Maine
9 Maine Small Towns With Unmatched Friendliness
A coastal place with a neighborly spirit, Maine is a must-see for anyone drawn to close-knit communities and natural scenery. The state is home to some of the friendliest towns where festivals, parades, and traditions anchor the calendar. In Lewiston and Biddeford summertime Art Walks bring residents and visitors together to celebrate local artists. Scarborough and Brunswick host outdoor music events that fill warm evenings with live performances. Bangor runs a downtown arts scene while Augusta keeps its historic landmarks and family-friendly green spaces. Each of these nine towns offers easy ways to connect with regional culture.
Lewiston
Central to Maine’s Franco-American heritage, Lewiston is a town soaked in history, with plenty of activities to enjoy. The town is home to the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning, and Labor, a unique museum offering hands-on learning experiences of all kinds. The town hosts several events focused on community building and supporting local talent and businesses. One of them is Art Walk LA, a summer series that transforms downtown into a lively arts district where you can enjoy artwork from local artists. The Great Falls Balloon Festival at Simard-Payne Memorial Park is an annual tradition featuring hot-air balloon launches, live music, and family-friendly activities. This one is a yearly highlight.
Bangor
With its waterfront trails and verdant forests and woodlands, Bangor is a nature lover’s destination. Take a hike along the Orono Bog Boardwalk in Bangor City Forest in the autumn to enjoy the fall foliage, or enjoy views of the water on the Bangor Waterfront Trail. The Bangor Historical Society is dedicated to promoting the town’s history and attracting tourists, with several walking tours available for visitors to enjoy. Stephen King fans can trace several Bangor landmarks associated with the author’s fictional Derry, including the 31-foot Paul Bunyan statue on Main Street near the Cross Insurance Center. Bangor’s community spirit also comes through in First Friday Art Walks, volunteer-produced monthly downtown arts events, and the Downtown Bangor Sidewalk Art Festivals, which bring Maine artists and artisan crafters into the city.
Scarborough
A coastal town on the beaches bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Scarborough, Maine, is a summertime destination. Enjoy a day at Scarborough Beach State Park, with access to the water and trails near the beach. The town hosts several community events in the summer months, including the Summer Concert Series in Memorial Park, where you can listen to live music from local musicians and bands. Scarborough also hosts the annual Summer Fest in August, featuring live music, activities, and food provided by local vendors to celebrate the community.
Biddeford
A small town bordering the point where the Saco River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Biddeford is a beach town with so much to offer. To support local arts and businesses, Biddeford hosts a monthly ArtWalk, featuring works by local artists in restaurants and cafes around town. Each month’s ArtWalk showcases different artists and businesses, and can even include street performances. The Biddeford Mills Museum works tirelessly to keep the region’s history alive, hosting tours of the town’s textile mill buildings for an immersive educational experience. The town hosts several annual events to drive tourism to the region and foster community, including Winterfest, held every February, and River Jam, held in August.
Brunswick
A college town on the Androscoggin River, Brunswick combines community with rich culture. The Maine State Music Theatre hosts Broadway-quality performances, while the Bowdoin College Museum of Art is one of the museums on the Maine Art Museum Trail. The Brunswick Town Mall plays host to the town’s Summer Concert Series, with live performances from local musicians performing all summer long. The annual Bowdoin International Music Festival brings a wide variety of music and music lovers to Brunswick every year to celebrate culture and the arts.
Sanford
With walking trails that take you through downtown, old mill buildings, grand houses, and woodlands, Sanford, Maine, is a town filled with history and adventure. Take a walk along the Mousam River, enjoying the serene sights of nature, and see the local wildlife. Sports lovers can enjoy baseball season by catching games of local college players on the Sanford Mainers team. With a slower pace of life, Sanford provides a blend of easy living with community values.
Saco
Located on the shores of Saco Bay, the town of Saco, Maine, is a community worth exploring. A visit to the Saco Museum to learn about the region’s history is a must for an educational day trip. Navigate the hiking trails in the Horton Woods, or spend a beach day in Ferry Beach State Park, walking along the boardwalk or enjoying the water. Saco’s Main Street is part of the Main Street Maine Community, an organization dedicated to supporting local downtown businesses and hosting many events on the main strip to foster community among townspeople and visitors alike.
Augusta
Located in the Kennebec Valley, Augusta, Maine, feels like stepping back in time. The historic downtown features buildings with ornate Victorian-era architecture. The town has several museums and historical monuments. A visit to Old Fort Western, a National Historic Landmark and living history museum, offers public tours of the fort, store, and house led by costumed interpreters. With over six miles of trails, the Viles Arboretum is a great place to take friends and family to enjoy nature’s beauty.
Gorham
Home of the University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Maine, is a small town promoting community and family values. The Gorham Sports Center is an indoor facility for rentals and indoor community soccer leagues. Gorham Parks & Recreation offers an adult co-ed softball program in the summer at Gorham High School’s softball field, bringing the town together around sporting events. Families especially appreciate the numerous summer camp programs for kids, which offer educational and enriching experiences to keep kids occupied all summer long. The town hosts an annual Memorial Day Parade, where the community gathers to celebrate the long weekend together. The Cross Town Trail is a 1.5-mile easy rail-trail along an old railroad bed, with trailheads at the end of Hutcherson Drive and on New Portland Road at Tink Drive.
The Friendliest Towns in Maine
These nine towns prove that community is at the heart of Maine’s core values. Through their events, these Maine towns promote their artists and musicians to wider audiences through the Summer Concert Series and Art Walks, going above and beyond to cultivate their regional culture.
Maine
Forget Acadia, Visit Maine’s Underrated Mountain Destination With Crystal Clear Waters And Alpine Hiking Trails – Islands
In 2025, Acadia National Park had a record-breaking year, welcoming over 4 million visitors to its pristine coastal setting for hiking, swimming, and admiring panoramic views. While Acadia is stunningly beautiful, travelers who want to enjoy similar outdoor adventures without the crowds should trade a visit here for a lesser-known Maine mountain destination. About 90 miles inland from Portland, you’ll find Tumbledown Mountain, a nearly 3,100-foot peak in Maine’s Western Mountains. Surrounded by millions of forested acres, Tumbledown Mountain is part of Tumbledown Public Land, a protected area connected to the larger Mount Blue State Park.
Tumbledown Mountain can be summited by a range of hiking trails, from more moderate ascents to truly intense climbs. The mountain’s alpine terrain is renowned for its flora and fauna, and nature lovers may come across rare and unique species along the way. The crown jewel of Tumbledown Mountain is the scenic Tumbledown Pond, a 9-acre alpine lake cradled by the mountain’s trio of peaks. The pond’s crystal-clear water offers hikers a refreshing place to swim or to fish before continuing toward the mountain’s rocky summits, which promise sweeping vistas of the unspoiled landscape. No camping is allowed on Tumbledown Mountain, but neighboring Mount Blue State Park offers plenty of camping and outdoor recreation opportunities.
If you’re traveling from out of town to Maine, Tumbledown Mountain is about a two-hour drive from Portland International Jetport, which receives nonstop flights from most major U.S. cities. Tumbledown Mountain is free to visit and open year-round, but the best time to summit the mountain and swim in the pond is between June and October.
The best hiking trails on Tumbledown Mountain
Hiking enthusiasts will discover a number of trails to ascend Tumbledown Mountain. The main trail is the Brook Trail, considered the most moderate trail to reach Tumbledown Pond. From the trailhead, where there is a parking lot and bathroom facilities, you can head out on the 1.8-mile route. The forested path along the brook is a moderate trek as it gains elevation, but the final push to the pond is rather steep and rocky. For hikers who want more of a challenge after reaching the pond, the Brook Trail can be extended by heading out on the Tumbledown Ridge Trail, which reaches East Peak and then upward to West Peak for stunning panoramas. “This is one of my favorite hikes I have done,” raved a Tripadvisor reviewer. “The views at the top are spectacular!”
From the Brook Trail trailhead, hikers seeking a longer and less popular hike can use the Little Jackson Connector to reach the Parker Ridge Trail. This nearly 6-mile round-trip loop leads to the pond and passes unique “crooked wood,” a phenomenon of curved trees, and rocky outcroppings.
Tumbledown’s answer to Precipice Loop, one of Acadia’s most daring trails that climbs a sheer cliff, is the Loop Trail, an intensely uphill trek to the mountain’s towering peaks. Loop Trail’s trailhead begins a few miles down from Brook Trail’s. There is parking available, but no bathroom facilities. The nearly 6-mile trail requires some climbing experience and sturdy footwear. In fact, a section of the trail is known as the “Fat Man’s Misery” since it involves rock scrambling through a natural tunnel of large boulders and ladders. Like Brook Trail, the Loop Trail connects to Tumbledown Ridge Trail to reach the summits of East and West Peak, or you can head down just over a half mile to Tumbledown Pond.
Lake adventures on and around Tumbledown Mountain
While the journey to get there can be exhausting, Tumbledown Pond’s natural beauty makes the effort worthwhile. Fringed by conifer trees, the alpine pond features cold, crystal-clear water beneath the shadow of Tumbledown Mountain’s peaks. The pond sits at an elevation of about 2,800 feet, so the water stays cool year-round, even in the hottest months of July and August. Hikers are free to swim in the bracing blue waters, a welcome treat after an intense hike. Then again, swimmers should be aware that the pond is fairly deep, reaching up to 22 feet. If you pack your fishing rod, you can also catch-and-release fish in the scenic lake, which is stocked with brook trout.
For more outdoor fun, visit the neighboring Mount Blue State Park, a scenic escape for hiking, camping, and lake adventures. While camping is no longer allowed at Tumbledown Mountain, Mount Blue State Park has over 130 campsites for intrepid travelers who want to stay overnight amid Maine’s untouched natural beauty. The park is anchored by the large 2,150-acre Webb Lake, which boasts a sandy beach and boating adventures. Also on the shores of Webb Lake is the Kawanhee Inn, which dates to 1929. Today, the historic inn is a grand shingled retreat that captures Maine’s rustic spirit, but offers plenty of modern comforts (it has welcomed royalty and diplomats). Guests can stay in rooms or suites in the main inn or book one of the private cabins overlooking the lake which feature wood-paneled walls, large stone fireplaces, and cozy furnishings. To explore another iconic Maine lake, don’t miss Sebago Lake, New England’s deepest lake that’s a “vast summer playground” and lies just outside Portland.
Maine
Here are Memorial Day 2026 parades, ceremonies in Seacoast NH and Maine
Portsmouth honors sailors lost at sea
Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern gives a speech during the Burial at Sea wreath-laying memorial ceremony May 22, 2026 at Prescott Park.
Portsmouth plans parade with ‘rare’ route
Portsmouth held its annual Burial at Sea wreath-laying ceremony Friday, May 22 at Prescott Park.
On Monday, May 25, at 1 p.m., the city will host a Memorial Day/250th Commemorative Parade. The parade will step off from Parrott Avenue, turn onto Richards Avenue, pause for a wreath‑laying at the Logan’s Orders monument in South Cemetery, then continue along South Street and ending on Junkins Avenue. Portions of Richards Avenue and South Street will be closed to parking and traffic during the event. In case of rain, a ceremony will be held inside City Hall Council Chambers.
The Recreation Department is encouraging residents along the route to decorate and watch from their porches, noting Portsmouth does not host a Memorial Day parade every year and a parade along Richards Avenue and this stretch of South Street is “especially rare.”
City facilities will be closed on Monday, May 25, and there will be no trash or recycling pickup that day; Monday’s collection will be combined with Tuesday’s. The Portsmouth Public Library and Community Campus will be closed May 23–25.
Also on Memorial Day, the USS Albacore Submarine Memorial Park will hold its annual ceremony at 10 a.m.
(This story has been updated after Portsmouth officials provided an update to the parade route.)
Dover: Ceremony at Pine Hill Cemetery
A Memorial Day ceremony will be held on Monday, May 25, 2026, beginning at 11 a.m. at Pine Hill Cemetery and hosted by Dover’s Woodman Museum and American Legion Post 8.
The event will include opening remarks by Woodman Museum Executive Director Jonathan Nichols, a Memorial Day address by Dover Mayor Dennis Shanahan, remarks by American Legion Commander Wayne Gower, a wreath-laying ceremony, presentation of colors by the Dover High School NJROTC, the playing of Taps by Dover High School students Sofia Gonzalez Ramirez and Michael Ranti, and the national anthem, performed by Dover High School student Luna Hubbard.
The ceremony will be held at Veterans Circle, which can be accessed from the East Watson Street entrance to the cemetery.
Durham
Remembrance ceremony will be held Monday, May 25 at 10 a.m. at Memorial Park on Main Street. Community members are invited to pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving and protecting the country.
Exeter: Memorial Day parade to honor the fallen
The town’s annual Memorial Day Parade will be held Monday, May 25, beginning at 10 a.m. at Swasey Parkway. A helicopter wreath drop is scheduled to take place at the parkway before the parade steps off.
The procession will travel from Swasey Parkway to the bandstand, continue to the Historical Society, and conclude at Gale Park Cemetery. This year’s featured speaker will be General Don Bolduc.
“We hope everybody comes out to honor the fallen,” said Florence Ruffner, who organizes the parade. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Hampton area: Army veteran Kyle Saltonstall to speak
The Hamptons American Legion Post 35 will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday, May 25, and the public is invited to attend.
The day will begin at 8 a.m. with a ceremony at the Marine Memorial at Hampton Beach, followed by a 9 a.m. ceremony at Weare Common in Hampton Falls. At 10 a.m., North Hampton will hold its Memorial Day parade, which follows a new route this year; units will form at 9:45 a.m. in the library parking lot on Atlantic Avenue, and a ceremony will take place in front of North Hampton School after the parade. The Hampton parade will step off at 11:30 a.m., with units forming at 11:15 a.m. next to the Hampton Fire Department on Winnacunnet Road, and a ceremony will follow at High Street Cemetery.
This year’s guest speaker is Army veteran Kyle Saltonstall, who deployed to Afghanistan in 2016 as an Advanced Tactical Paramedic with the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), known as the Night Stalkers. His military honors include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Parachutist Badge.
Post 35 invites all veterans and Scout units from Hampton, North Hampton and Hampton Falls to participate in both the North Hampton and Hampton parades.
Newfields: Memorial Day & USA 250th celebration
The town of Newfields will mark Memorial Day weekend and the nation’s 250th anniversary with a full slate of events May 23–24.
Festivities began Saturday, May 23, with an 8:30 a.m. naval launch at Chapman’s Landing. A Bill Tebo sign unveiling will follow, leading into the town’s parade and picnic at Hilton Field at 11 a.m. The afternoon features a 2 p.m. U.S. Militia vs. Red Coats skirmish and a 5 p.m. militia encampment.
Events continue Sunday, May 24, starting with a 9 a.m. pancake breakfast. An old‑fashioned fireman’s muster is scheduled for 4 p.m., followed by food trucks, a beer tent, and family activities beginning at 6 p.m. The celebration concludes with fireworks at 9 p.m. A rain date is set for Monday, May 25.
Rochester: Flags of Honor and parade
Vouchers for Veterans and the city of Rochester announced Flags of Honor will again put heroism on display at Rocester Common over Memorial Day weekend, May 23–25.
Flags of Honor is a display of 550 full-sized American flags arranged within and around the ⅓-mile oval park, each flag dedicated to an individual veteran.
“Every year we witness several people wiping away tears as they stroll among the field of flags, reading names on each card,” said Jeanne Grover, Vouchers for Veterans founder and board president. “We are so grateful to the city of Rochester for partnering with us so that this display is available for the community.”
Each evening at 7 p.m., buglers will play echo taps, and a bagpiper will perform while walking among the field of flags. Some of the flags will be dedicated by local businesses in memory of individual New Hampshire and Maine veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. The remaining flags will be dedicated to any American veteran of the community’s choosing. Each flag is identified with a laminated card containing the name, branch, rank, and insignia of the veteran being honored, and is attached to its own flagpole with a yellow silk ribbon.
On Monday, May 25, the Rochester Memorial Day Parade will conclude at the Rochester Common at approximately 11 a.m.., followed by a ceremony.
Information: vouchersforveterans.org
Somersworth
A Memorial Day parade and services will be held Monday May 25.
Services will be held as follows: 9:15 a.m. at Forest Glade Cemetery, 9:30 a.m. at Greek Orthodox Cemetery, 9:45 a.m. at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 10:15 a.m. at Holy Trinity Cemetery and 10:25 a.m. at Tri-City Covenant Church Cemetery.
The parade will start at 11:30 a.m. at the American Legion. There will be two brief ceremonies at Veterans Memorial on Main Street and at the Berwick Bridge.
Stratham: Memorial Day parade and ceremony
The town of Stratham will hold its Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday, May 25.
The parade steps off at 1:30 p.m. from Jack Rabbit Lane and will travel east along Portsmouth Avenue to Stratham Hill Park, featuring fire trucks, police vehicles, the Cooperative Middle School band, Scouts, youth sports teams, antique cars and trucks, and other community groups. Portsmouth Avenue between Jack Rabbit Lane and the park will be closed to traffic during the procession.
A Memorial Day ceremony will follow in the Veterans Memorial Garden at Stratham Hill Park. The guest speaker will be Joe Pace, executive director of the American Independence Center in Exeter and a Stratham native with a long record of public service, including roles in local government, education, and Rotary leadership.
The wreath‑laying will be performed by lifelong resident Josephine “Jody” Wiggin Scamman, daughter of Stratham’s first fire chief and wife of its third. She will be joined by Stratham Fire Chief Jeffrey M. Denton, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who served more than 26 years in the New Hampshire Air National Guard.
Master of Ceremonies Jeff Gallagher said this year’s observance carries added meaning as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“The parade allows us to celebrate and honor as a community,” he said.
Kittery, Maine
A Memorial Day service was set to be held at Orchard Grove Cemetery at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 23.
Kennebunks, Maine
Kennebunkport and Kennebunk will each hold Memorial Day parades on Monday, May 25, with ceremonies planned to honor those who died in military service.
The day begins with a sequence of salutes at local memorials and cemeteries starting at 7:30 a.m. at the American Legion Monument, followed by stops in Cape Porpoise, Arundel Cemetery, and North Street Cemetery, according to the event schedule.
A breakfast for parade marchers will be held at the Masonic Hall at 7:30 a.m., and Temple Street will close to general traffic at 8:45 a.m. Participants must be in place by 9 a.m., with the Kennebunkport parade stepping off at 9:30 a.m. The procession will return to Dock Square for a ceremony at 10 a.m., and the parade will conclude by 10:30 a.m.
A Legion Social for veterans, members, and parade participants will follow at noon.
Kennebunk’s parade begins at 2 p.m., preceded by a 1:30 p.m. band concert on the steps of Town Hall. The parade route starts at Town Hall on Summer Street, proceeds through Main and High streets, and ends at the fire station on Summer Street.
Any military veteran wishing to march — regardless of American Legion membership — is invited to meet at the Masonic Hall for breakfast and information and be on Temple Street by 9 a.m. to join the parade.
Participants include American Legion Post 159, American Legion Riders, the Dunlap Highland Band, Kennebunk Middle and High School bands, Boy Scout Troop 304, and the Kennebunkport police and fire departments.
Wells, Maine
The town of Wells is inviting residents and visitors to gather in remembrance for the 2026 Memorial Day Parade, scheduled for Monday, May 25, at 9 a.m.
The annual event honors the men and women who died in service to the nation, as well as all veterans and active‑duty members of the Armed Forces.
The parade will step off from Wells High School on Sanford Road and proceed east along Route 109 before turning south on Post Road (Route 1). It will conclude at Ocean View Cemetery, where a memorial ceremony will take place.
This year’s participants include the Committee for Veterans Affairs, the Atlantic Harmonies Youth Choir, Rev. David Hughes of Wells Congregational Church, the Wells‑Ogunquit Community School District music departments, Wells EMS, Wells Police, Wells Fire Department, the Civil Air Patrol Maine Wing, local veterans and town officials.
All veterans and current service members who wish to march are encouraged to join and should gather at the Wells Town Hall parking lot at 8:30 a.m. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.
York, Maine
The York Committee for Veteran’s Affairs will hold the town’s annual Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 25, beginning at 10 a.m.
The parade will step off from St. Christopher’s Church and proceed through town to First Parish Cemetery, with stops at the Soldiers Monument, the Korea, World War II, Revolutionary War and Old Cemetery memorials, the Civil War cannon, the World War I memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial.
A ceremony will follow at First Parish Church. The event is sponsored by the York Committee for Veteran’s Affairs and the town of York Parks and Recreation Department.
Sanford, Maine
The Sanford Veterans Memorial Committee is inviting the community to its Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 25, honoring past and present service members.
Wreath‑laying ceremonies will begin at 7:45 a.m. at Central Park, followed by stops at St. Ignatius Cemetery (8 a.m.), Oakdale Cemetery (8:15 a.m.), Sailors Park (8:30 a.m.), Riverside Cemetery (8:45 a.m.), Notre Dame Cemetery (9 a.m.), and Number One Pond (9:15 a.m.).
The Memorial Day parade will step off at 10 a.m., traveling from Number One Pond to Main Street and continuing to the gazebo at Walgreens in Springvale, where the town’s Memorial Ceremony will take place.
If you have more events for this listing, send email to news@seacoastonline.com or news@fosters.com.
Maine
Maine US Senate candidate Graham Platner ad criticizing Boston Red Sox pulled during game
Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner says a campaign ad that says private equity has destroyed the Boston Red Sox was removed by the station during Friday’s game — which the Sox lost.
“Yesterday we started running this ad during the Red Sox game,” the campaign account for Democrat Graham Platner posted on X on Saturday. “Midway through the game the ad was taken down by the station (which is owned by Red Sox ownership).
“And then the Sox blew a 4–0 lead,” the post added.
The Red Sox lost to the Minnesota Twins Friday night 8 to 6.
Political newcomer Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran, is the expected Democratic Party nominee to take on Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins after Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, ended her own campaign last month, citing funding issues.
Platner is a controversial figure due to some old social media posts and a chest tattoo featuring a symbol associated with the Nazi paramilitary police the Schutzstaffel, or SS. Platner has since covered the tattoo and said that he hadn’t been aware of the symbol’s association.
The 30-second ad didn’t mention the Sox by name in Platner’s voiceover, but it did cite a March 2021 Axios article headline that eliminated the need to guess: “Private Equity Firm to Get Stake in Boston Red Sox.”
Here’s Platner’s voiceover in its entirety: “Private equity has destroyed our favorite baseball team, stripping them for parts. Private equity is buying up our homes, our sports, and our lives. I will reverse the private equity curse. I’m Graham Platner and I approve this message because I miss Mookie Betts.”
The campaign account posted the full ad to its page on Friday.
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