Beyond the South End

Enjoy Rockland this Summer

I invite all of our summer travelers to visit Rockland and the mid-coast this summer and especially to enjoy one of our many special events. If you have an out-of-town friend who would like a schedule of events this summer, print this report out and send it to them or better yet, just email it to them.

For those of you who will come to us by boat and are mooring in our harbor, know that your mooring spot will most likely be within walking distance of these events.

Here’s a highlight of the many events we have planned for you this summer.

June

12^th Annual Summer Solstice Street Fair

June 22, 5-9 pm

Main Street

A street fair to celebrate the summer season, sponsored by Rockland Main Street, Inc., Main Street will be closed for the period from Park Street to Summer Street. Fun family activities center on food, sidewalk sales, entertainment and activities. There will be a “Whoopie Pie” eating contest.  Paul Benjamin, of the North Atlantic Blues Festival will bring music to Main Street featuring a wide variety of music for your enjoyment.

July

12^th Annual Summer Solstice Street Fair

June 22, 5-9 pm

Main Street

 A street fair to celebrate the summer season, sponsored by Rockland Main Street, Inc., Main Street will be closed for the period from Park Street to Summer Street. Fun family activities center on food, sidewalk sales, entertainment and activities. There will be a “Whoopie Pie” eating contest, Maine’s official dessert. Paul Benjamin, of the North Atlantic Blues Festival will bring music to Main Street featuring a wide variety of music for your enjoyment.

July-August

66^th Maine Lobster Festival

July 31-August 4

Public Landing and other sites

This 5-day event in Rockland is the biggest festival of the summer. This is the 66^th annual Festival. You will find it featured in many magazines and newspapers reporting on and advertising summer festivals. The event is known nationally and internationally as one of the prime festivals of the summer season and not to be missed.

The main attractions are featured in a midway at the Public Landing. There is something for everyone: from rides for the kids; to tours of Navy vessels in the Harbor; to every seafood and other scrumptious food you can imagine, including our famous Maine Lobster dinner which you can eat in a tent overlooking Rockland Harbor.

There is a Maine Sea Goddess coronation on the pier at the Landing and a big parade down Main Street on Saturday.

Shuttle buses travel between school parking lots and the Festival throughout the 5 days from both Rockland District Middle School on Broadway in the South End and Oceanside High School in midtown on Broadway.

People with the best accommodations will most likely be those lucky enough to moor their boats in the harbor near the Landing. They will have the best view of the goings-on and have easy access to everything. If you need motel or hotel accommodations, it’s best to take care of that now. There are also several camping areas in the mid-coast area you might want to take advantage of. See your favorite camping guide site to pick one close to the Festival.

Music

There will be live music at the North Tent and the Main Stage throughout the festival. On Saturday, August 2, there will be continuing music on the Main Stage:

2:00-4:00pm-Pete Kilpatrick Band from Portland, Maine

5:00-7:00pm-Lyle Divinsky Band, soul

7:00pm-Don Campbell Band

8:30pm-Jonathan Edwards and Band

Admission to the grounds are $5 for adults and $2 for children

August

11^th Annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show

August 9-11

Public Landing in Rockland

Fast becoming a favorite summer event, the show is presented by the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine, a national magazine whose offices are but a few steps away from the show in the South End of Rockland.

Here you will see every boat imaginable displayed in the water and out. It’s an event everyone can enjoy from boat builders, sailors, boat owners, artists, craftsmen and designers.

Along with the boat displays are home furnishings vendors who display some spectacular pieces of furniture along with marine-related décor.

Events during the weekend event include activities for children; a Stand-Up Paddleboard Jousting Tournament and the World Championship Boatyard Dog Trials.

Food vendors feature a delicious fish chowder and other seafood specialties. Music will be provided by musical groups along the midway. Admission is $12; kids under 12 FREE.

September 8-14

Rockland, Camden, and surrounding towns

Lobsterpalooza was the brainstorm of the four Historic Inns of Rockland (Berry Manor Inn, Captain Lindsey House, Limerock Inn, and Granite Inn) who then enlisted support from the Maine Lobster Promotion Council and the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce to raise enthusiasm for eating lobster and supporting Maine’s lobstermen.

In an effort to promote the Maine lobster and its lobstermen many lobsterpalooza events will be the specialty of this week.

Included are:

Lobster cash mobs at local fish markets

Special lobster dishes at local restaurants in the area including dishes for morning, noon and night.

Lobster and wine tasting tours.

Lobster and olive oil tastings

A chance to vote in the “Best Lobster Roll” Contest

A visit to the “Lobstacle Course”

A chance to pull traps with a real Maine lobsterman

A lobsterman’s talent show

Children’s events and activities

Discussions, workshops and learning opportunities

The climax of the week will be a “Lobster in The Street Party” complete with lobster tastings, live music, games and fun for the family, a lobster meat picking contest and much more!

Come and enjoy the fun.

I hope our summer visitors will have the chance to enjoy at least one of these events when they visit Maine. Have a good vacation everyone!