The Inn At Ocean's Edge blog

The leaves are changing, and for the last several years in Camden, it’s been a sign that annual PopTech conference is nearing. And with it the question we get asked daily, “What is PopTech?”

While sometimes technology is a theme, it’s not what it’s all about. Rather, PopTech is about innovation. Here’s a great explanation of what PopTech hopes to achieve:

“We bring innovators together from many different fields—science, technology, design, corporate and civic leadership, public health, social and ecological innovation, and the arts and humanities, among others… …We convene this community in intimate, peer-level gatherings where participants can share their most provocative questions and their most promising new ideas, and begin to work together on new approaches to some of the world’s toughest challenges. In so doing, we constantly seek out the ‘genius in the white spaces,’—insights that can only be discovered when people from very diverse disciplines come together, and concepts from one field are ‘mashed up’ with those from another.” Read more about PopTech.

The PopTech conference takes place primarily in the beautiful Camden Opera House every October.

More than 150 antique automobiles from around the world will rally at the Owls Head Transportation Museum Saturday and Sunday, October 8 & 9, for the Museum’s annual Foreign Auto Festival and Antique Aeroplane Show.

This annual event attracts pre-1991 foreign car enthusiasts from all over the state—from luxury sedans to the high-performance sports cars. The variety can be impressive: Austin Healey, MG, Triumph, Porsche, Ferrari, Citroen, Mercedes, BMW, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar and more. The meet draws a large number of Japanese models as well. Owners of pre-1991 cars and trucks are welcome to exhibit at this and all other Museum (non-auction) events at no charge. Visitors are encouraged to come early to guarantee seeing the highest concentration of exhibiting vehicles.

The antique aeroplane show will begin at 9:30 a.m., weather permitting. Aircraft conservator Karl Erickson and a team of volunteers have been working tirelessly on getting the Museum’s fleet of of World War I-era biplanes ready to take to the skies. Back on the flight line will be the 1917 Curtiss JN-4 or “Jenny” made popular by barnstormers of the 1920s. Also seeing action will be the 1917 Nieuport 28C.1 and 1917 Spad XIIIc.1, among others. An open flightline will allow visitors to get an up close look at the planes as well as talk to the pilots.

The annual Camden International Film Festival will be in town this weekend, starting on Thursday night, 9/27. It’s a great chance to see some amazing films, chat with the filmmakers and experience the movie venues which are not normally open to the public. Camden Opera House and the former Bayview Cinema will host screenings, as well as The Strand in Rockland, a currently operating theater.

If you’re looking for a true Maine experience, consider “Betting The Farm” (showing at 7:30pm on Thursday), a modern documentary about local dairy farmers who formed Maine’s Own Organic (MOO) Milk cooperative.

“BETTING THE FARM is the story of a group of Maine dairy farmers who, dropped by their national milk company, are suddenly confronted with the real possibility of losing their farms. Banding together, the farmers launch their own milk company. Farmers Vaughn Chase, Richard Lary, and Aaron Bell, along with their families, struggle to make ends meet as they get the company off the ground. But faced with slow sales and mounting bills, can the farmers hang together long enough for the gamble to pay off? Or will they be left worse off than before?”

Check out this and other listings for the 4 day event at www.camdenfilmfest.org

http://www.camdenfilmfest.org Copyright 2012

The bi-annual Harbor Arts and Crafts Show is coming up this weekend, 9/29-9/30. The vendors will set up in beautiful Camden Harbor Park and the library’s amphitheatre for the weekend event. Camden Public Library will also be holding an outdoor book sale.

Coming up this weekend is the annual Country Roads and Artisans Tour. Here is a PDF of the full locations listings.

“The tour showcases the highly refined skills of local craft designers and artists. It includes a wide variety of work, all carefully and thoughtfully handmade at our studios here in Midcoast Maine. Some of our work uses centuries-old techniques, while other work takes advantage of more modern processes.

Most of our studios are open all year. On the second full week-end in September, we invite you to enjoy our free open studio tour. For more information, call 207-236-9619.

Please note that all studios are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the three days of the tour, but regular hours differ. You will find these listed on the back panel of the brochure.”

Lunch is served on the corner of Routes 235 and 105, across from Hope General Store, as a fundraiser for the Hope Elementary School.

Lighthouse Lovers -

Here’s your chance to visit those lighthouses which are only accessible by water!

The U.S. Coast Guard, the State of Maine and the American Lighthouse Foundation are pleased to announce the fourth annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34652102@N04/4838922298/sizes/m/

Participating Lighthouses

(all will be open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm unless otherwise noted)

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse – Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower only. The tower contains a Fresnel lens, a remarkable, 19th-century invention that allows lights to project their beams far out to sea.

Brown’s Head Lighthouse – Vinalhaven Island (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower only. Contains a Fresnel lens. How to get there: Maine State Ferry from Rockland to Vinalhaven 

Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse – Swan’s Island (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house. How to get there: Maine State Ferry from Bass Harbor to Swan’s Island.

Burnt Island Lighthouse – entrance to Boothbay Harbor (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Living-history museum inside). How to get there: Balmy Days Cruises, Boothbay Harbor.

Curtis Island Lighthouse – entrance to Camden Harbor (offshore).  Historic buildings open: Light tower only. How to get there: Boat

Doubling Point Lighthouse – Arrowsic (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower only.

Dyce Head Lighthouse – Castine (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower only.

Fort Point Lighthouse – Cape Jellison near Stockton Springs (land-based).  Historic buildings open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and bell tower (exhibits inside).

Grindle Point Lighthouse – Islesboro (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside). How to get there: Maine State Ferry from Lincolnville to the island of Islesboro. 

Kennebec River Range Lights (two towers) – Arrowsic (land-based).  Historic buildings open: Front and Rear Range light towers only.

Little River Lighthouse – entrance to Cutler Harbor (offshore) 9 a.m. to noon. Live music at the site. Historic buildings open: Light tower, boathouse and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight stays). How to get there: Friends of Little River Lighthouse boats leave from Town of Cutler Boat Landing.

Marshall Point Lighthouse – Port Clyde (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)

Monhegan Island Lighthouse – Monhegan Island (offshore) 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside). How to get there: Boats from Port Clyde, New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor. Monhegan Boat Line. Hardy Boat Cruises. Balmy Days Cruises.

Owls Head Lighthouse – Owls Head (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower only. Contains a Fresnel lens.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse – Bristol (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (museum inside).

Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light) – South Portland (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower only.

Portland Head Lighthouse – Cape Elizabeth (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside). Note: On Open Lighthouse Day, approximately 300 tickets will be made available to visitors on a first-come-first-served basis. A ticket will be required to climb the tower. You must be at least 48 inches tall to climb the tower. Visitors must be able to climb 85+ steps unassisted.

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse – Rockland (land-based via a breakwater). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house.

Seguin Island Lighthouse – Off Popham Beach (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight member stays). How to get there: Seguin Island Ferry by Fish’N’Trip Charters.

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse – South Portland (land-based via a breakwater). Historic buildings open: Light tower.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse – Lubec (land-based). Historic buildings open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (museum inside).

Whitehead Lighthouse – Entrance to Penobscot Bay, Whitehead Island (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower only. How to get there: Whitehead Light Station boat. Limited transportation available upon request; call (207) 200-7957.

Wood Island Lighthouse – Biddeford Pool (offshore). Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house. How to get there: Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse boats (reservations required). www.woodislandlighthouse.org For reservations, call (207) 200-4552, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Maine Made 2012 is a celebration of Maine’s food producers, furniture makers, small manufacturers, artists, artisans, and more, Saturday September 8th 2012 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

This one-day extravaganza is designed to connect consumers directly with producers, showcasing the wide variety and incredible quality of the products Maine entrepreneurs bring to market every day. This will be the largest showcase of Maine-made products in the Midcoast this year!

This event is sponsored by Down East, the Magazine of Maine and organized and promoted through the combined expertise of the Maine Food Producers Alliance and the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Cellardoor Winery of Lincolnville, teams up with local Chef Lani Temple of Megunticook Market to offer a Lobster Lovers Cooking Class on August 31st at 5:30pm.

Learn how to prepare a four-course dinner while incorporating Maine lobster in unique and inspiring ways. Dinner and wine pairings to follow. $75 per person. Advance purchase is required. Please call 207-763-4478 to reserve your space.

And speaking of Lobster Lovers, I recently came across this article in Downeast Magazine about the lovers that lobster actually are. Fascinating read akin to “The Secret Life of Lobsters” by Maine native Trevor Corson.

From EnchantedLearning.com

This is one of my favorite events, as you can tell from our past years’ coverage. Camden Windjammer Festival is an all ages event celebrating the maritime history and traditions and honoring the current status of maritime industry in Maine. The schooners and windjammers which used to carry cargo up and down the coast are now primarily engaged in carrying passengers, either on daytrips or overnight trips. On Labor Day weekend, the old wooden vessels come together in Camden Harbor and are open to the public. Crew Talent Show takes place in the evening on Friday, on the lawn in Harbor Park. Crew and passenger from each boat compete with performances which, in the past, have included reciting poetry, singing, playing musical instruments, fire throwing and much more. There are many activities for children and adults to delight in – boat building contest, lobster crate race, cooking contest and much more. Check out the website for a full schedule of events and come out on Labor Day Weekend!

Photograph ©2010 Jeff Scher / Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors

As the Maine Lobster Festival wraps up, Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Show sets up in its place in Rockland’s Harbor Park. The 10th annual show takes place August 10-12, 2012 and will feature the work of local craftspeople, including boats in and out of water, furniture makers, tool makers, jewelers, architects, designers and many many others. There will be live music, activities for children and innovative contests such as “Best Boatyard Dog”, and, new, this year – the Stand-up Paddleboat Jousting Competition. It’s a three day event, so check the schedule for particulars of start times and where to buy tickets.

Here’s a video from the 2011 Boat Yard Dog Trials: