Dan Porter Memorial Park buzzed with busyness and activity Saturday afternoon, a rare yet welcome sight in the struggling Clinton business area.

The first-ever Clinton Town Picnic, a free gathering of food, music, games and a vegetable-launching slingshot, was a busy day.

Jack Lynch, president of the Clinton Community Council, estimated 300 people cruised through the park. There was free food, music from the Heggenes Valley Boys about “dancing the squash” and a giant slingshot to hurl zucchini and butternut squash onto the ballfield.

“It worked out great,” he said.

Bringing Clinton residents together was the impetus for the festival, put on by the council, the Clinton Chamber of Commerce and Clinton Progressive Association.

Doug Hofius, a council member and one of the chief organizers, said they went through 120 hamburgers in a hurry, and blitzed through hot dogs as well.

Seeing zucchini fly through the air was a major attraction for a handful of children (and an equal number of adults). The trick for the launcher seemed to be pulling back as far as possible and staying low to send the produce a hundred yards out to center field.