It’s the unofficial vacation month for many Mainers as August is here and too many of us have begun asking, “Where did the summer go?” If you want to get some summer fun in before school starts, there are a number of constant opportunities like hiking trails, boat tours, golf courses and more, but there are also special events happening that you may love. Below are just a few activities I wanted to highlight for you and your family.
Final week of BIMF
The Bowdoin International Music Festival is truly one of the unique experiences for our region as they host upwards of 70-80 classical music performances over six weeks every summer right here in Brunswick. They begin in late June and end in early August, and this week happens to be the last week of performances for their summer season. They have about a dozen events scheduled this week, including young performer shows, a meet-the-composer event and even a masterclass on piano. BIMF is a great way to showcase music to your family and is truly a magical experience. For more information on the free events and the ticketed events, check out bowdoinfestival.com.
All the music, six days per week
Between July 4 and Labor Day we have six days of live outdoor music in the region, not including other indoor entertainment like Bowdoin International Music Festival, Maine State Music Theatre and the live bands that play in our pubs and restaurants. I’m not sure any region in the state can claim they have more live music in their summers than we do and certainly not free, outdoor concerts.
The six days per week of music that runs until Labor Day (and into that next week for a few of these series) are:
• Tuesdays: Summer Concert Series at Library Park (City Park in Bath by the Patten Library).
• Wednesdays: Music on the Mall, Brunswick.
• Thursdays: Bandstand by the Sea, Harpswell; Alive on the Common, Wiscasset.
• Fridays: Summer Concert Series at Library Park (City Park in Bath by the Patten Library).
• Saturdays: Waterfront Park (Bath) Summer Concert Series.
• Sundays: Bowdoinham Summer Sundays Concert Series, Mailly Waterfront Park, Bowdoinham.
I encourage you to grab some chairs and a blanket and go picnic with your family at one or more of these events. For more information, you can check the websites of Main Street Bath, Brunswick Downtown Association, the town of Harpswell, Wiscasset Chamber of Commerce or the town of Bowdoinham. We also have them listed on the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber website at midcoastmaine.com under our community calendar tab.
L.L. Bean concert series
Speaking of good music in fun places, L.L. Bean at their main store hosts several concerts every summer along with their other activities that make up their Summer in the Park series. Some big names are coming to Freeport, including Melissa Etheridge in concert this Saturday, Aug. 5; Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin on Aug. 12; Mackenzie Porter on Aug. 26; and Scotty McCreery on Sept. 2. Also, for dog lovers, they will be hosting their two-day Dog Days of August featuring DockDogs (a dog long jump into a pool competition) on Aug. 19 and 20.
MSMT continues to bring the hits
“9 to 5” is the stage musical based on the wildly popular film of the same name, with unbelievable songs written by Dolly Parton. It’s a show I performed in years ago in a community theater in northern Maine, and it is hysterical and fun. It’s a show that the performers love to perform in, and it shows in the quality of the production. You only have this week to see it, but if you can still get tickets, the Maine State Music Theatre production is incredibly uplifting and brings all of the Broadway splendor we are accustomed to seeing from their shows.
The final main stage show is “Something Rotten!”, which in my humble opinion is one of the best five musicals that Broadway has produced in the last 15 years. It is hysterical, with seven or eight show-stopping numbers, and if you like musicals and know even the littlest about Shakespeare, you will love this show. It was my pick for the “show of the season” before the season began, and I think even though the bar has been set incredibly high, it will reach those heights. I cannot recommend it highly enough. For ticket information, visit msmt.org.
Center of the world for a day, Aug. 19
I’ll showcase this more next week, but the third Saturday of August is a huge time for our region as we have three major events all happening on the same day, making us the epicenter of Maine tourism for that day. Kindness Day Bath is in its 10th year and will be happening from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 19. The Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Brunswick, and the Maine Highland Games & Scottish Festival happens all day at Thomas Point Beach Campground in Brunswick.
Topsham Fair, Aug. 8-13
The fair is back at the Topsham Fairgrounds Aug. 8-13, but harness racing will be running Aug. 6-7 as well prior to the opening of the fair. For full details, check out topshamfair.net.
Movies in the Park in Brunswick (Aug. 16) and Bath (Aug. 7 and 21)
Community in the Parks in collaboration with the Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department presents Movies in the Park at the Nathaniel Davis Park (54 Pleasant St.) in Brunswick every summer. The final film in the series is “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” on Aug. 17. Bath Main Street has two movies in the park nights happening at the Library Park (City Park near the Patten Library). Aug. 7 will be “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Aug. 21 will be “Star Wars: A New Hope” (the original Star Wars film). All movies begin at dusk, around 8:30 p.m.
Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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