It can be shocking to glance at a calendar and realize that July is nearly over and the halfway point of summer is rapidly approaching. Given the fact that much of Maine experienced cloudy days and rain for most of the month of June, it seems downright unfair.
But there’s still time to pack fun and sun into the remaining eight or so weeks of summer. And we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best things to do in eastern, midcoast and northern Maine during the back half of summer 2023 to help you do just that. There is something for everybody here — foodies, film buffs, families, Francophiles, fishermen and everyone in between.
Wear sunblock, be nice, stay safe and have fun.
Try to eat the most oysters in Castine
After a several year hiatus, Dennett’s Wharf in Castine will bring back its signature summertime event: the Maine Oyster Eating Championship, set for 12-5 p.m. Sunday, July 30. It’s part of a larger celebration of Maine aquaculture at the dockside Castine restaurant, including live music, visiting artists and artisans, and a huge array of local Maine food to eat. Tickets, which include the oyster eating competition and benefit the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, are available on the Dennett’s Wharf website. Think you can swallow more bivalves than anyone else? Put your skills to the test. Cocktail sauce provided.
Hear the best of Maine music in Searsmont
More than 30 bands from all over Maine will converge on Thresher’s Brewing in Searsmont for ARME Boot Camp, two days of music, camping, food and beer organized by Portland-based promo group ARME. On Aug. 4 and 5, two stages will host bands like Maine legends Rustic Overtones (featuring 2023 Grammy Award winner Dave Gutter), Seepeoples, Vapors of Morphine, Murcielago, Scissorfight, Bait Bag, The Worst and many others. There are still weekend passes available; for information, like ARME Group on Facebook.
Put on your mermaid tails in Eastport
It’s always a nice time to visit Maine’s easternmost city, but for an extra special occasion, try Mermaid Weekend, a series of community and arts events themed to the mythical creature and set for Aug. 4-6. It includes loads of live music, workshops on creating art out of things you find on the beach, puppet shows and a mermaid parade. Eat some seafood at a local restaurant, grab a beer at Horn Run Brewing. And if mermaids aren’t your style, wait a month and go to the Eastport Pirate Festival instead, Sept. 8-10.
Laissez le bon temps rouler in Madawaska
There’s no place else in the country quite like the St. John Valley, and if you want to enjoy it in its full glory, head up to Madawaska for the 45th annual Acadian Festival, a celebration of French Acadian culture in Maine. The six days are jam-packed with events, like the Party du Main Street on Friday night and the family fun day on Saturday. It all culminates in Acadian Day on Aug. 15, a Canadian holiday also celebrated in Maine honoring the centuries of history and culture of the Acadian people. If you’ve never taken part in a Tintamarre, or eaten ployes or pot en pot, now’s your chance.
Maybe catch a big friggin’ fish in Fort Kent
Speaking of the St. John Valley, if you love to fish and have never fished for muskie, you might want to enter yourself into the Fort Kent International Muskie Derby, set for Aug. 11-13 on the St. John River and its tributaries. Muskies — aka muskellunge — are a big, ugly, mean species of pike that are not native to Maine waters, which is why it’s all the more important to fish for them. Registration info can be found online at the Muskie Derby website.
Learn why hot dogs are red in Dexter
How many times have you explained to folks from out of state that hot dogs in Maine are red? Many times, we’d wager. You can truly show them how the sausage is made, however, at the Maine Red Hot Dog Festival, set for Saturday, Aug. 12, in the Penobscot County town of Dexter. If you love hot dogs, especially of the candy-red variety we have in Maine, you’ve got to go. Maybe even enter the hot dog eating contest and discover your inner Joey Chestnut.
Go ghost hunting in Prospect
Whether you’re a true believer or a skeptic, you’ll certainly experience the weirder side of life at the annual Paranormal Fair at Fort Knox State Historic Site, this year set for Aug. 19. Ghost hunters, UFO/UAP experts, cryptozoologists like Bangor’s own Loren Coleman, psychics and many others gather at the fort to share in all things unexplained. You can really amp up your weekend by also participating in ghost camping at the fort, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Aug. 19-20. For more information and camping tickets, visit fortknoxmaine.com.
Row, row, row your boat in Belfast
Maine’s maritime history is long and rich, and there are many ways to celebrate it throughout the year — but Belfast’s annual Harbor Fest, set for Aug. 18-20, lets you get up close and personal with boats of all sizes and shapes. The highlight of the event is the boat building challenge, in which teams of two have four hours to build a 12-foot wooden skiff, which they then race through Belfast Harbor. There’s also a cardboard boat building challenge, if that’s more your speed. For more information, visit belfastharborfest.com.
Feel pretty cheesy in Pittsfield
Unless you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, you probably love cheese. Which means that the Maine Cheese Festival likely sounds magical. The event, held this year on Sept. 10 at Manson Park in Pittsfield, brings together cheesemakers from all over the state, and gives you a chance to try more than 100 different varieties of cheese — from the sharpest of cheddars to the runniest of bries, and everything in between. Tickets start at $30 for adults and are available at mainecheesefestival.org.
Watching cutting-edge cinema in Camden
Credit: Gabor Degre / BDN
One of the most acclaimed film festivals in the country is held each year in Camden, Rockport and Rockland, specializing in documentary films that challenge, delight and inform in equal measure. The Camden International Film Festival, set for Sept. 14-17, announces its slate of films in mid-August, and almost always includes movies that you’ll later get to see on various streaming platforms, or nominated for Oscars. Tickets and passes are available online at the CIFF website.
