June 23 - 26, 2022
Every summer the Greater Area Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce has held a Ploye Festival in conjunction with the area businesses holding a Muskie Derby. During this weekend, it’s all about Ployes and Muskies.
One of the featured events is the making of the WORLD’S LARGEST PLOYE.
This event attracts hundreds of spectators, making it the highlight of the Ploye Festival. The massive ploye, which thus far, measures 12 feet in diameter, can only be accomplished with the help of friends and family of Bouchard Family Farms.
It requires approximately fifteen bags of charcoal to heat the metal pan to the correct temperature for the ploye to be cooked to perfection. It also takes about fifty pounds of ploye mix, lots of water (which is then mixed in 5 gallon pails) and plenty of muscle for stirring the mix. We need five people to transport the mix from the pails to the waiting pre-heated pan and also four people to spread the mix out as fast as possible. Here's how to mix your very own ploye at home!
The thin batter cooks quickly, so time is of the essence. Once cooked, the enormous pan is then removed from the coals, and the ploye is taken off with huge spatulas. Pieces of the giant ploye are then plopped onto large trays and brought to nearby tables where they can be buttered with brushes, and distributed to the eagerly awaiting crowd.
Other events usually include the ploye eating contest, ploye wrestling contest, and craft show. There are also ployes being sold by local organizations on the street. If you’re in the Northern Maine area please bring your appetite and get your fill of a French Acadian treat.
For more info on dates and times of the events please check the Fort Kent Chamber web site @ fortkentchamber.com.