Belfast Bay Inn

The Common Ground Country Fair is the way fairs should be: a coming together of farmers, gardeners, folk artists and a few musicians  to celebrate the harvest and share food and fun. The fair has grown substantially in the last few years and events are now spread over three, activity-packed days and evenings. If you love Maine, you’ll love this fair which features not only organic produce and Maine crafts, but also livestock shows, a fleece tent, herb lectures, and live music.

The Fair allows fairgoers to make connections with a rapidly expanding base of organic farms in the state of Maine. Hundreds of vendors, exhibitors and demonstrators, more than 1,000 volunteers, and tens of thousands of fairgoers will gather to: share knowledge about sustainable living; eat delicious, organic, Maine-grown food; buy and sell beautiful Maine crafts and useful agricultural products; compete in various activities; dance; sing and have a great time.

What you won’t find are carnival rides. There are many “fairs” that offer those, but this one is focused more on local businesses and local fun, like blueberry pie eating contests and ox pulling demonstrations. It’s a wonderful look at country life in Maine. One warning: if you plan to visit on Saturday, get there early, since as you’d expect, it’s the busiest day of the fair.

The Belfast Bay Inn is only 25 miles from the MOFGA Common Ground Fairgrounds, and the ride to Unity, Maine is scenic and enjoyable.

MOFGA celebrated its 33nd Common Ground Country Fair on September 24, 25 & 26, 2008, in Unity, Maine. For additional details, visit their website at http://www.mofga.org

Arts in the Park (July 10 to 11, 2010) is one of the most respected fine arts and crafts festivals in Midcoast Maine. The variety of artwork and crafts in outstanding, and continuous live music and the smells of freashly grilled food add to the festival atmosphere. The venue can’t be improved: set on the water’s edge, right downtown, with sailboats and dinghies moored a few feet away.

More Details: Arts in the Park

Maine’s windjammers are the subject of a new exhibit at Penobscot Marine Museum. Opening July 1, Earning Their Keep: Maine’s Windjammers will include historic photos, artifacts, ephemera, videos, schooner models and rotating exhibits by contemporary marine photographers.

“Maine’s windjammers are the largest commercial sailing fleet in the world,” said museum curator Ben Fuller. “They’re still sailing not because of the efforts of some marine preservation society, but because their skippers are making them pay their way.” Fuller added that the passenger-carrying schooners played a major role in establishing Maine’s modern reputation for coastal tourism, and they continue to be an important part of the Midcoast region’s economy.

Triptychs, trilogies and hat tricks! Aarhus Gallery is celebrating its threeness and all are invited to share in the merrymaking and triplicity with an opening reception for their third anniversary show. With many thanks and warm regards to the community, friends, supporters and visitors, the eight Aarhus partners humbly request the public to join them, Friday evening June 4 from 5-8 pm, to meet the two new partners Ingrid and Abbie, see new work, have refreshments, crackers and cheese, and try Mark Kelly’s famous hummus. Meet and converse with local artists, writers, actors, musicians, poets, art appreciators and a whole bunch of normal people too! All are welcome, in triplicate. The show runs from June 2-27 and features artwork by Aarhus partners: Ingrid Ellison, Annadeene K. Fowler, Kevin Johnson, Mark Kelly, Richard Mann, Abbie Read, Wesley Reddick and Willy Reddick. Aarhus Gallery, 50 Main St., Belfast, will resume summer hours with this show starting June 2, and will be open daily 10 am-6 pm. For more information, call 2007-338-0001.

Friday, June 4th marks the beginning of the Belfast Art Walk season! Be sure to stop in downtown Belfast from 5-8PM for food, refreshment, and a look at the wonderfully unique and diverse art the town has to offer. This year’s nineteen participating galleries and studios will be open: Waterfall Arts, High Street Studio & Gallery, Daniel Anselmi at 75 Main Street Studio, Brambles, Art Alliance Gallery, Off the Beaten Path Gallery, Roots & Tendrils, Aarhus Gallery, Beyond the Sea, Belfast Co-op Café Gallery, Image Box Photos, First Light Gallery, Parent Gallery, Ben Hall at 960 Studio, Galerie Dufour, Betts Gallery at the Belfast Framer, Dina Petrillo at The Post Office Studio Workshop, Susan Cooney Fine Art Studio, and Maine Farmland Trust. Many of these locations will be having openings and receptions on the 4th.

If you love the coast of Maine, you won’t want to miss this show, where Tradition Meets Innovation™. Come see Maine’s finest artists, architects, boatbuilders, furniture makers, craftsmen, designers, marine gear vendors, and musicians. There’ll be a model yacht pond, live music, an area for children, exhibits, fine food, the running of the 8th Annual World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials*, some wacky zucchini boat racing, and more! As the only in-water boat show in the state, with more than 70 boats in the water and 150 exhibitors on land, there is something for every member of the family. Book a room at Belfast Bay Inn and attend this illustrious event in Rockland in 2010. For more details, click below.

 

Maine Homes Boats and Harbors Show 2010

There is so much more to a Maine Lobster Festival than just lobster dinners. Acrobats, musicians, a variety of food venders, artists, races, contests, a parade and much more fun are scheduled and organized to decorate this great event. Lobster is a huge part of the heritage and the diet of Maine. We love our lobstermen and here is where we celebrate them every year. This year, the festival will occur on Monday, July 27th in Rockland, Maine. Belfast Bay Inn is a short drive from Rockland. Book a room and come hungry for lobster and great fun. For more details, click this link below.

  Maine Lobster Festival

Maine has a strong tradition of holding some of the most eventful and exciting music festivals in the country. The North Atlantic Blues Festival is one more addition to this long standing tradition. Some of the best and most established and talented blues legends will gather to entertain us in Rockland, Maine this year. The Belfast Bay Inn is within a short drive to this wonderful event. We encourage everyone to book a room and attend this festival for an afternoon and evening of dancing and food and take in the beautiful scenery of Rockland. For more details, click the link below.

 

North Atlantic Blues Festival

Wow! Kites, Bikes, Trikes, Trucks, Autos, Aeroplanes, Custom Cars, Tractors, Firetrucks, Hot Rods, Motorcylcles and more. The Owls Head Transportation Museum is one of the most facinating American history museums in the world. If you are inspired by the development of all forms of transportation as it has developed in the USA over our dynamic industrial history, you will want to attend one of the special events staged at this fantastic and significant museum. For a schedule of the prominant events happening at the museum this summer, click on the link below.

 

Owls Head Tranportation Museum

The 29th Annual Antiques Festival featuring dealers from across the country offering a wide variety of antiques for sale from formal to folk art. It is being held August 13, 14 & 15, of 2010 in Union, Maine. Call Maine Antiques Festival at (207) 221-3108 today for more details. Maine has a rich tradition of being a source for antiques. This event is one of the biggest antique trading events in the country.

 

29th Annual Maine Antiques Festival