Maine

12 ways to celebrate spring in Maine, from openings to festivals

Published

3 months ago

March 30, 2026

12 ways to celebrate spring in Maine, from openings to festivals

April 7-12. Hadlock Field, 271 Park Ave., Portland, $14-$25. portlandseadogs.com.

“Play ball!” are baseball fans’ two favorite words this time of year, when it’s time to bundle up and take yourself out to the ballgame at Hadlock Field. The Portland Sea Dogs kick off their home season with six consecutive games against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. It’s never too cold to enjoy a Sea Dog biscuit and to root, root, root for the home team. Tickets for the April 7 game are free for kids 17 and under with the purchase of an adult ticket.

April 10-12. Sugarloaf, 5092 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley, $33.85-$76.54. sugarloaf.com.

Reggae Fest celebrates its 38th anniversary at Sugarloaf with three fun days of reggae music and parties on the outdoor patio known as The Beach, and at bar and restaurants The Widowmaker, King Pine Room and Bullwinkle’s. Reggae DJs will be spinning, and there will be live performances by Marlon Asher, Double Tiger, Mighty Mystic and Annie in the Water among other acts.

Starting May 1. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, 105 Botanical Gardens Dr., Boothbay, $28, $24 seniors and veterans, $19 students 18 and older, $12 for 3-17, free for under 3. mainegardens.org.

A bright yellow Bartzella peony at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. (Gordon Chibroski/ Staff Photographer)

Put a spring in your step with a stroll around Coastal Maine Botanical Garden’s nearly 300 acres. The grounds are brimming with ever-changing beauty as spring blossoms into summer. Along the way, you’ll discover five giant wooden trolls, a native butterfly house and a whimsical fairy house village tucked among the gardens’ many delights.

3-10 p.m. May 2. Riverbank Park, Westbrook. seafest.me

SEAFEST celebrates the colors, flavors and traditions of Southeast Asia, and how they’re woven into Maine’s multicultural identity. The festival is presented by the local Cambodian community group Khmer Maine, along with members of local Thai, Filipino and Vietnamese communities. SEAFEST features arts, music, dance and a variety of Southeast Asian food. All are welcome.

May 2. Downtown Kennebunk locations. kennebunkmaine.us.

Kennebunk’s long-running May Day festival is packed with a full day of family-friendly events and activities. It starts with a pancake breakfast and features a farmers market, food trucks, fishing derby, live music, book sale and all sorts of things for kids to do. Best of all is the parade with Shriners’ classic miniature cars, floats, a marching band and variety of familiar mascots.

May 2-3. Statewide pottery and ceramics studios. mainepotterytour.org.

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Diane Harwood puts cards in her mugs as she restocks the shelves during the 2024 Maine Pottery Tour at D. Harwood Pottery in Winthrop.
(Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

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The annual Maine Pottery Tour is a weekend for dozens of pottery and ceramics studios statewide to open to the public. You can meet artists, watch demonstrations, see the kilns and shop for pottery and ceramics.

Participants include Peeper Pond Studio in Yarmouth, Tall Pines Pottery in Westbrook, Fine Mess Pottery in Augusta and Work In Progress Art Studio in Lisbon. The Maine Pottery Tour website includes information about the Plan My Tour app featuring online maps of the studios to help you craft the perfect pottery adventure.

Noon-3 p.m. May 3. Oxbow Blending & Bottling, 49 Washington Ave., Portland, $35, 21-plus. ciderfeasthq.com.

If you love hard cider, you’ll want to snag tickets to the annual CiderFeast, where the best ciders in the region will be poured. Everyone gets a souvenir glass, and there will be plenty of local food to pair with the delicious cider you’ll be imbibing. Participants include Rocky Ground (Hampden), Bon Vent (Hancock) and Run Amok Mead (West Gardiner) among many others.

10 a.m.-3 p.m. May 3. Waterfront Park, Augusta. ritualmaine.com.

Ritual Maine is a central Maine-based crystal business that also hosts eclectic markets in the Kennebec Valley. This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Spring Ritual Market, where you’ll find more than 35 vendors peddling crystals, gems, upcycled clothing, pottery, candles, herbal goods and more. Two food trucks and a coffee truck will be parked on-site. A mini version of the market will also take place on from noon-5 p.m. May 31 at Absolem Cider in Winthrop.

11 a.m.-3 p.m. May 9-10. Mayo Street Arts, 10 Mayo St., Portland, $10 in advance, $13 at the door, $5 for tastes from the food vendors.

Here’s a chance to taste a wide range of international cuisine under one roof. A Taste of Nations Food Festival is an annual culinary event presented by Mayo Street Arts and Fork Food Lab. Some of this year’s food vendors are Amira Cuisine (Middle Eastern), Eduardo’s Brazilian Grill One, Yardie Ting (Jamaican) and Choma Zone (East African). There will also be live DJ sets by Moody Lords Vinyl and Vintage co-owners Andrew Chang and Nick Robles.

May 15-16. Portland locations, $60-$90 single day, $152-$150 for two-day pass. allroadsmusicfest.com.

The All Roads Music Festival makes its Portland debut in a huge way. Over two days, nine venues including State Theatre, One Longfellow Square and Portland House of Music will be hosting more than 40 performances and events. With a lineup that features local, regional and national acts such as Beaches, Monrovia, Bahamas, Genevieve Stokes, Louisa Stancioff, Touching Ice, Becca Biggs and Myles Bullen, among many others, All Roads will be downright epic. The festival also includes talks, panel discussions, exhibitions and workshops centered on music.

May 23-24. Narrow Gauge Amphitheater, 123 Narrow Gauge Square, Farmington, $40 per day, $70 weekend pass. whistlestopconcertseries.com.

Spend part of Memorial Day weekend with live outdoor music in Farmington. The Sandy River Music Festival features two days of performances, with a total of 11 acts. The lineup includes Rigometrics, Griffin William Sherry, Gina and the Red Eye Flight Crew and The Last Revel. Level up your experience by adding camping to the weekend. There are tent rentals, bring your own tent and bring your own camper options.

June 13. Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds, Dover-Foxcroft, $6, free for 12 and under. mainewhoopiepiefestival.com.

Do whoopie pies taste better in the middle of June? Find out by hitting the annual Whoopie Pie Festival, where you’ll find plenty of Maine’s official state treat. The festival includes a road race/walk, live wrestling, food and crafts, music and whoopie pies as far as the eye can see. You can also make your whoopie pie dreams come true by entering the whoopie pie-eating contest. Stretch pants recommended.

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Maine

Obituary: Craig Joseph Ahlemeyer

Published

7 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

Craig Joseph Ahlemeyer

STANDISH – Craig J. Ahlemeyer, 48 of Standish, passed away unexpectedly, Saturday, June 13, 2026.A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 27 th at Standish Congregational Church, 25 Oak Hill Road in Standish. A reception will follow.To see Craig’s full obituary, share a memory or leave the family an online condolence, please visit http://www.athutchins.com.

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Maine

A Weekend in Maine | Cup of Jo

Published

17 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Press Room

A Weekend in Maine

“Do you ever think we could find some woods to walk in?” my outdoorsy 12-year-old asks me, every now and again. As a kid growing up in New York City, Anton appreciates all the skate parks and bagel shops, but he also really craves nature, like in his bones.

Joanna goddard anton maine

So, when school got out, I offered to take him for a weekend in Maine, a place with not only woods but also lakes and rocks and periwinkles that come out of their shells when you hum. We were both really excited.

aragosta hotel maine

The first night, we were lucky enough to snag a room at Aragosta, a beautiful small hotel in Deer Isle that Alison had recommended.

aragosta hotel breakfast maine

The chef-owner, Devin Finigan, is famous for her seasonal tasting menus, but we focused on the breakfast that came with the room, including these Maine blueberry pancakes. I don’t even usually like pancakes and these blew my mind.

Joanna goddard chess

We also played a LOT of chess on our little travel board.

A Weekend in Maine

After breakfast, we set out to hike up Blue Hill Mountain.

A Weekend in Maine

Here’s the summit!

stonington maine

In the afternoon, we explored the charming fishing village of Stonington…

Julie O'Rourke Maine

…then joined my friend Julie (of Rudy Jude fame) and her family for dinner at the Burnt Cove Boil.

burnt cove boil

Basically, a crab gets plonked down in front of you, followed by a corn on the cob, then a lobster, then a classic ice-cream sandwich. Julie and her husband Anthony taught us how to get all the meat out. (Their kids were already pros.)

burnt cove boil

Afterward, the four boys scrambled around on the rocks, while the adults chatted. It’s always such a treat to hang out with people who live in the place you’re visiting, don’t you think? Julie and Anthony described how they brought their recently hatched chicks into their home to keep them warm, and all the peeping was sooooo loud — and then a cricket got into the house and added to the noise and no one could find it and everyone was going nuts, haha. Very different from city life!

asticou hotel

The next day, Anton and I stayed at the lovely Asticou Hotel near Acadia National Park.

Jordan pond hike Acadia national park

We drove to a couple trailheads but they were PACKED — you had to stand in a long line, just to start the hike! Luckily, we found a quieter area and took a long walk around Jordan Pond, playing Would You Rather and Categories along the way. Do you have any favorite travel games?

anton stones

anton maine

Finally, we skimmed stones on our last afternoon before heading back to Brooklyn.

A Weekend in Maine anton

Epic travel buddy

Oh, Maine, what a magical place! Not pictured, of course: traffic, grumpy preteen moments, locking our keys in the rental car, etc., but all that’s to be expected.

Have you been to Maine? Do you live there? What parts do you love? Any pro tips? I’d love to hear. xoxo

P.S. Our Maine trip — and another amazing hotel — when the boys were much younger, and a Maine home with a bedroom looking over water.

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Maine

Matt Dunlap wins primary in Maine’s 2nd District as Democrats seek to hang on to Jared Golden’s seat

Published

1 day ago

June 22, 2026

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Matt Dunlap wins primary in Maine’s 2nd District as Democrats seek to hang on to Jared Golden’s seat

June 22, 2026 / 7:25 AM EDT
/ CBS News

Matt Dunlap won the Democratic primary in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District after three rounds of ranked-choice voting, the state’s Secretary of State’s office announced Friday.

Democrats are seeking to hang onto a seat in a district that President Trump won in the last three presidential elections. State Sen. Joe Baldacci led after the first two rounds of ranked–choice voting, but Dunlap overtook him after challengers Paige Loud and Jordan Wood were eliminated.

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate, is retiring after four terms. His decision not to run for reelection was a blow to Democrats’ efforts to retake the House majority.

In the 2024 election, Golden was one of 13 Democrats to win a House race in a district also won by Mr. Trump. Golden declined to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has voted with Republicans on several issues, including measures to avert a shutdown and on reining in Mr. Trump’s war powers authority.

Dunlap, the state’s auditor, will face Republican Paul LePage in November’s general election. LePage is a former two-term governor who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. As of May 20, LePage had $1.2 million cash on hand while Dunlap had less than $100,000, according to Federal Election Commission data.

Dunlap’s win marks a defeat for House Democrats’ campaign arm. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Joe Baldacci, a state senator, saying he “has never lost an election and has consistently overperformed Democrats up and down the ballot, including a 3-point overperformance of the presidential ticket in 2024.”

Baldacci was the runner–up, the Maine Secretary of State’s office said. The results were announced 10 days after voters went to the polls due to the ranked-choice tabulations.

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