Folks kicked off the day Saturday with a fundraising breakfast to benefit the Maine Deaf History Museum.
FALMOUTH, Maine — Folks kicked off the 33rd Deaf Culture Festival with a breakfast fundraiser, aimed at preserving Maine’s Deaf history and culture.
Hosted on Mackworth Island in Falmouth at the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf alongside the Maine Association of the Deaf, many started an early morning Saturday with warm pancakes, fresh fruit, and brewed coffee.
“[The festival] gives an opportunity for the Deaf community to gather, to have fun, to visit the museum,” Madore said. “The museum is such an important part of this school, and of Maine Deaf history, too.”
Spanning a handful of rooms on the MECDHH/GBSD campus, artifacts and archives of the museum highlight past phases of the school, students, and their achievements and advances in accessible technology over the years.
Initially used for agriculture, hunting, and fishing by citizens of the Wabanaki Nations, the island later was the home of former Maine Gov. Percival Baxter before becoming a school for deaf children.
Disability Rights Maine Programs Director Michelle Ames said the museum and festival are important for many people within the community as a way to showcase how deaf education and culture in Maine came to be.
“It’s an opportunity to highlight the culture and community,” Ames said. “And really share our culture and open the doors for people to come and get a glimpse to our culture here and experience the connection.”
The last full week of September is also recognized as Deaf Culture Week, which has been recognized here in Maine for the past several years.