Maine
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.
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
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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.
(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.
(Photo by Benjamin Moore)
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.