Autumn Adventures Await: Maine’s Festival Season Is Calling
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People visit Maine from all over the globe to see fall foliage. September and October’s changing leaves are a burst of beautiful color. What’s most special about Maine’s foliage is the contrasting colors from bright red, to burnt orange to bright yellow and gold.
Fall brings plenty of festivals, fairs, and craft shows to Maine as well. From the Fryeburg Fair, Harvest Fest in York, OgunquitFest, and craft fairs and farmers markets all around the state, you can find fresh, locally raised produce, pumpkins, apples, and handmade art, wood crafts, and jewelry at outdoor markets and craft fairs most weekends.
Fall in Maine also means festival time, and there are so many fun fall festivals to check out in the Pine Tree State. Whether you’re looking for live music, fair food, a craft beer festival, a county fair, or something in between, chances are good there’s a fall festival nearby just waiting to be explored.
Take a train through idyllic countryside, watch a regatta with giant pumpkin boats, and ride a gondola to the top of North Peak during these annual fall festivals in Maine!
Amazing Maine Festivals in September
Blue Hill Fair | Blue Hill
This down-to-earth agricultural fair has been an annual event since 1891 and boasts some best entertainment and exhibits in Maine.
Located in Blue Hill on Maine’s coast, thousands come for an event that includes sheep dog trials, a demolition derby, live entertainment, and so much more.
If you’re aiming to attend a few fall festivals in Maine, this is a great place to start.
Windjammer Festival | Camden
Camden is just one of the many great coastal towns in Maine, and Labor Day weekend means it’s time for this annual maritime celebration. Come and explore Camden, where you can watch the arrival of the windjammer fleet into Camden Harbor.
You can then tour the windjammer ships and watch fun activities. There’s a chowder challenge, a lobster crate race, a talent show, a nautical dog show, a treasure hunt, and so much more.
Common Ground Country Fair | Unity
Head to Unity for this long-standing (since 1977!) annual fall festival in Maine. Located northeast of Augusta, this annual fair celebrates rural living in Maine and brings more than 1,000 exhibitors and speakers.
For years, this is an event that has drawn thousands of people to the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you love sustainable farming and living off the land, this festival is for you. The festival emphasizes sustainable living and organic agriculture, and you’ll hear from experts on exactly how it’s done.
Aside from a vast selection of Maine-grown food and locally handcrafted goods, there are lots of other things to do – listen to live music, run or walk in the 5K, check out the Donkey and Mule Show, visit the Reiki tent, and more.
Ride your bike to the fair and an attendant will valet it for you! Don’t miss the Bike Parade at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily during the festival.
Trails End Festival | Millinocket
Celebrate the outdoors with three days of free live music and more! This family-friendly, annual Maine fall festival started 15 years ago in celebration of the Katahdin region, the Appalachian Trail’s end.
The festival has so much for you and your family to do, including face painting, hiking, a chili cook-off, vendors, a parade, and games. A festival-favorite event is the Rubber Duck Race!
If you want to join the All Trails Lead to Katahdin Parade, you can! The parade takes place on surrounding trails to include hikers, walkers, ATVs, Jeeps, canoes and kayaks, white water rafts, and more.
Pirate Festival | Eastport
Aaarrgh! Come to Eastport in early to mid-September for a celebration of all things pirate. You won’t have to walk the plank or swab the deck to have fun here.
Past festivals have included a parade, a scavenger hunt, a thieves market with lots of special bargains, an art poster contest, street magicians, art exhibits, and lots of food and drink specials from local restaurants.
You’re sure to see your fair share of swashbucklers, buccaneers, and scallywags here, and the vibe is definitely a fun one and a good time.
Cumberland Fair | Cumberland
County fairs are always a blast and the Cumberland County Fair has been going strong for over 150 years in late September and early October.
Mainers love this fair because it’s great fun for the whole family and a great way to get in touch with Maine’s rich agricultural roots. It has everything you want in a county fair from rides to yummy fair food to a petting zoo and so much more.
The fair schedule is jam-packed with events, including the Pumpkin and Squash Weigh Off, harness racing, various live concerts, and a demolition derby.
Explore the Mid-Way to play carnival games and ride the carousel, or visit the Farm Museum to educate yourself on Maine’s agricultural history. There’s also a sugar house where you can try and buy local maple goods. You can even camp onsite.
So, bring the whole family and be prepared to have fun. There’s something for everyone here, and you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
Freeport Fall Festival | Freeport
Every year in late September and early October, Freeport brings together dozens of the best artists in New England for a free, three-day festival on the L.L. Bean campus.
Enjoy local eats and shop from about 200 Maine artisans and crafters. Kids can get their faces painted, get glitter tattoos, and even make their own gem trees to take home. Also, festival-goers can listen to several different live music acts and indulge in tasty festival food.
The annual festival offers live music at the Discovery Stage and free children’s activities, like face painting, glitter tattoos, make-and-take crafts, and scavenger hunts.
Bonus! Head back to Freeport October for the autumn Camp Sunshine Pumpkin Festival!
Extraordinary Maine Festivals in October
Maine Maple Fall Fest | Various Cities
When the leaves turn brilliant shades of red, gold, and orange, Maine maple producers prepare a delicious array of maple products. While visiting any of Maine’s sugarhouses, it’s hard not to stop and take in the delicious smell of maple wafting through the air.
This Maine fall festival is fairly new, but it’s a great addition to other long-running events during the season. It’s similar to an open house, held at a large group of participating sugarhouses.
Enjoy the fall scenery as you drive through the beautiful Maine countryside and hop from sugarhouse to sugarhouse. Then, see firsthand how maple is made, tour the facilities, participate in maple syrup tastings, and buy high-quality maple goods from various Maine Maple Producers.
If you have a sweet tooth, grab some baked maple treats, ice cream, candy, cotton candy, and other scrumptious goodies. Expect to discover your new favorite dessert.
Dozens of maple producers in the state participate in Maple Fest, so check the map on the event page for the sugarhouse nearest to you.
Harvest on the Harbor | Portland
Portland has been dubbed in some circles as the Foodiest Small Town in America, and this celebration was created to spread awareness of the food scene.
This festival showcases all the best brewers, distillers, oyster farms, and others that contribute to Maine’s hospitality.
Events include a Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition, where visitors can pay to sample lobster dishes. There’s also The Maine Pour, a cocktail event where visitors can meet spirit makers and have some drinks and snacks.
And, don’t forget OysterFest, where visitors can sample the choicest oysters in Maine from oyster farmers.
Fryeburg Fair | Fryeburg
Held in early October, the Fryeburg Fair captivates the town with carnival games and rides, artwork, crafting for kids, scrumptious fair food (funnel cakes anyone?), livestock exhibitions, camping, Sheep Dog Trials, a tractor pull, and more.
This eight-day festival is one of the oldest agricultural festivals in Maine and started in 1851 when a handful of towns wanted to celebrate the harvest. Although humble at its founding, it’s now the largest agricultural fair in Maine, bringing in more than 225,000 annual visitors.
The fairgrounds comprise of 185 acres and over 100 buildings. Plus, there are more than 3,000 exhibited animals that include award-winning draft horses, race horses, ponies, oxen, cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep.
Today, it’s still going strong and features many fun events. Get up on your feet and cheer during the pig scramble, marvel at the skillet and anvil throws, watch expert woodsmen compete in sawing and ax throwing competitions, and head to the grandstands for live music, tractor pulls, and more.
Swine & Stein Brewfest | Gardiner
Oktoberfests are all the rage around the country and in Gardiner, Maine, you may just find one of the most authentic celebrations.
This one-day event is truly a beer festival in the streets as downtown turns into an outdoor beer garden. There’s all-day sampling from Maine breweries, distillers, and wineries, along with live music, yummy food, and fun games.
Picture yourself with a delicious ice-cold beer in one hand, some tasty food in the other, and live music playing. Does it get better than that?
York Harvestfest | York Beach
Enjoy a brisk, sunny Maine fall day near the beach in mid-October.
This free, one-day festival offers a wide variety of activities that the whole family can enjoy. For the youngsters, there’s KidsFest, which includes face painting, interactive activities, storytelling, and even a roaming railroad.
Additionally, the festival features traditional favorites like live music, food from local vendors, and a craft market with vendors from all over New England.
Grab a savory Maine lobster roll before taking a ride on a horse-drawn wagon! Other fall fares you can indulge in include lobster macaroni and cheese, pumpkin donuts, blueberry desserts, and whoopie pies.
Heads up – it’s free to park by the beach during Harvestfest!
Sunday River Fall Festival | Newry
Head to the Sunday River mountain resort in October for this free, unique fall festival, featuring arts and crafts, live music, food, and a mix of quirky and classic events that will delight the whole family.
Don’t forget to partner with a friend to complete in the annual New England Cornhole Championship. There’s also the Sunday River Sports Sale.
One unique festival highlight is the scenic chair lift rides on the “Chondola,” an enclosed lift that is family and dog-friendly. Ride the lift up North Peak for amazing views of both the Mahoosuc Mountains and the Sunday River Valley, and take in the majesty of the fall foliage.
You’ll see one of Maine’s tallest peaks, Old Speck. You can opt for a ride on an open chair lift instead if you like.
Another unique highlight is the annual North American Wife Carrying Championship, where competitors carry their wives through a 278-yard obstacle course. The winners get five times their weight in beer!
Some festivals are pet friendly. The rules vary per event and can be found on their respective websites. The Sunday River Fall Festival is a Maine favorite and has dog-friendly gondola rides!
Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta | Damariscotta
In early October, wander around Downtown Damariscotta (and neighboring Newcastle) to see intricately decorated “Atlantic Giant” pumpkins, designed each year by Maine artists.
Attend the weigh off to see who will win first place under several categories: adult giant pumpkin, adult giant squash, children’s giant pumpkin, and children’s giant squash.
Plus, don’t miss the free regatta. Boating in a pumpkin sounds like an impossible feat, but Damariscotta has shown us it’s possible! Watch as competitors paddle furiously and race in hollowed-out, massive, festively adorned pumpkins.
Fall for Ogunquit/OgunquitFest | Ogunquit
Ogunquit is the perfect place if you’re in search of East Coast Halloween vibes. These two free events make Ogunquit the place to be in October! Fall here lasts all month long, and OgunquitFest happens later in the month.
The small town is home to one of the most loved, annual fall festivals in Maine. Spooky events include ghost tours, pumpkin carvings, a haunted theater, a costume parade, and trick-or-treating. Other events include an artisan craft fair, a classic car show, plenty of kids’ activities, and the High Heel Dash in Perkins Cove.
Signature events include the Dogtoberfest costume parade where four-legged friends can parade in their favorite Halloween outfits. And, if you love to soak up as much of fall as you can, you don’t want to miss these events.
Fall Foliage Festival | Boothbay
Head to Boothbay Railway Village for the 54th annual Fall Foliage Festival. Explore the historic buildings, which were mostly built in the early 1900s, and check out the antique car museum and model railroad.
You can even enjoy views of scenic fall leaves and trees from the window of a vintage coach, powered by an authentic, century-old steam engine!
Wander around the village’s 4-acre grassy area for plenty of family fun and entertainment, including live music, arts and crafts, antiques, local food, and a visit with the friendly “village goats.”
An Awesome Maine Fall Festival in November
Maine Harvest Festival | Bangor
This award-winning festival celebrates the fall harvest of more than 200 farmers across the state, as well as food producers and all that they create.
Visitors can sample locally brewed Maine beers and wines, start holiday shopping by visiting the crafts fair for handmade crafts, and eat fresh, delicious Maine cuisine from expert Maine chefs.
You can do a little bit of everything here, and really, isn’t that what everyone wants from a festival?
More to Explore This Fall in Maine
Whether you love visiting beer tents, food vendors, listening to live music, or just soaking up the history and culture of Maine, attending a fall festival in Maine is always a good time. These annual events are rooted in tradition and offer something for everyone.
These events are some of our favorites, but there are many other fall things to do in Maine, too – biking, hiking, boating, shopping, exploring the coast, or simply enjoying a cozy Maine BnB or inn with a view out to sea. Plus, Maine is loaded with Haunted Inns and Lighthouses, and late October is the perfect time to stay in one!
But, the main reason to visit Maine in fall is for those leaves. It’s worth leaving home to see fall at its peak with the spectacular show of brilliant colors that goes well with a fresh-baked red Maine lobster and a steamy cup of chowder.
Each fall the colors begin to take on their autumnal hues as early as late August, but the best leaf peeping is typically in early October and peaks at Columbus Day Weekend.
Maine is the Pine Tree state, so all this deciduous foliage of leaves is offset by the grand green evergreen pines. If you visit Vacationland in the fall be sure to bring your camera, iPad, or iPhone to take lots of photos of the fantastic foliage.
A Cooler, Quieter Destination to Spend a Getaway
The bonus of a fall vacation in Maine is some of the best weather of the year. Days are often sunny and warm, so you can walk the beach or enjoy a kayak or hike in comfortable temperatures.
Autumn sunsets and the return of cool crisp air make for a nice stroll and great sleeping under a down duvet at a romantic inn.
Best of all, fall tends to be less busy than prime summertime. Gone are the vacation families, and there are fewer tourists lined up for Maine’s most popular waterfront restaurants and clam shacks.
Plus, Maine inns, house rentals, and resorts lower their rates after August, so you will find lodging deals in mid-week September and great rates after Columbus Weekend through November.