Maine is known as Vacationland for good reason. The summer and early fall offers numerous opportunities to experience the state’s culture and heritage through its fairs and festivals. Here are six of our favorites.
Maine Lobster Festival
Held every year around the first week of August, this fun-packed four-day festival celebrates Maine’s best-known fishery. It features nationally known entertainment acts (usually country singers), cooking contests, carnival rides, a parade, and booths featuring artists and crafters from all over the state. And, of course, lobsters. Lots and lots of lobsters. You’ll never get a fresher lobster than you will on the coast of Maine, where the “bugs,” as Mainers call them, were just pulled out of the water that day.
Acadian Festival
Mid-August in the tiny northern Maine town of Madawaska is the time for the Acadian Festival, a celebration of Maine’s Franco-American heritage. The festival includes events like Party du Main Street, Charlemagne Tournament, a quilting show, craft fair, poutine eating contest, films, a 5k color run, and much more. The Acadian Festival is typically held in mid-August.
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
One of Maine’s greatest cash crops is the low-bush blueberry, and this festival, held in the WAY down-east town of Machias, celebrates all that is wonderful about this superfruit. Events include a blueberry farm tour, blueberry pie eating contest, blueberry run, and lots of other cool activities that celebrate the foundation of Maine’s state dessert.
Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival
As French as Maine is, it’s equally Celtic, and the Highland Games celebrates all things Scottish. It features live Scottish music, a Robert Burns Luncheon, a Parade of Tartans, harp concerts, and even Scottish games. Also, if you want to get a taste of haggis without leaving the United States, this festival is the place to go. It’s held at the Topsham Fairgrounds in the midcoast town of Topsham, typically around August 19.
Camden Windjammer Festival
One thing Maine is famous for is its shipbuilding tradition, and the Windjammer Festival celebrates not only shipbuilding but the brave people who plied the seas to transport goods to and from the state in sailing ships called windjammers. Held the first week of September in the coastal town of Camden. You can take in live music, a pancake breakfast, lobster crate races, live music, and tons of other seafaring fun.
Common Ground Country Fair
Unlike most fairs in Maine, this one doesn’t feature carnival rides. Instead, it’s an educational and entertainment opportunity for people of all ages. There’s lots of food on offer, but all of it features locally made produce and meats. You can also take in agricultural demonstrations, a herding dog demonstration, learn about organic farming through listening to speakers, get fresh local produce at a farmers’ market, and much more. The three-day Common Ground Fair is held in the college town of Unity and begins around September 22 (the fall equinox) every year.
Photo: 2012 Common Ground Country Fair t-shirts, CC-BY John Brandt via Flickr Creative Commons