moxie in under 2 minutes. 

While some eventgoers like Beaustreet are Moxie fanatics who could drink the beverage all day, others can’t stand the notoriously spunky soda. 

“It tastes like if root beer hated you,” said Addison Poulin bluntly. 

Although eventgoers were divided about whether they loved or hated the soda’s trademark flavor, they all agreed on one thing: that on this day of the year, Moxie had the power to bring them all together as a community in celebration.

Betsy Swan, of Sabattus, pretends to inject Moxie into Rick Roberts, of Lisbon Falls, aboard Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union’s “Mad About Moxie” float Saturday during the Moxie Day Parade in Lisbon Falls. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal