We’ve compiled some great events and festivals happening this month across the state to celebrate summer: from the Bar Harbor Designer Showhouse at Hamilton Hill, the Maine Lobster Festival and the Boat & Home Show in Rockland, a mountain bike festival in Carrabassett Valley, the Wild Blueberry Festival in Machias, and the Great Falls Hot Air Balloon Festival in Lewiston.
Bar Harbor Designer Showhouse
Hamilton Hill, Mount Desert Island, Maine
July 30- August 19, 2023
Decor Maine presents the Bar Harbor Designer Showhouse through August 19, with ticket sales benefitting the Mount Desert Island Hospital. The renowned mansion on Hamilton Hill, a former retreat of Alexander Hamilton’s great-grandson, will be transformed with each room showcasing the work of incredible interior designers. Designers include Nicola Manganello of Nicola’s Home, the acclaimed residential and commercial design firm behind restaurants including the Royal River Grille House in Yarmouth and Sicilian Table in Falmouth. Learn more at decormaine.com.
Maine Lobster Festival
Rockland, Maine
August 2-6, 2023
“The Maine Lobster Festival is five days of fun and feasting on the fabulous coast of Maine! This annual seafood festival takes place during the first weekend of August, from Wednesday through Sunday. What started as an idea for a local marine festival to revive Midcoast Maine communities has turned into an internationally-recognized celebration of local seafood. The Maine Lobster Festival attracts visitors from as near as our local communities to those from countries around the globe,” reads mainelobsterfestival.com. The festival includes tons of seafood vendors, a Seafood Cooking Contest, Arts & Crafts vendors, a parade, live music and entertainment, and the original International Great Crate Race! “The race course is a string of 50 lobster storage crates stretching across a section of Rockland’s inner harbor in full view of the festival grounds. While trying to reach the other end, contestants scamper across the barely floating lobster crates.” Learn more on the event website.
“Ride the Region Summer Bash” Mountain Bike Festival
Carrabassett Valley, Maine
August 4-6, 2023
Grab your bikes (and helmets!) and head to the Western Maine Mountains for the “Ride the Region Summer Bash,” where all ability levels are welcome to explore the incredible local network of singletrack bike trails at this special mountain bike festival. Activities include a group ride at Freeman Ridge Bike Park in Kingfield on Friday, group rides on Saturday led by CRNEMA (Carrabassett Region New England Mountain Bike Association), Bike Borderlands, Maine Adaptive, and Maine Huts and Trails, and more group rides on Sunday. There will also be live music and special events at local establishments including the Base Village at Sugarloaf ski resort, the Hostel of Maine, the Rack BBQ, Rolling Fatties, and the Maine Beer Shed.
Looking for even more mountain biking? Join the spectating crowds at Sugarloaf ski resort on August 19-20, when the mountain hosts the Eastern States Cup Enduro and Downhill Championships.
Maine Boats, Homes & Harbor Show
Rockland, Maine
August 11-13, 2023
“If you love the coast of Maine, you won’t want to miss this high-end, high-summer event in Rockland, Maine, the second weekend in August. Each year we gather Maine’s finest artists, architects, boatbuilders, craftsmen, designers, furniture makers, jewelers, and marine gear vendors together in ONE place at ONE time! Meet them all in person at the annual Maine Boat & Home Show. Featuring: Elegant Boats, Live Music, Food Court, Fine Furniture & Jewelry and a Just for Kids Area.” Learn more at maineboats.com.
Wild Blueberry Festival
Machias, Maine
August 18-20, 2023
Machias, Maine, hosts the Wild Blueberry Festival each August. Nearby in Cherryfield, on the way Downeast, you’ll pass the farms and headquarters of Wyman’s, which distributes wild Maine blueberries across the world and is considered the Wild Blueberry Capital of the World. Just down Route 1 is Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls, a blueberry-shaped gift shop selling all things blueberry. The festival features blueberry pie eating contests, blueberry farm tours, arts and crafts vendors, and plenty of blueberries.
“Come celebrate the powerful little fruit that put our corner of Downeast Maine on the map. Centre Street Congregational Church, UCC, rolls out the blue carpet each August with crafts, food, entertainment, contests, and all things blueberry. There’s no admission charge. We are on the Downeast part of Maine’s beautiful, rugged coast, two hours from Bangor, about an hour and a half from Bar Harbor, and a little more than an hour from St. Stephen, New Brunswick. From whale-watching to lighthouses, from hiking and kayaking to eagles and lobster rolls, our little corner of Maine has a lot to offer!” Learn more at machiasblueberry.com.
Great Falls Balloon Festival
Auburn & Lewiston, Maine
August 18-20, 2023
“Based at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston—with additional entertainment and food offerings at Festival Plaza in Auburn—the festival attracts approximately 100,000 visitors throughout the weekend. The Androscoggin River and rocky Great Falls provide a picturesque setting for the dozens of balloons that visit each year, including some special shape balloons. With free admission, hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by participating non-profits, and an economic impact in excess of $2,000,000, it’s easy to see why our community eagerly anticipates the festival each year.
Balloon launches are scheduled for 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, weather permitting. When the balloons aren’t overhead, there is still plenty to do: dozens of food booths offer everything from lime rickeys to taco salad, pancake breakfast follows the morning launches, craft and trade booths invite browsing, a children’s area with games, a bounce house, and face painting and live entertainment on two stages. Carnival rides, a parade, and various demonstrations and contests round out the weekend’s events.” Learn more at greatfallsballoonfestival.org
Maine Lobster Boat Races Schedule
Harpswell
July 30
Winter Harbor
August 12
Merritt Brackett (Pemaquid)
August 13
Long Island
August 19
MS Harborfest (Portland)
August 20
Upcoming Arts & Crafts Festivals
Vinalhaven Flea Market
July 29 + August 5
Vinalhaven, Maine
Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival
August 19th
Brunswick, Maine
Portland Fine Craft
August 26
Portland, Maine
Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival
Sept 9-10
Wells, Maine
