HOULTON, Maine – Two bachelorettes will get a chance to question three single men in two rounds during Houlton’s latest bachelor adventure, Match-up Under the Mistletoe Dating Game.
The mistletoe match-up is the third Houlton singles-themed event aimed at raising funds for the community. Previous happenings included the Houlton Humane Society’s Dudes & Adoptables calendar and the Community Impact Alliance Spuds & Studs Bachelor Auction.
Hosted by the Community Impact Alliance, the dating game, much like the long-running TV original, is designed to bring the community together in the spirit of holiday cheer and raise funds for future town events, said Johanna Johnston, executive director of the Southern Aroostook Development Corp., and one of the event organizers.
The match-up takes place at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13 at Bastions Tavern in downtown Houlton.
The two selected bachelorettes, Kandi and Liz, are not from Houlton and organizers thought that might add some intrigue and mystery to the game. Liz, 29, is in the banking industry in Presque Isle while Kandi, 38, works in the healthcare industry in Maine while living in New Brunswick, said Johnston.
The idea for the dating game stems from the overwhelming popularity of the Spuds & Studs Bachelor Auction, she said.
“We received so much positive feedback from the auction, with many asking for more fun, interactive events like it,” she said. “Match-up Under the Mistletoe felt like the perfect follow-up, especially during the holidays.”
The Spuds & Studs Bachelor Auction was a well attended raucous event, also at Bastions Tavern, that led to a resounding applause vote for – Jacob Pelkey – the top stud who was crowned Spud King.
The Dec. 13 match-up kicks off a town holiday weekend, coinciding with “Late Night Date Night Shop Till 8 Night,” a collaborative effort between the impact alliance, the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, and Houlton Downtown Alliance.
“It’s a unique and fun way to connect with others and bring some holiday magic to our community,”said Danielle Lane, Key Bank Branch Manager and member of the event team.
The original Dating Game was one of the longest running game shows, starting in 1966. In the show, a bachelor or bachelorette would ask questions while unable to see the three contestants vying for the date.
Johnston said the Houlton dating game will follow the original format with the bachelorette behind a curtain while asking potential bachelors personal questions to make her decision.
“We will invite our first bachelorette up to the front to take her seat on one side of the curtain and do her introduction,” Johnston said. “After that we’ll blindfold her and ask the three preselected bachelors to come from the audience to take their seats on the opposite side of the curtain. We will come up with some questions to guide the bachelorettes but they are welcome to come up with their own. “
The organizers are still looking for contestants, said Lane.
The bachelor applications were surprisingly slower coming in for this event compared to the Spud & Studs bachelor auction, according to Johnston.
At first they were only advertising on Facebook for applicants but expanded their search to find where the single men were hiding out, she said, adding that they found two through the Tinder dating app.
Both Johnston and Lane stressed that the show is purely for entertainment and will feature lighthearted matchmaking to delight both participants and the audience, but no one is required to actually go on a date.
“I’d love it if we could get more applicants,” Johnston said. “I had a couple ladies in their 50s and 60s apply so I had hoped for a silver fox round but so far I don’t have enough applicants to accommodate.”
There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, with all proceeds going toward production costs and future community events.
