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!
What a wonderful opportunity to experience a live conversation with artist Jamie Wyeth, offered by the Farnsworth Art Museum at The Strand Theater in Rockland on August 14th.
“Join artist Jamie Wyeth for a conversation about his long-standing connection to Monhegan Island and to fellow artist Rockwell Kent. Wyeth’s connection dates back to the late 1950s, when he first went there with his father, and he has continued to paint there ever since. Early in his career Wyeth bought several pen and ink drawings by Kent used as the sources for his illustrations to Moby Dick, one of Kent’s most renowned book illustration projects. Subsequently, Wyeth acquired what was Kent’s last home and studio on Monehgan, and then bought several of Kent’s paintings from his first period on the island around 1907. The conversation will take place with chief curator, Michael Komanecky, and is in conjunction with the exhibition Jamie Wyeth, Rockwell Kent and Monhegan, on view at the Wyeth Center through December 30, 2012, whose focus is on works by the two artists done on Monhegan, and how the scenic island has inspired their work.”
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:
Belfast Summer Nights are in full swing. Every Thursday in the summer, starting at 5:30, the streets of downtown Belfast reverberate with music, dancing and the chatter of crowds. There’s a different band each week, and best of all, it’s free! Bring a chair, or a picnic, or simply come to watch and enjoy!
The long-running festival keeps evolving and improving and is really not to be missed. Of course, there is lobster everything – food, t-shirts, ice-cream, but there are also many other fun events throughout the long weekend – August 1-5, 2012.
One of our favorites is the lobster crate race. Sign up in advance! Participants take turns running on half submegred, strung together lobster crates, until they fall into the water. The winner is one who can run the most crates, and is usually under 18, although, adults, do not be discouraged and sign up! If nothing else, you can say you tried.
There’s a seafood cooking contest, arts and crafts tents, children’s activities, a parade with a coronation of the queen, a 5K and many other events. Check out the full schedule here.
Hometown folks – please note the free admission day, which has traditionally been on Wednesday, has been moved to Sunday this year.
Maine blueberry season is in full swing and the much loved berries are everywhere. Stop by any store, or better yet, farm stand or farmer’s market (Camden – Sat 9-12, Wed 3:30-6, Belfast Friday 9-1) to pick up a quart. Or you can pick your own if you’re up to it, at several area farms. An easy hike through Beech Hill preserve offers unbeatable views of Penobscot Bay, its islands, lighthouses and sailboats.
This coming weekend is going to be a busy one, as generally the last two weeks of July and the first three weeks of August are in Midcoast Maine. Summer Harbor Arts & Crafts Juried Show is setting up camp, as usual, in Camden’s Harbor park on Saturday and Sunday. Atlantic Street will be closed to traffic starting midday on Friday. Tons of vendors show off Maine’s best artisans. From Harbor Park, peek into the Camden Public Library for a gorgeous view of the harbor from the air-conditioned Reading Room (original brick building) on the 3rd floor. The library is hosting a summer book sale, ourdoors, under tents, as part of its fundraising efforts.
Friendship sloops from New England and beyond will gather for the annual meet of the Friendship Sloop Society in Rockland. These little wooden boats used to be the standard for lobstermen, but today the majority are used for pleasure and are privately owned. Some do offer cruises, in Belfast, Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor.
And as I mentioned my previous post, the Maine Celtic Festival is on this weekend as well, in Belfast. Chase the wheel of cheese down the hill in US National Cheese Championships on Sunday, 7/22.
And that’s exactly what it sounds like. A popular event at Belfast’s Maine Celtic Festival next weekend, the US National Cheese Rolling Championship takes place on Sunday, 7/22, at 1pm. Sign up in advance to get your chance to chase the wheel of cheddar down the slope. The winner in each category (kids by age, adults male and female) gets to keep the wheel he/she managed to secure. Love of cheese doesn’t have to be sophisticated and sliced on a cracker. Get your inner child to this fun event.
Edna St. Vincent Millay is one of the nation’s beloved poets of the 20th century. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Millay grew up right here in Midcoast Maine and was discovered at a poetry reading at the Whitehall Inn in Camden. The Whitehall Inn is hosting a series of events this summer to honor 100 years since the discovery of Millay in 1912. A three page schedule of events throughout the summer can be found here. There is a statue of Millay in the Camden Harbor Park if you’d like to say hello.
The Annual North Atlantic Blues Festival is back in Rockland this weekend. With indoor and outdoor venues, fans can enjoy a variety of performers all weekend long. “The North Atlantic Blues Festival is an annual two-day blues music festival featuring national blues performers and considered one of the most prestigious on the East Coast. The festival is held at the Public Landing in Rockland, Maine, overlooking the picturesque Rockland Harbor. Some of the top names in blues music have been featured at this prestigious East Coast festival. In addition to all day live entertainment, the festival has vendors selling a wide array of food, drinks and crafts. Saturday evening Main Street is closed to traffic for the NABF Club Crawl. Attendees of legal age, wearing their wristband from the festival are allowed admission to the many bars and restaurants featuring many of the top regional blues performers. There are also bands performing on Main Street for all ages at no charge.”
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