It doesn’t get much better than summer in Maine, and there are many wonderful ways to celebrate the season. From music to food-themed festivals, there’s something for everyone. We’ve rounded up some particularly fabulous events, so get out your calendar and start making some plans, because as glorious as summer is here, it’ll be over before you know it.

Point Reggae Festival
Friday and Saturday. Thomas Point Beach & Campground, Brunswick, $40 for day pass, $75 for weekend pass. pointreggae.com
Every little thing gonna be all right by the ocean in Brunswick during the Point Reggae Festival. Acts include headliners The Elovaters and Kabaka Pyramid, along with Nattali Rize, Exco Levi, Mighty Mystic, Royal Hammer, Catcha Vibe, Dis-N-Dat Band, Stream and Green Lion Crew. You’ll also see a performance by One World Puppetry, and there will be plenty of vendors selling all sorts of goodies, including plenty of food and drinks. Late-night sessions will feature Satta Sound, Kulcka Shok, New Zion Trio and Barefoot Truth Dance Company. Take a day trip or make a weekend of it by pitching a tent or parking your RV at the site.

The Wicked Maine Outdoor Fest
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Cumberland Fairgrounds, 175 Blanchard Road, Cumberland, $10, free for 12 and under. wickedmaineoutdoorfest.com
If you tend to live your best live outside, head to the Wicked Maine Outdoor Fest, an experiential and educational celebration of Maine’s best asset. Activities include fly casting, rock wall climbing, a rock hunt and using U.S. Coast Guard virtual reality goggles. The event will also feature live music, and there will be plenty of craft beer, wine and food trucks. You’ll also find a variety of exhibitors with information about hiking and climbing, Maine adventures and getaways, wellness and fitness and gardening, along with several made-in-Maine products to peruse. ​Proceeds benefit Girl Scouts of Maine in support of outdoor activities and experiences for girls in Maine, including summer camp scholarships.

Whoopie Pie Festival
Saturday. Various locations in Dover-Foxcroft, $5. mainewhoopiepiefestival.com
The whoopie pie was named Maine’s official state treat in 2011, and there’s an entire day’s worth of events in Dover-Foxcroft that celebrate the fusion of cream filling between two chocolate rounds. Things kick off at 8 a.m. with the Earn Your Whoopie Pie kids’ 1K fun run and adult 3K walk/run, and at 9 a.m., a book sale starts at the Thompson Free Library and the Dover Cove Farmers Market opens. The festival proper starts at 10 a.m., and the sweet schedule includes a teddy bear clinic, live music, home show expo, quilt raffle, kids’ activities, a magic show, whoopie pie eating contests and more, all the way until 4 p.m. You can extend the whoopie adoration by hitting the Joy & Justice Whoopie Pie Pride Dance Party at Central Hall Commons starting at 6 p.m., or see gypsy jazz trio Mes Amis at the Center Theatre.

Windjammer Days
Sunday through July 2. Boothbay Harbor. boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org
Windjammer Days is the annual event in Boothbay Harbor that serves as the region’s official kickoff to summer. Events include the Harbor Aglow boat parade, mischievous merriment with the Pirates of the Dark Rose, the gathering of the fleet, cod fish races, street parade, antique boat parade, pier party, artist’s alley art show and fireworks over the harbor. You can also book a tour on one of several schooners and have your own oceanic adventure.

Bath Heritage Days
July 1-4. Downtown Bath. visitbath.com/heritage
The city of Bath presents a bounty of good times spread across the first four days of July. Bath Heritage Days is a crowd-pleasing celebration for visitors of all ages and includes concerts, Art in the Park, Kids Day, an antique car show, a huge parade and carnival rides. The festivities culminate in a dazzling fireworks show overlooking the Kennebec River on Independence Day. You can also lace up your running shoes for a 5-miler, and feed your head at the library book sale and your belly at the Morse High School Boosters barbecue.

Moxie Festival
July 8-10. Several locations in Lisbon. moxiefestival.com
After a two-year dry spell, it’s time to once again celebrate Maine’s favorite soda. Even if you don’t love the actual taste of Moxie, you’ll have a wonderful time at the Moxie Festival, which was founded in 1982. Events include a parade, fireworks, a 5K road race and a car show. You can also buy a festival T-shirt and hat, take the kids to a touch-a-truck demonstration, hit the Lisbon Historical Society Museum open house, see a dance performance and even enjoy a turkey dinner. And don’t forget about the Moxie recipe contest!

Yarmouth Clam Festival
July 15-17. Downtown Yarmouth. clamfestival.com
Its’s been a long two years without the legendary Yarmouth Clam Festival, but it’s finally back, and there’s likely somebody already out there in a lawn chair waiting for the parade. A tradition since 1965, the festival is a joyous three-day extravaganza that celebrates the bivalve with clam-related events like a shucking contest, as well as live entertainment, an arts and crafts fair, endless amount of fair food and the famous parade. Did we mention the clams? There will be thousands upon thousands of them, so be sure to show up hungry. Steamer, the festival’s mascot, will be waiting.

North Atlantic Blues Festival
July 16 & 17. Public Landing, 275 Main St., Rockland, $38 in advance, $45 day of for single day, $63 in advance, $75 day off for weekend pass. northatlanticbluesfestival.com
Rockland’s the place to be if you’re a fan of the blues because there will be two jam-packed days of it at the public landing. The North Atlantic Blues Festival includes a wide range of regional and nationally touring blues acts. This year’s lineup includes Ruthie Foster, King Solomon Hicks, Nora Jean Wallace, Tas Cru & Mary Ann Casale and Tinsley Ellis, among several others. Expect riveting guitar licks, dynamic vocals, howling harmonicas and plenty of percussion as you take it all in right on the water. Need more? Pub crawls will be happening all over downtown Rockland on both nights at places like Trackside Station, Ada’s Kitchen, Myrtle Street Tavern and outside on Main Street.

Maine Lobster Festival
Aug. 3-7. Harbor Park, Rockland. mainelobsterfestival.com
You’ll have a shell of a good time in Rockland during the Maine Lobster Festival. The star of the show is, of course, the beloved crustacean, and there will be plenty to enjoy in many forms, including a lobster dinner, lobster rolls and lobster stuffed risotto balls, along with chowders and bisques. Maybe you’ll brave the cold Atlantic and participate in the International Great Crate Race, during which you’ll make your way across a string of lobster crates without falling. The festival also features an arts and crafts fair, parade, road race, live music and entertainment and the Maine Sea Goddess Coronation. Get cracking!

Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend
Aug. 6 & 7. Statewide. wildbluerries.com
Eleven Maine blueberry farms are participating in Wild Blueberry Weekend, so you can take your pick (pun intended) and spend the day celebrating Maine’s celebrated berry and the many ways it can tantalize your taste buds. Locations include Searsmont, Hope, Cherryfield, Dresden, Harrington, Appleton, Albion, Pembroke, Chesterville, Roque Bluffs, Addison and Orneville Township. The farms will offer everything from walking tours to live music, pick-your-own options, yummy offerings like blueberry crisp, blueberry-flavored products like barbecue sauce, sparkling wine and vinegar, readings of “Blueberries for Sal” and insight into what sets Maine blueberries apart.

St. Peter’s Church Italian Bazaar
Aug. 12 & 13. St. Peter’s Church, 72 Federal St., Portland. On Facebook.
Everyone’s welcome to St. Peter’s Church’s annual Italian Bazaar, just off the foot of Portland’s Munjoy Hill. With mountains of pasta and more cookies than you’ve ever seen in one place, you won’t go hungry as you enjoy some music and mingle on either Friday or Saturday night. You’ll also cheer on brave souls as they try to reach the top of the greased pole. Mostly, you’ll enjoy the sense of community during a gathering that’s been happening for almost a century.

Great Falls Balloon Festival
Aug. 19-21. Simard-Payne Memorial Park, Lewiston. greatfallsballoonfestival.org
Things will be looking up, and so will you, during the annual Great Falls Balloon Festival. The sky will be festooned by giant, colorful hot-air balloons, and you can stay on the ground and see it all, or take to the sky yourself. Morning flights are at 6 a.m., and evening ones are at 6 p.m. You’ll go wherever the wind decides to take you, so please say hello to the Munchkins should you wind up in Oz. Once you’ve touched back down to earth, a champagne toast will be the cherry atop your adventure. Rides must be booked in advance and will run you $225. The memories and the view, though, are priceless.

Maine Open Lighthouse Day
Sept. 10. Statewide. lighthousefoundation.org/maine-open-lighthouse-day
One of the many perks that come with living in our coastal state is that there are more than enough lighthouses, and several of them will be open to the public on Maine Open Lighthouse Day. Some you can access on foot, others require a boat, and all are rich with history. Most will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for tours, but check on each lighthouse before heading out. This year’s list hasn’t been announced yet but will likely include Burnt Coat Harbor, Curtis Island, Grindle Point, Owls Head, Pemaquid Point and West Quoddy lighthouses, among several others.

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