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The annual Moxie Festival is this weekend in Lisbon Falls, Maine. For those unfamiliar with the stuff, it is a soft drink of peculiar flavor that is the Official Soft Drink of Maine. It was invented around 1876 by a Mr. Augustin Thompson of Union, Maine, and marketed as a patent medicine, "Moxie Nerve Food." Moxie, he claimed, was especially effective against "paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia." Around 1910 they stopped the "nerve food" advertising. (The Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1910, which may have had something to do with it.) Calvin Coolidge and Ted Williams were fans of Moxie.

Anyway, Lisbon Falls has an annual Moxie Festival. As best I can determine, there is no particular connection between Moxie and Lisbon Falls, except I guess it's an excuse to have a good time.

I've heard of Moxie and I think I remember seeing it around Dayton, OH when I was growing up. I don't remember ever drinking it.

About 30 miles away, in Nelsonville, OH, they hold an annual brick festival (I guess they still hold it). Our house was built in 1920. There are a couple of leftover bricks, which are imprinted "Nelsonville, Ohio". There was a huge brick factory in Nelsonville, which doesn't exist anymore. But like you said, it's a reason to get together and have fun.