STRAWBERRY FESTIVALS

IN LATE JUNE, strawberry festivals dot the southern Maine landscape. Many are fundraisers for community projects, and you are guaranteed to get lots of strawberries for your money – plus crafts, live music and family fun. Here’s a guide to some of the best-known festivals:

NEW GLOUCESTER

WHAT: 38th Annual New Gloucester Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Congregational Church Vestry, 19 Gloucester Hill Road (just off Route 231)

Advertisement

HOW MUCH: Free

WHAT ELSE: Berries with homemade biscuits and Hodgman’s frozen custard; baked-goods table and live music from the Berry, Berry Good Band; scale model of the proposed New Gloucester Veterans’ Monument will be on display.

FMI: Sponsored by the New Gloucester Historical Society.

BRUNSWICK

WHAT: First Parish Church Annual Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 28

Advertisement

WHERE: At the gazebo on Farmer’s Market Day

HOW MUCH: Free; purchases help support the church’s music programs

WHAT ELSE: Shortcakes, sundaes, jams and pies.

FMI: firstparish.net

CAPE ELIZABETH

WHAT: 5th Annual Cape Farm Alliance Strawberry Festival

Advertisement

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29

WHERE: Maxwell’s strawberry field, Two Lights Road

HOW MUCH: Free admission

WHAT ELSE: Fill up on strawberry goodies, listen and dance to music and peruse items for sale from various artisans and vendors.

FMI: capefarmalliance.org

CORNISH

Advertisement

WHAT: Annual Cornish Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 29

WHERE: Thompson Park in Cornish Village

HOW MUCH: Free

WHAT ELSE: Locally grown strawberries, strawberry desserts, craft fair and entertainment

FMI: 625-7725

Advertisement

RAYMOND

WHAT: Annual Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. June 29

WHERE: Nathaniel Hawthorne House, 40 Hawthorne Road (at the corner of Hawthorne and Cape roads)

HOW MUCH: $10 donation for adults, $5 for children 8 and under. All proceeds go directly to maintain or improve the Hawthorne House.

WHAT ELSE: This is not a classic strawberry festival, but rather a way to educate people about the home where the famous author spent his youth, with lots of strawberry shortcake thrown in for good measure. This year the event is being held in conjunction with the Raymond Garden Tour, which benefits the Raymond Village Library. The speaker will be Judy Paolini, author of “The Inspired Garden.” Strawberry shortcake will be served at 4:30 p.m.

Advertisement

FMI: Space is limited, so reservations are suggested. Call 655-7660 or email jmanoush@fairpoint.net.

SOUTH BERWICK

WHAT: South Berwick Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29

WHERE: Central School grounds, 197 Main St.

HOW MUCH: Admission is free, but bring money for food, crafts, etc.

Advertisement

WHAT ELSE: More than 20,000 visitors take in this annual festival, which features entertainment, more than 100 artisans and a strawberry shortcake and strawberrry cheesecake tent. Trolleys provide free transportation to the festival. The day begins with a road race and pancake breakfast. A food court sells chicken barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fried dough, frozen lemonade and other food.

WISCASSET

WHAT: 61st Annual St. Philip’s Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 29

WHERE: St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church, 12 Hodge St.

HOW MUCH: Free

Advertisement

WHAT ELSE: Features a pie auction at noon, lots of local crafters, bake sale, hot dogs, plant sale, silent auction and children’s activity area.

FMI: 882-7184 or stphilips@wiscasset.net

WASHINGTON

WHAT: 66th Annual Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 1 to 6 p.m. July 6

WHERE: Washington Fire Department on

Advertisement

Old Union Road

HOW MUCH: No admission fee, but bring money to buy home-baked goods and raffle tickets.

WHAT ELSE: The menu will include strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry pizza and assorted sandwiches. Entertainment by the Possums and Medomak

Steel Drum Band.

FMI: Sponsored by the Ladies Guild of Washington; 845-3102.

RANGELEY

Advertisement

WHAT: Rangeley Region Guides and Sportsmen’s Association Strawberry Festival

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 11

WHERE: Oquossoc Park, Carry Road

HOW MUCH: Free

WHAT ELSE: Strawberry shortcake, pies, crafts, gifts and yard sale.

FMI: Call Renee Sopel at 864-2187.

Advertisement

PICK YOUR OWN

HERE’S A SAMPLING of farms in southern Maine where you can pick your own strawberries. It’s a good idea to call ahead, because farms occasionally close for a day to let berries ripen.

Usually Riverside Farm Stand and Greenhouse in North Berwick is on this list, but that farm will not have a pick-your-own operation this year because of a crop failure in that particular field. They will, however, still be selling strawberries from other fields they have harvested themselves.

CAPE ELIZABETH

MAXWELL’S FARM

Strawberry fields are off Two Lights Road and are marked with red and green signs.

Advertisement

HOURS: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Always closed Sundays. Cash or checks only.

STRAWBERRY HOTLINE: 799-3383

WILLIAM H. JORDAN FARM

21 Wells Road

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.

Call first.

Advertisement

STRAWBERRY HOTLINE: 767-2740

ALEWIVES BROOK FARM

83 Old Ocean House Road (Route 77)

HOURS: 9 a.m. until sunset, usually about 7 or 7:30 p.m.

BUSINESS NUMBER (NOT a hotline; do not call after hours): 799-7743

GORHAM

Advertisement

AHLQUIST FARM STAND

20 Small Pond Road

HOURS: 7 a.m. to noon Monday to Friday

INFO: 839-4080

LIMINGTON

DOLES ORCHARD

Advertisement

187 Doles Ridge Road

HOURS: 6 a.m. to noon and 5 to 8 p.m. daily, except when closed to ripen

STRAWBERRY HOTLINE: 793-4409

NEW GLOUCESTER

PINELAND FARMS/GILLESPIE FARMS DIVISION

752 Mayall Road

Advertisement

HOURS: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. Ten percent senior discount on Wednesdays for pickers ages 62 and older. No dogs.

STRAWBERRY HOTLINE: 657-2877

SANFORD

LAVIGNE STRAWBERRY FARM

158 Whichers Mill Road

HOURS: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. No credit cards.

Advertisement

STRAWBERRY HOTLINE: 324-5497

WELLS

SPILLER FARM

85 Spiller Farm Lane

HOURS: 8 a.m. to close (closing time varies) Monday to Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday

STRAWBERRY HOTLINE: 985-2575

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.