Visitors to Brunswick and those lucky enough to call our small town of Brunswick home will not have any problem finding all sorts of local activities to enjoy over the summer!

Brunswick, designated as a Main Street Community in 2012, offers a balanced mix of retail, professional and arts-related businesses, along with light to medium industry, traditional farming, foresting and commercial fishing. Downtown Brunswick’s distinctive broad Maine Street, recently designated as National Historic Commercial District, combines village flavor and city flair. Dotted with specialty shops, open spaces, and restaurants to satisfy every mood and palate, Brunswick’s pedestrian friendly downtown attracts shoppers, sightseers and foodies alike.

Brunswick is a college town offering rich and diverse arts and cultural resources, anchored by Bowdoin College’s noted museums, theater, and concert hall. Established in 1794, Bowdoin was the first college in the state of Maine, and it remains an important influence in Brunswick’s continued development.

Historic and picturesque, downtown Brunswick mixes New England charm with a thriving arts and entertainment culture. Visitors can explore ethnically diverse restaurants, distinctive retail shops, Bowdoin College and its museums and beautiful campus, summer musical theater, summer Farmers Market on the Town Mall and cultural offerings at the town’s many theaters, galleries, museums, and festive community events — nearly all in walking distance of the vibrant downtown:

• Maine State Music Theatre – this year’s musical productions includes “Always… Patsy Cline,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Grease” and “Newsies.” Shows for younger audiences include “Sleeping Beauty” and “Alice in Wonderland” and their Monday Concert Series: “The Hank Band,” “The Who’s Tommy” and “The Taffetas.”

• Bowdoin International Music Festival

• Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum and Pejepscot Historical Society

• Movie theaters at Eveningstar and Frontier

• Bowdoin College’s Museum of Art and Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum

• Spindleworks

Beginning the end of June the BDA features a 10 week summer concert series — Music on the Mall every Wednesday night, 2nd Friday Brunswick! event from June through September featuring visual and performing artists along Maine Street, and the largest outdoor juried art show in Maine — the Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival on Saturday, Aug. 19.

Foodies are buzzing about downtown Brunswick and the more than 35 locally owned restaurants that are serving up some of the highest quality, most unique dishes in the northeast. In addition to New England favorites, small town Brunswick offers a world of dining: American, Thai, Italian, Greek, German, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Indian and French-influenced.

Diners can choose from upscale cuisine, casual dining, inside, outside and waterside. Eat in one of the many pubs or taverns, or grab a quick lobster roll or picnic to go. A walk down Maine Street leads past all kinds of temptations, from the vendor carts that line the Town Mall to the chocolate and pastry shops, natural and local food stores, farmer’s markets, great coffee shops and breakfast spots, fine restaurants and many options for terrific sandwiches or pizza.

A big hearty welcome to Downtown Brunswick! Enjoy the arts, the museums, the theater, the food, the music, historic buildings, Bowdoin College and most of all, the people!

Debora King is the executive director of the Brunswick Downtown Association.