Take a gigantic deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and then exhale with gusto. We’ve made it to Maine’s most glorious time of year, and there are many ways to enjoy it.

Along with peppering your schedule with beach days, you may want to affix gold stars to your kitchen calendar because there’s a bunch of fabulous festivals and other annual happenings that help punctuate the summer with music, food and community.

Ready. Set. Summer!

Greek Festival
Thursday to Saturday. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 133 Pleasant St., Portland. htrinityportland.org/greek-festival
Bring your appetite and your dancing shoes, because it’s time for the 39th annual Greek Festival in Portland. Beneath a giant tent is where you’ll find a world of Greek food, including moussaka, pastitsio, gyros and spanakopita. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied with koulourakia, baklava and loukoumathes, among other mouth-watering offerings. Don’t worry if you’re not entirely sure what all these things are because they’re all to-die-for. Burn off a few of those calories by hitting the dance floor, as there will be live music.

Point Reggae Arts & Music Festival
Thursday to Saturday. Thomas Point Beach & Campground, Brunswick, $35 to $200. pointreggae.com
A reggae festival by the ocean? Heck yes! Point Reggae Arts & Music Festival features four days of music, and you can also purchase a camping pass for a fully immersive experience. A snapshot of musical acts includes Royal Hammer, Mighty Mystic, Joe Samba, Satta Sound, Green Lion and Catcha Vibe. The festival also features a poetry open stage, and there’s a playground for kids. Thomas Point, spread across 85 scenic acres, has picnic areas and a disc golf course and is an overall wonderful place to kick back and hear a ton of reggae tunes. There will also be assorted vendors with food, crafts and more.

 

Maine Whoopie Pie Festival
Saturday. Various locations, Dover-Foxcroft, $6, free for 12 and under. mainewhoopiepiefestival.com
If you’re a fan of Maine’s official state treat, then you’ll want to head to Dover-Foxcroft for the annual Maine Whoopie Pie Festival. The confection celebration has been happening since 2009, and during it, you’ll get to sample many whoopie pies with a range of flavors. You’ll also get to vote for your favorites. Other activities include a 3K race/walk that kicks off at 8 a.m. in case you want to pre-burn some calories. There will also be arts, crafts and foods from more than 100 vendors, along with live music, rides, games and whoopie pie eating contests.

Windjammer Days
Sunday through July 1. Boothbay Harbor. boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org
Set your sites on Boothbay Harbor for the annual sailing jubilee. Windjammer Days marks Boothbay Harbor’s official summertime kickoff, and there’s lots of fun to be had on dry land, as well as out on the ocean. Activities include the Harbor Aglow boat parade, mingling with Pirates of the Dark Rose, the gathering of the fleet, cod fish races, a street parade, an antique boat parade, a pier party, an artist’s alley art show and fireworks over the harbor. Want to feel the salty wind on your face? Several schooners are offering tours.

Bath Heritage Days
June 30 to July 4. Front Street, Commercial Street, Library Park and Waterfront Park, Bath. visitbath.com/events/heritage-days
The City of Ships sure does pack a whole lot of amusement into its annual event. Bath Heritage Days is a crowd-pleasing celebration that includes Art in the Park, an antique car show, a strawberry shortcake social, carnival rides and games, food trucks, a beer garden and much more. The live music schedule features Dave Gutter with Jeff Beam, Alice Limoges, Lynn Deeves Trio and the Main Street R&B Review, among many others. The festival wraps on Independence Day, when there will be a 10 a.m. parade and 9:15 p.m. fireworks.

Moxie Festival
July 7-9. Multiple Lisbon locations. moxiefestival.com
Moxie was created by native Mainer Dr. Augustin Thompson back in 1884, and the bittersweet soda has been the official soft drink of Maine for nearly 20 years. Celebrate the state’s sacred liquid by heading to Lisbon for the annual three-day Moxie Festival. There, you’ll find all sorts of music and food. This year’s theme harkens back to the ’60s and ’70s with a Woodstock-style concert and plenty of food trucks at Beaver Park on Sunday. Smokey’s Greater Shows will be set up with carnival rides and other activities, including a parade, Moxie recipe contest, Moxie whoopie pie eating contest, fireworks, 5K race, book sale, lobster feast and much more.

Yarmouth Clam Festival
July 21-23. Downtown Yarmouth. clamfestival.com
This is no time to clam up when it comes to having a heck of a good time. The Yarmouth Clam Festival celebrates its 56th year, and from the opening ceremonies to all the clams you can handle, it’s a nonstop homage to the state’s famous bivalve mollusks. Activities include live music, a craft and fine art show, carnival rides, a kids’ area, parade, 5-mile road race, pancake breakfast, clam shucking contest, fireworks, visits with mascot Steamer the Clam, and much more. Get out of your shell and make it happen!

Maine Lobster Festival
Aug. 2-6. Harbor Park, Rockland. mainelobsterfestival.com
If you love lobster, even a little bit, you’ll want to spend at least a day in Rockland, as the state’s most adored crustacean takes center stage. But there’s more than just eating lobsters at this festival. You can try your luck during the International Great Crate Race. It’s a challenging sprint across a string of lobster crates that will land you in the ocean should you slip. Other activities and events include an arts and crafts fair, parade, road race, live music and entertainment, Maine Sea Goddess Coronation and the Steins & Vines tasting event.

Wild Blueberry Weekend
Aug. 5 & 6. Statewide. wildbluerries.com
One of summer’s most delicious gifts is wild Maine blueberries, and there’s an entire weekend dedicated to them. Wild Blueberry Weekend puts the flavorful and nutritious blue orbs in the spotlight, as several farms all over the state will be offering tours and family-friendly activities. Some farms will also have pick-your-own opportunities and tasty treats like blueberry crisp and blueberry barbecue sauce. You might even find someone reading Robert McCloskey’s “Blueberries for Sal.”

Great Falls Balloon Festival
Aug. 18-20. Simard-Payne Memorial Park, Lewiston. greatfallsballoonfestival.org
The sky is literally the limit at the annual Great Falls Balloon Festival. You’ll be looking up with marvel all weekend long, or if you dare, you can book a ride on one of the balloons and enjoy an incredible view of the world below. This year’s theme is Boo-Loon-Bash, so expect some ghostly balloons. Even if you keep both feet on the ground, the festival is a blast, with carnival rides, food booths and a parade. On Friday evening, some of the balloons come back to the field to inflate and light their burners for an enchanting light snow.

Maine Open Lighthouse Day
Sept. 9. Statewide. lighthousefoundation.org/maine-open-lighthouse-day
One of the most iconic parts of Maine maritime history is its lighthouses, and the state has more than 60 of them. Although technology helps ships reach shore safely without them these days, most of them still have working lights. On Maine Open Lighthouse Day, many of them will be open for public tours, including access to climbing the stairs to the top. Some you can access on foot, and for others you’ll need a boat, but one thing’s for sure, all of them have stories to tell. Be sure to check the schedule of each lighthouse for the most current information on which ones will be open, and the hours.

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