DownEast Maine Events
Find a Reason to Visit Maine with These Unique Events & Local Festivals
Each year we search for adventures and experiences that offer guests a special touch of the Maine magic. Helping guests plan a fabulous experience and memorable adventure is a specialty of the Inn and is available to all guests before and during their stay. In addition to all of the outdoor activities and top attractions in Maine, our area offers a wide variety of specialty celebrations.
Below is just a selection of special events and attractions. Specific dates are listed for some events, while others are available throughout the season. Some of the calendar events require advance reservations, with which we are happy to assist you. Visit these additional community calendars for more events and adventures: The Weekly Packet, Blue Hill Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Blue Hill Public Library.
Celebrate Maine
Celebrate Music & Art
Attend Classic Festivals
Discover Events Unique to Maine
May
The Wings, Waves, and Woods Festival
This Deer Isle and Stonington annual festival offers “birding by land, by sea, and by art.” All ages and levels of interest are welcome.
Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser for the Blue Hill Public Library
Plants of all sorts, baked goods, silent auction—this fun annual event is popular so plan to arrive early if you have your gardening gloves set on something in particular. The library is a short walk from the inn, and we can have your purchases delivered if they are too heavy to carry back.
Flash in the Pans! Steel Drum Street Dance
Join the whole community for this weekly summer celebration in Blue Hill Town Park every Monday evenings from Memorial Day through Labor Day, just a short walk from the Inn.
June
The Acadia Birding Festival
Explore Mount Desert Island and its birds through numerous events and venues.
Kneisel Hall Festival
An annual highlight of weekly concert events at the renowned and reputable chamber music mecca walking distance from the Inn on Pleasant Street. Professional musicians and accomplished students perform a wide range of classical chamber music.
July
Celebrate the Fourth of July
You’ll find small-town patriotism and firework displays in honor of our nation’s anniversary.
Quietside Flamingo Festival
Held in Southwest Harbor, this is a whimsical, lighthearted, and decidedly hot pink family festival. Young, old and in-between, locals, summer people and tourists, all participate in the festivities, and lawns, store windows, and buildings proudly display the plastic pink creatures.
Paint the Peninsula
Blue Hill Public Library’s gala fundraising auction brings together more than 70 local artists. All winning bids support both the Blue Hill Library’s operating budget and the local arts community.
Fishermen’s Day in Stonington
Did you say “lobstah?” This annual family fun day on the pier in Stonington celebrates the crustacean synonymous with our state. Enjoy carnival games, contests, local artisans and vendors, and of course delicious seafood!
Blue Hill Bach Festival
A week-long, annual celebration of Baroque musical style and artistry in various venues around Blue Hill.
August
Blue Hill Maritime Heritage Festival
An annual celebration of the area’s coastal heritage and nautical history held in the Blue Hill Harbor.
Nothing says Blue Hill more than blueberries, and this annual community festival with crafts, games and entertainment celebrates this local industry.
September
Maine Open Lighthouse Day
We love Maine Open Lighthouse Day. When you make your reservation, let us know you love lighthouses, too, and you’ll receive a package of information about Maine lighthouses, including a state map with the history of each lighthouse. You can explore the region and find ways to spot all eight of the closest lighthouses. Whether by car, boat, or plane, catching the lights and exploring the coast during the beautiful September weather will make for a memorable trip to Blue Hill. Lights include Robinson Point Light, Isle au Haut; Saddleback Light, remote; Brown’s Head Lighthouse, Vinalhaven; Goose Rocks Light, Fox Island Thoroughfare; Heron Neck Light; and Mark Island Light, Deer Isle Thoroughfare. Inn staff can assist with all your sightseeing plans.
Windjammer Festival
Camden, is a celebration of maritime heritage and living traditions. The fleet gathers in picturesque Camden Harbor for festivities reminiscent of the days when hundreds of coastal schooners lined the waterfront. Festivities include a parade of sail, flag-raising ceremonies, live music, dancing and fireworks.
Blue Hill Fair
Help on Labor Day Weekend, this is an old-time country fair that was the origin of the fair in Charlotte’s Web, written by the frequent inn guest E. B. White. Sheepdog trials and oxen and horse pulls are just a few of the many events. The fair is held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds about five miles from the inn.
The Common Ground Country Fair
Unity, is a celebration of rural life. It features demonstrations, Maine organic produced foods and crafts and livestock exhibits.
October
Private Tours of Nervous Nellies
Get a personalized tour of Nervous Nellies on Deer Isle. Taste jams, see the art and sculpture gardens.
Word. Blue Hill Literary Arts Festival
An annual event that fosters and celebrates the community of readers and writers on the Blue Hill Peninsula featuring workshops and fun events all weekend.
Blue Hill Peninsula Skating Association operates the public ice rink in town just up the street from the Inn at 210 Union Street in Blue Hill, and the rink is open for general skating most days during the winter season.
Camden Snow Bowl is the closest ski center to Blue Hill offering downhill skiing and tubing as part of its resort campus just a little over one hour away.
Blue Hill Peninsula Nordic Ski Club operates in the Witherle Woods area of Castine as part of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Lessons and trails are available for all ages to experience the beauty and health benefits of cross-country skiing.
Acadia National Park is a perfect place to experience winter with snowshoeing, hiking, snowmobiling, ice fishing and cross-country skiing in America’s second most-visited national park along with astounding views.
The Blue Hill Heritage Trust Winter Hiking Challenge is co-sponsored each winter by the Blue Hill Library. Markers are posted at several locations throughout the BHHT trail system, and hikers are encouraged to collect the educational items and learn more about the wildlife and ecology of the area.
The Schoodic Peninsula is also a great place to visit for winter bird watching and scenic views along with the research and educational programs at the Schoodic Institute.