Maine has many festivals, fairs, and events throughout the year, some well-known like the Maine Lobster Fest, others maybe not as much. No matter what you want to celebrate, from lobster to blueberries, maple sugar, clams, biking, windjammers, Native American Culture, or lighthouses, there’s a festival or fair celebrating it. Here are our top five events in Maine to attend. Due to ongoing pandemic concerns, don’t forget to check each event’s website for details and scheduling updates.
Yarmouth Clam Festival
This popular festival is held in mid-July and starts things off with a Friday night parade. The festivities continue through the long weekend with fireworks, clam shucking contests, cook-offs, cooking demonstrations, arts & crafts, live music, and clams, clams, clams.
The Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
Every August, Downeast Maine celebrates all things blueberry. This festival features live entertainment, arts & crafts, a blueberry pie-eating contest, cooking contest, road race, a blueberry quilt raffle, parade and all the blueberries you can eat. After reaping the many benefits of the blueberry, take time to do some prime whale watching.
Sugarloaf’s Reggae Fest
Whether you’re a skier or not, start spring off right with the biggest ski party and island music festival in the northeast. Live reggae bands perform indoors and out on multiple stages in April at one of the hottest events in Maine. The base of Sugarloaf’s slopes turns into a giant beach party filled with live reggae, beer, and more. Don’t forget to pack your tie-dye! Not into reggae? Attend the Sunday River’s Parrothead Spring Fest ski weekend with margaritas, key lime pie-eating contests, and island music (think Jimmy Buffet in lieu of Bob Marley).
Windjammer Festivals
Naturally, there are actually quite a few events and festivals centered on boating and windjammers in particular. Two of our favorites (we couldn’t settle on just one) are the Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days in June with a parade of ships, blessing of the fleet, tug of war, pirates, and a mock British invasion. Camden’s Windjammer festival features fireworks, lobster trap races, a fish toss relay, a boat parade and a harbor full of graceful Windjammers.
The Maine Lobster Festival
Get ready for five days of lobster fun in Harbor Park in Rockland during the Maine Lobster Festival! During the first weekend in August, enjoy all the lobster you can eat, prepared just about any way you can imagine. Plus, there’s a parade, coronation of the Maine Sea Goddess, crate car races, live entertainment, wine and craft beer tastings, arts and crafts, a carnival, and more. This is the quintessential Maine event!