15 Oddest Events at Maine Festivals

Maine’s many festivals bring out the best of Vacationland. Among the celebrations of lobsters, ships, and even potatoes, there are oddities and eccentricities among the oddest events at Maine festivals.

Whether they’re making a mess or making history with viral videos, Maine brings the fun. When you’re planning your next Maine vacation, try to schedule around some of these hilarious and interesting events.

The Moxie Festival

Lisbon

Moxie is a soda that made history in Maine, first as a medicinal treatment and then taking the early 1900s by storm.

The taste is questionable but cherished among Mainers. The Lisbon Falls Moxie Festival, usually held the second weekend in July, celebrates everything about the famed carbonated cough syrup (did I say that??).

One of the most popular contests is Moxie chugging, where competitors must down as many drinks as possible in two minutes.

It even inspired this TikTokker to try one, and let’s just say she won’t be winning a Moxie crown anytime soon.

In 2023, there was also a Chicken Chuckin’ Contest, and this kid went viral for it. We hope Major League Baseball is watching.

Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta

Damariscotta (“dam-riscotta”)

Saying that Damariscotta goes big for pumpkin season is an understatement. The annual festival is usually held over Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend.

The Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta brings out some of the biggest pumpkins ever grown, including Maine’s state record of 2,365.5 pounds. It made sense when we heard there’s pumpkin art because what a great canvas!

But did you know a pumpkin can… race?? Those big gourds are gutted and turned into boats. With creative designs and aerodynamic innovation, the shore is lined with crowds cheering on the pumpkin pilots.

Bonus points for the pumpkin boats being turned into compost so they don’t go to waste after the race.

North American Wife Carrying Championship

Newry

Sunday River always has a sense of humor with events. Since 1999, it has been “carrying” this big contest, holding it in October as part of its Fall Fest weekend.

The competitors carry their partners through a 278-yard obstacle course (nearly the length of three football fields), including log hurdles and sand traps. A water hazard known as the “Widow Maker” is the toughest section.

The winner gets their partner’s weight in the beer, cash equal to five times their partner’s weight in dollars, and the chance to compete in the World Wife Carrying Championship.

Fryeburg Fair Skillet and Anvil Throws

Fryeburg

The town of Fryeburg really knows how to “throw” a party. The annual Fryeburg Fair dates back to 1851 and typically runs for eight days.

It’s a premiere event for fall in Maine, often during the first week of October. Among all the chuck wagon food and feasts, there’s a chucking contest that stands out.

Men and women line up for the throwing contest. Women throw a custom-made steel skillet as far as possible, and men make an anvil go as far as possible. This contest has been drawing crowds year after year.

The skillet record is 51.5 feet. The anvil record is 51 feet.

Maine Lobster Festival International Great Crate Race

Rockland

You know that a lobster festival in Maine is going to be amazing, but this most adventurous contest in Rockland has you taking a chilly plunge by the end. As part of the Maine Lobster Festival, it’s usually held the first weekend of August.

The Great Crate Race started in the ’70s. Contestants race across a string of 50 floating wooden lobster crates stretched between two docks. They have to run back and forth as fast as possible. The race ends with the contestants in the water or too tired to continue.

In 2012, a 12-year-old from Owls Head covered 6,000 crates – a long-standing benchmark for just how wild this event can get.

OgunquitFest High Heel Dash

Ogunquit

On the heels of fall arriving in this seaside hamlet, OgunquitFest brings a weekend of classic fall fun in late October, including trick-or-treating, a classic car show, and a dog costume parade.

However, the High Heel Dash is a crowd-favorite event. Contestants must wear heels at least two inches tall and race around Perkins Cove near Ogunquit. You don’t have to be the fastest if you have the best costume.

The real kicker is how much this contest benefits a local charity, with proceeds supporting the Frannie Peabody Center.

Cumberland County Fair Ox Pulling

Cumberland

To be “fair,” Ox Pulling Contests are a way of life at agricultural venues across the state.

We’re giving a shout-out to Cumberland County Fair, held in late September, for the international competition where oxen from Canada and the United States compete.

This concept dates back to an unknown time when, as the story goes, two farmers were arguing about who had the strongest oxen. They headed to the town square to settle the matter once and for all.

A new sport was born. Now, teams train year-round, and in the summer, they travel around to the fairs.

If you’re worried about the safety and health of the ox involved, it might help to know that pulling events in Maine require oversight under state law, and event rules and welfare requirements are provided through fair pulling offices.

Maine Forestry Museum Logging Festival Days

Rangeley

With Rangeley’s beautiful mountains and lakes as a backdrop, Logging Festival Days in mid-July carves a special place into the hearts of locals and visitors.

While honoring the state’s logging industry with museum activities, a parade, and a logging camp-style meal (“burying of the beans”), there’s a contest that compares logging skills.

The Lumberjack and Lumberjill Contest is a mix of events, including the axe throw, crosscut, underhand chop, bow saw, hot saw, and standing block chop for men and women.

Windjammer Days Cod Fish Race

Boothbay Harbor

You can sail right into maritime history at the late-June Windjammer Days festival in Boothbay Harbor, but there’s a fishy competition you might also want to try.

The Cod Fish Race requires contestants to wear fisherman gear, including oilskins and rubber boots, and grab two slimy fish while racing a short course as part of a four-person team relay.

Kids are welcome, and they’ll also love the pirates that roam the festival. Also, there’s a lobster-eating contest if you prefer to claw your way to victory.

Yarmouth Clam Festival Shucking Contest

Yarmouth

Aw, shucks, you knew we couldn’t get through this list without mentioning the clam festival, which starts every third Friday in July. More than 100,000 people turn out for this weekend event each year.

The town goes crazy for quahogs, and those who want to come out of their shell can compete in the shucking contest.

It’s all about who can shuck clams the fastest. Unless you’ve tried this before, you should know a small sharp knife is involved. Maybe not a great idea for first-timers.

Kennebunkport Zombie Dash

Kennebunkport

While not part of a formal festival, the Zombie Dash in Kennebunkport ranks on its own merit.

In mid to late October, Zombies take over the trails at Emmons Preserve, the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust headquarters, as part of a spooky event hosted with Kennebunkport Parks & Recreation Department.

Racers try to survive the zombie apocalypse through about 1 mile of terror, keeping their “lives” (football flags) intact while zombies jump-scare and try to grab them.

The best part? Even if you lose and become a zombie, you can switch teams and finish the race scaring other people.

Eastport Pirate Festival Rum Barrel Race

Eastport

Get your booty to Eastport for the Pirate Festival the weekend after Labor Day, and you can compete in a costume contest before rolling into the most creative competition.

It’s a mix of barrel rolling and quick-change chaos as coed teams of four (16+) roll their way down the course in a relay.

The teams take turns rolling the barrel, stopping at hay bales, and swapping the required gear (jacket, hat, and gloves) before the next racer takes off.

The race is timed, and the two fastest teams race again for 1st and 2nd place.

Madawaska Ice Carousel Contest

Madawaska

In case you’re wondering, “How do people get through Maine winters?” a group in the Madawaska area answers that question with record-breaking ice carousel projects. This ice carousel content may be held anywhere from mid-March to early April.

The Northern Maine Ice Busters are “Just a bunch of Northern Maine working class citizens trying to beat cabin fever in the winter months.”

They carefully carve a circle on Long Lake and then power it to rotate. They’ve traded the record back and forth, with the trophy bouncing between Maine, Minnesota, and even Finland. That’s just another reason to ice carousel next winter.

Somerset SnowFest Downhill Kayak Race

Skowhegan

Something about snow and kayaks doesn’t seem to mesh, but the winter warriors in the Skowhegan area have added a downhill kayak event to Somerset SnowFest.

Contestants ditch the sleds and ride a kayak down the racecourse. Prizes are awarded for clean runs, costumes, and fastest times. Competitors typically get two runs (best time counts), and helmets are required.

Another unique competition (if you’re from away) is the Skijor Skowhegan race, where a horse and rider pull skiers and snowboarders over gates and jumps.

Freeport Sparkle Celebration

Freeport

While there are plenty of holiday happenings around Maine come December, we have to applaud the Freeport planners for the signature talking Christmas tree, which comes to life after the Sparkle Celebration Parade of Lights.

If you don’t know about it, you might be startled when a Christmas tree starts having a conversation with you, telling jokes and singing songs together on select days. Feel free to sing along.

Around here, it’s totally normal to talk to a Christmas tree!

Watch (or Participate) in an Odd Event at a Maine Festival

The oddest events at Maine festivals may raise the eyebrows of the unfamiliar, but to Mainers young and old these events and festivals are rooted in state traditions.

These events, quirky though they may be, are fun to watch, and, for some, they’re even more fun to participate in.

So, prepare yourself for wife-carrying, singing Christmas trees, grab a Moxie, and keep your eyes peeled for zombies. You can see all of that and so much more at these excellent events and there are plenty more annual Maine festivals to explore throughout the year too.