I know the rain has been a lot lately, but we can’t let a few dark clouds drown us out from some fantastic fun this summer. We have 10-12 weeks in June, July and August to squeeze all of our summer dreams into, and we can’t let anything like a few sprinkles stop us. I know there were numerous Pride festivals, graduations and other regional events over the past few weekends, and they all went off splendidly, even if they weren’t totally dry affairs.
Here’s a list of the events to put on your schedule, headlined by the biggest one of all, Bath Heritage Days.
Main Street Bath’s Heritage Days, June 30 through July 1
Oh, the big Independence Day celebration is back, and the further we get from the pandemic, the better it feels to be around so many people and so much fun. This year promises to be as wonderful as ever with five days of activities in downtown Bath. To get all of the schedules of acts and events, the best thing to do is to log on to visitbath.com/events/heritage-days.
Some of the key events by date include:
June 30
• Smokey’s Greater Show – Carnival and Games, 5-10 p.m.
• Morse High School Boosters BBQ, 5-7 p.m.
• Bath Swing Band at Library Park, 5-7 p.m.
July 1
• Art in the Park, Library Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Fireman’s Muster, noon to 3 p.m.
• Waterfront Park Concerts, 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Smokey’s Carnival, noon to 10 p.m.
July 2
• Antique Car Show, 9 a.m. to noon.
• Carnival, noon to 10 p.m.; Arts in the Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Waterfront Park Concerts, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
July 3
• Kid’s Day at Library Park, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Portland Reavers Sword Fighting Demo, 1-3 p.m.
• Waterfront Concerts, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
July 4
• 1-Mile and 5-Mile Race, 7 a.m.
• Parade, Carnival & More, 10 a.m.
• Strawberry Shortcake Social, 11 a.m.
• Waterfront Park Concerts: noon, 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Fireworks, 9:15 p.m.
Good Day Maine in Bath, June 30
WGME-13 and Fox 23 are bringing their morning show to Bath this Friday to help celebrate Heritage Days but also to help tell the stories of the wonderful things happening in Bath. Jeff Peterson and the Good Day Maine team will be broadcasting from 5-9 a.m., and if you want to come out and see them in action, look for the television truck in the downtown as they are still scouting a few locations to film from.
Brunswick Rotary Club Cornhole Tournament and Games on the Mall, July 1
For years, as part of Independence Day festivities, the Brunswick Rotary Club has hosted family games on the mall. Due to July 4 falling on Tuesday (which is a farmers market day when the Brunswick Mall is already in full use), the event has been moved to this Saturday, July 1. Along with the traditional family games that begin at 9 a.m. (open for families of all ages), there is also a Cornhole Tournament beginning at noon. This first annual fundraiser is accepting unsponsored teams for $10 per player (up to three tossers per team — just show up) as well as sponsored teams for $100 per team. Sponsored teams are automatically entered into the bracket of 32 teams, while the unsponsored teams will compete to fill out the bracket. For more information, check out the Brunswick Rotary Club website at brunswickmainerotary.org. Rain date is Sunday, July 2.
Brunswick Downtown Association’s Music on the Mall
The downtown Brunswick Mall is also the location for the very popular Music on the Mall series which opens this Thursday (because of Wednesday rain) and brought to us by the Brunswick Downtown Association. These free outdoor concerts routinely draw hundreds of people who bring their own chairs, picnic blankets and sometimes dinner with them to enjoy the show. The series opens with the Blues Buzzards this Thursday, followed by every Wednesday all summer (weather permitting) starting July 5. The full schedule can be found at brunswickdowntown.org/bda-events/.
195th Maine Army National Guard Band Concert, July 5
Speaking of the Wednesday Music on the Mall series, July 5 features a double concert. Beginning at 5 p.m. (or perhaps 5:30 p.m., as I’ve seen both times posted) the 195th Maine Army National Guard Band will be playing at the gazebo in downtown Brunswick and is expected to pull in a large crowd. Even if it doesn’t start until 5:30 p.m., you may want to arrive closer to 5 p.m. or earlier for the best seats, as they are a renowned group. They will be followed by the singer-songwriting duo The Clement Brothers, which is expected to start around 6:30 p.m..
Main Street Bath’s Summer Concert Series has begun
Few communities in Maine have three nights of free public concerts like Bath does thanks to Main Street Bath in coordination with the City of Bath and the Chocolate Church Arts Center. Tuesday and Friday concerts in Library Park are already underway with even more concerts there over the weekend for Heritage Days (see the first section above). The Tuesday and Friday concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. on non-Heritage Days weeks and run through early September. The Saturday concert series in Waterfront Park begins after Heritage Days on July 8 and has some bigger-named acts who will bring the funk, blues, steel drums, acoustic, rock and even a Fleetwood Mac tribute band to Bath this summer. Find all of the dates at visitbath.com/events/summer-concert-series.
2023 Bandstand by the Sea, George Mitchell Field in Harpswell
Finally, Harpswell has already been enjoying the Bandstand by the Sea concerts, which launched two weeks ago and will continue at 6 p.m. every Thursday through Sept. 7. For the full schedule of acts, check out harpswell.maine.gov/bandstand. Do note that there is typically a rain location as opposed to a rain date for these events. According to the town website, “Rain location is TBD for the 2023 season. Call the Town Office at (207) 833-5771 or check the town website in case of rain.”
Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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