Maine

Spring is a time of awakening and renewal and nowhere is this truer than the Maine coast. As winter subsides and warmer temperatures return, trees bud with brilliant color and flowers blossom in the bounteous gardens that grace the southern coast of Maine. Being on the waterfront come springtime you can really appreciate the passage of the seasons, and spring is the most magical in Maine. The months of April and May often bring early beach weather, perfect golfing and biking temperatures and the best time to escape to the coast for an uncrowded pre-summer getaway. Locals know to launch their boats in spring for those beautiful days that start out calm, cool and crisp but usher in sunshine and warm breezes, then end long after with spectacular sunsets over the sea.

What’s wonderful about spring on the southern Maine coast, besides the return of warm sunny weather and lush greenery, is the lodging properties and restaurants that were so quiet through winter open their doors, patios and decks and celebrate the season with specials and grand openings. Since the full busy summer season has not yet arrived, visitor will find plenty of availability, and welcome greetings wherever they go.

Spring is also a time of fun festivals in Maine. From Easter brunches overlooking the ocean at some of the best waterfront inns, to April vacation activities and May Day parades, Maine loves a good spring gathering. Kennebunk celebrates May Day with an old fashioned small town parade and a May Pole. The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport and the York Harbor Inn in York both offer lavish Sunday Brunches on Easter and Mother’s Day. Memorial Day parades in Maine’s small coastal towns are classics not to be missed, from fire trucks to 4H troops, bands to bagpipes, live animals to life size puppets and even former Presidents in Kennebunkport. The Old Port Festival in Portland and the Kennebunkport Festival are both great fun with live music, art, native food and drink, both are held in early June.

Maine Farmers markets and local farm stands open in spring to sell their organic farm raised food, fresh from farm to table. Lobsters come in to season in spring, as do fresh Maine strawberries followed by blueberries.

Even though there is often still snow in the mountains of Maine, and skiing at Sunday River and Sugarloaf in the spring months of April and May, the southern Maine coast is transitioning to summer. The ocean warms the ambient temperature in the southern coast towns and locals break out their boats, shorts and baseball caps as soon as they see 60-degrees.

Bringing your kids to the southern Maine coast for spring break and you will find wide-open beaches for exploring, Frisbee, flying a kite, surfing or just relaxing. Golfers will love the brilliant greens that are fresh and ready for play in the spring. Bikers can enjoy the best temperatures for those long rides, since its still cool enough that you don’t break a sweat, but the sky is bright blue with plenty of sunshine.

Just driving through the coastal towns of Kittery, York, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, Old Orchard Beach and Portland reveals beautiful gardens at seaside homes and cottages. Rosa Rugosa, Forsythia and Rhododendron blossom in bursts of pink, red and yellow in fantastic contrast to the might blue ocean and the budding green trees. Riding your bike along the coast you will want your camera to capture the beauty of this time of year where the sea meets the lush landscape of the shoreline.

Make plans to vacation during springtime in Maine, on the southern coast before the summer crowds. You will find plenty of vacancy and great deals at locals resorts, inns and lodges since you are well ahead of the peak summer season, and you can still get that perfect beach day in May and June.

Gotta love Maine

Maine Winter Events

Posted: January 5, 2017
MAINE WINTER FAIRS & FESTIVALS 2017
Written by: Staff Reports
Fiona Harrell, 3, gets a ride on the ice from her mom, Jennifer Harrell, of Cape Elizabeth, as they play at the annual South Portland Winterfest at the Wainwright Farms Recreation Complex in 2014. Gabe Souza/Press Herald file photo
Fiona Harrell, 3, gets a ride on the ice from her mom, Jennifer Harrell, of Cape Elizabeth, as they play at the annual South Portland Winterfest at the Wainwright Farms Recreation Complex in 2014. Gabe Souza/Press Herald file photo

Winter blues? We wouldn’t hear of it! Here are a whole mess of winter festivals and fairs to look forward to, featuring everything from sled dogs and figure skaters to snowball-throwing competitions, ice carving and sledding hills built in the middle of the street.

Sarah Morrill/mainetoday.com
Kids getting into winter during WinterKids. Sarah Morrill/mainetoday.com

WINTERFEST SCARBOROUGH
Noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 14. (make-up date Feb. 18), Municipal Ice Rink & High School Sports Complex, Scarborough. www.scarboroughmaine.org
Ice Cube Hunt. Snow Sculpture Contest. Milk Jug Curling. If those activities haven’t already won you over (and they have) there will also be ice skating, wagon rides and more. Families can compete to be crowned the Royal Family and a Royal King and Queen will also be named.

SNODEO
Jan. 19 to Jan. 21. Multiple venues in Rangeley. www.rangeleysnowmobile.com
Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club throws quite the party. There will be scenic helicopter flights, marshmallow roasts, casino night, a chili-chowder cook off and, of course, snowmobiles, snowmobiles and snowmobiles (poker run, demo rides, radar runs and more)

WINTERKIDS WINTER FESTIVAL
Jan. 21, Payson Park, Portland. Free. www.winterkids.org
All the best winter activities – sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating – will be waiting for you at the annual Winter Festival. The event runs from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. In between all the outdoor fun, enjoy hot cocoa by the fire, raffles, giveaways and more.
WINTERFEST SOUTH PORTLAND
Jan. 27 and 28. Wainwright Recreation Complex and Mill Creek Park, South Portland. Free. facebook.com
Winterfest starts on Friday night with a skating party at Mill Creek Park. On Saturday, the festivities move to Wainwright Recreation Complex. There will be a chili-chowder contest, horse-pulled wagon rides, ice skating, snowboard demos, snowshoeing, food trucks and fireworks.

Leavitt/Edward Little girls' hockey players take a test run down a hill at Lost Valley Ski Area as they prepare for the snow-rafting rides to raise money for their team. From left, Taylor Landry, a freshman at Edward Little, Holly Gallup, a sophmore at Leavitt, Amanda Grenier, a freshman at Edward Little, and Kayla Royer, a junior at Leavitt. The rides never opened on Saturday due to technical diffuculties, but they are still planned for Sunday, from 12-4pm at Lost Valley as a part of the Auburn Winter Festival. Photographed on Saturday, January 29, 2011. Photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Leavitt/Edward Little girls’ hockey players take a test run down a hill at Lost Valley Ski Area as they prepare for the snow-rafting rides to raise money for their team. From left, Taylor Landry, a freshman at Edward Little, Holly Gallup, a sophmore at Leavitt, Amanda Grenier, a freshman at Edward Little, and Kayla Royer, a junior at Leavitt. The rides never opened on Saturday due to technical diffuculties, but they are still planned for Sunday, from 12-4pm at Lost Valley as a part of the Auburn Winter Festival. Photographed on Saturday, January 29, 2011. Photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

AUBURN WINTER FESTIVAL
Jan. 27 to Jan. 29, various locations, Auburn. Many activities free, some require a fee. www.auburnmaine.gov
Sledding, snowmobile rides, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, skating, ice sculptures, torchlight parade, music and more.

BRUNSWICK LONGFELLOW DAYS
Throughout February, multiple venues in Brunswick. Free. brunswickdowntown.org
Month-long celebration includes activities like community poetry, lectures, tours, dining events and films.

CAMDEN WINTERFEST
Feb. 4 to Feb. 12, various locations in Camden. www.camdenmaineexperience.com
There will be ice carving, polar plunge, snowboarding demos, free family demos, Frost Heave Challenge (it’s a cocktail competition!) and — of course — the US National Toboggan Championships.

Portland Press Herald file photo by Gabe Souza.
Gabe Souza/Press Herald file photo

BIDDEFORD WINTERFEST
Feb. 3 to Feb. 5, various locations in Biddeford. facebook.com
Many a splendor events will be happening in City Square and all over downtown. Weekend festivities include an ice-carving show, Winter Wonderland Art Show, “Piano Men: The Music of Elton John and Billy Joel” performance, a City Square sledding hill, ice skating, Heart Health Fair, comedy by Juston McKinney and more.

Portland puppy photo by Jill Brady.
Jill Brady/Press Herald file photo

KENNEBUNK WINTERFEST
Feb. 4, various locations in Kennebunk. www.kennebunkmaine.us
Figure skating performances, fire jugglers, horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting, soup tasting contest and Cabin Fever Book Sale at the library.

WHITE GRASS MUSIC & TELEMARK SKI FESTIVAL
Feb. 4 | Mt. Abram, Greenwood | bethelmaine.com |
A bluegrass festival in the snow. Live bands from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The festival also includes recreation-class telemark race, demos, lessons and Pro Telemark Skiers USTSA Tele Race. Free admission, lift tickets required for demos and lessons.

MELLIE DUNHAM SNOW SHOE FESTIVAL
Feb. 10 to Feb. 12, Roberts Farm Preserve, Norway. wfltmaine.org
There will be plenty of snowshoeing, of course, including daytime treks across the preserve, snowshoe races and a “Lincoln’s Birthday” snowshoe. Sunday’s Snowshoe Games are a highlight (relay races, three-legged races, egg & spoon, musical chairs and snowshoe wife carry).

Portland Press Herald file photo by John Patriquin.
John Patriquin/Press Herald file photo

WINTER CARNIVAL AT GILSLAND FARM
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 18, Gilsland Farm, Falmouth. maineaudubon.org
Outdoor activities, including scavenger hunt, story walk, snow science station and giant snow shelter. Snowshoe rentals, arts and crafts, snowy owls interactive display and more.

Portland Press Herald file photo by Derek Davis.
Derek Davis/Press Herald file photo

ACADIA WINTER FESTIVAL
Feb. 10 to Feb. 12. Schoodic Institure at Acadia National Park, Winter Harbor. acadiawinwterfestival.org
Presented by Schoodic Institute, the Acadia Winter Festival features workshops and activities in Acadia National Park and Schoodic Point including winter art exhibits, water birds in winter, backyard birding, cross country skiing, adventure movie, show shoe tracking, live music, lumberjack show, dutch oven cooking and more.

MAINE LAKES WINTER CARNIVAL
Feb. 18, Highland Lake and other locations, Bridgton. mainelakeswintercarnival.com
The Maine Lakes Winter Carnival includes a kids fishing derby, horse drawn carriage rides, magic show, fireworks plus snowmobile rides a Freezin for a Reason polar dip and dogsled rides at Highland Lake. This year marks the festival’s first foray into the frozen magic of an ice bar!
Photo by Derek Davis.
Derek Davis/Press Herald file photo

OOB WINTER CARNIVAL
Feb. 24 & 25. Old Orchard Street, Old Orchard Beach. facebook.com
Sledding by the ocean? Yes please! Make this dream a reality at your hit the giant snow hill running down Old Orchard Street. OOB Winter Festival also includes ice bowling, pony rides, cotton candy, kettle corn and a Slippery Slope Pub Crawl starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Portland Press Herald file photo by Carl D. Walsh.
Carl D. Walsh/Press Herald file photo

Portland Press Herald file photo by John Patriquin.
John Patriquin/Press Herald file photo

ANNUAL FAMILY FUN DAY
Feb. 23, Shawnee Peak, Bridgton. Free. www.shawneepeak.com
Events include a scavenger hunt, snow sculpting contest, pie eating contest, family obstacle course, skillet toss, sack rack, tug of war and more.

PHOTO BY Al Falcione, courtesy of Appalachian Mountain Club.
Al Falcione photo, courtesy of Appalachian Mountain Club

ANNUAL WINTER FAMILY FUN DAY
Feb. 25 | Aroostook State Park, Presque Isle | www.visitaroostook.com
Participate in cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, dog sled rides, guided nature walks and more.Event runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with $1.50 fee for adults.

Town of Scarborough, Maine

Winter has arrived