Attention, please

Democratic candidate Niki Tsongas is planning picnics called "PicNikis," she has ridden in a canoe on the Concord River, and she has handed out "Tscoops" of ice cream. Independent Patrick Murphy has been holding "Run with Murphy" events, challenging voters to come to local road races to meet him while he runs a 5K. Jamie Eldridge, another Democrat, last month hosted a screening of the movie "Sicko."

Welcome to the Fifth District congressional race, where three weeks before the primary, candidates are desperate for attention. With summer doldrums settling in and no major issues galvanizing the electorate, the candidates are willing to try just about any tactic.

One candidate has proposed a Wiffle ball tournament among the candidates and plans to play the tin whistle in an Irish folk band. Another traveled to Seabrook, N.H., last weekend to work the room at a house party that he heard would contain dozens of vacationing Massachusetts voters. (It did.)

"I've campaigned in all four seasons, and I've been in the coldest and iciest of days," said Barry Finegold, a Democratic state representative from Andover who has knocked on 2,500 doors but found only about 1,000 voters home. "I would take the ice and snow over the doldrums of summer any day. The hardest thing right now is to get people home."

There are more traditional campaign tactics, such as "Phoning for Finegold," "Dialing for Donoghue," and thousands of lawn signs. Press releases are sent out daily announcing endorsements or detailed policy statements. The candidates have created pages on Facebook and MySpace and posted all kinds of video on YouTube: commercials, segments from debates, statements from supporters. They go to seniors centers and shake hands at Lowell Spinners baseball games.

"Have parade, will travel," said Scott Ferson, spokesman for Democrat Eileen Donoghue, a Lowell city councilor who has tried to stand out from the pack of nine candidates by attending events where she speaks only Spanish. "Every parade, every forum, and cookouts are big. It's summer in the Fifth Congressional District, and you go to the opening of an envelope."

Still, the race hasn't piqued much interest. There have been more than a dozen debates, but few have captured much attention, and most seats have been filled by campaign supporters and hard-core political junkies. The Lowell Sun headlined a June debate inside a hot middle school auditorium, "Weather was only steamy part of 5th District debate."

"It just has not grabbed the general public's attention," said Mimi Parseghian, who writes for the Left in Lowell blog. "But I cannot say the candidates have not tried."

The Fifth District comprises 29 communities, including Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Concord, Wayland, and Sudbury.

In addition to five Democrats -- Donoghue, Eldridge, Finegold, Tsongas, and James Miceli, a state representative from Wilmington -- there are two Republicans running: Jim Ogonowski, a Dracut farmer whose brother piloted one of the planes that was flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and Thomas P. Tierney, a Framingham resident who ran and lost in 2004.

The Democratic and Republican primaries are scheduled for Sept. 4. The general election, scheduled for Oct. 16, will also include two independent candidates, Murphy and Boxborough resident Kurt Hayes.

The seat became open when US Representative Martin T. Meehan, who had held it for 14 years, announced in March that he was resigning to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. There was a flurry of activity as candidates jumped to fill the state's first open congressional seat since 2001.

With voters so far failing to exhibit similar enthusiasm, campaigns have preoccupied themselves with stunts and props. Tsongas has started handing out cardboard fans that read, "I'm a fan of Niki." In the final 100 hours before the primary, her campaign is planning to host 100 activities to provide 100 reasons to support her.

Murphy, a 26-year-old bricklayer from Lowell, is trying to score an appearance on either The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or The Colbert Report, late-night shows on Comedy Central that are infamous for skewering politicians. Murphy's campaign wouldn't mind the skewering; it just wants the candidate on the air.

"That would be a significant thing, I think, if we can get that in late August," said Dan Murphy, who said he has a connection with one of the producers..

About two weeks ago after a debate in Ayer, Murphy challenged Eldridge to a game of Wiffle ball. They've also opened it up to other candidates.

"We can all embrace the idea that this contest could determine the 5th District's next congressman," Murphy wrote recently on his blog, adding that his campaign "is eager to demonstrate our Wiffling prowess."

"We accept the challenge," Eldridge, a state representative from Acton, said yesterday. "Absolutely."

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.