Erma Blakney, of Fairfield, center, looks over as her friend, Edward Fisher, tastes a smoked alewife during the 2nd annual Benton Alewife Festival on Saturday. Rob Hebert, who smoked the fish, said it takes about 12 hours to smoke a small fish and 18 hours to smoke larger ones. Sampling smoked alewives was just one of numerous activities held at the festival, which ended with a floating bonfire on the Sebasticook River Saturday evening. Photo by Jeff Pouland