It’s been an on-again, off-again winter, but we’re still entirely ready for spring. Celebrate the longer days, mud puddles, crocuses, peepers, chorus of bird songs and these seasonal events that help brighten the days before summer comes.
In the words of Maine poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “The spring came suddenly, bursting upon the world as a child bursts into a room, with a laugh and a shout and hands full of flowers.” Here’s to hoping that happens soon.
Wolf Creek Maple in Sidney. Sunday March 28, 2021. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
Maine Maple Sunday Weekend
Saturday and Sunday. Statewide. mainemapleproducers.com
Maine Maple Sunday has gotten so popular that it now spills into Saturday at some sugarhouses. Winter’s been weird, but the sap is still flowing, and you’ll have the chance to sample and purchase delicious maple syrup while seeing how it’s made as sugarhouses open their doors. Some spots will have live music and others will have farm animals and other activities to make the visit well worth your time. Check the Maine Maple Producers list for participating spots and make a plan.
Visitors study the floral design by Alora Carrier, Layne Gregory and and Sabrina Warner of St. Mary’s Garden Club, inspired by Green Ground, a 1968 painting by Adolph Gottlieb, during a tour of Art in Bloom at Portland Museum of Art. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Art In Bloom
March 29 through April 2. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, $18, $15 seniors and students 22-plus, free for 21 and under. portlandmuseum.org
For five glorious days, Portland Museum of Art will be bursting with the sight and smells of its annual Art in Bloom. You’ll feast your eyes on floral works created by designers, artists, farmers and florists from southern Maine. Also pay attention to the walls, because every floral design and installation is inspired by a piece in the museum’s collection. Reminder, admission is free on Friday from 4-8 p.m., in case you and your buds are on a budget.
You’ll hear music from many decades during Sunday River’s Spring Fest Weekend. Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock.com
Spring Fest Weekend
March 31 through April 1. Sunday River. 15 South Ridge Road, Newry. sundayriver.com
The number of days left to ski are winding down, but the fun sure isn’t at Sunday River. Spring Fest Weekend is a three-day celebration of saying “so long” to winter with parties, live music and, of course, skiing and riding. There will be outdoor concerts, barbecues, food stations and DJs. Best of all, the theme of the weekend is hits from the s’70s through the 2000s, so be ready go get down to disco, pop, funk, hip-hop and more.
Sea Dogs’ short stop Christian Koss takes flight after launching a throw to home plate. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
Portland Sea Dogs Opening Day
6 p.m. April 6. Hadlock Field, 271 Park Ave., Portland, $11 to $16. milb.com/portland
Swing, batter batter! It’s time for baseball in Portland, as our beloved Sea Dogs open the season with a three-day homestand against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies from New York. April baseball can be chilly, but the excitement will be electric. Is this the year we go all the way? Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, and let’s do this!
There will be plenty of dancing during Reggae Fest at Sugarloaf. Photo by Jamie Walter, courtesy of Sugarloaf
Reggae Fest
April 6-9. Sugarloaf, 5092 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley. sugarloaf.com
Four days of reggae music and parties at a ski resort? Yes indeed, every little thing gonna be alright during Sugarloaf’s annual Reggaefest. This is the 35th year, so they’ve got it down to a science. There will be two nights of tunes at the King Pine Room, three at The Widowmaker and a pair of concerts outside on the “beach” patio. You’ll also find DJs spinning at Bullwinkle’s. Everywhere you go, it will be reggae tunes galore because nothing induces a chill, happy smile quite link those Jamaican beats. P.S. Head back to The Loaf on April 15 for the 2023 East Coast Pond Skimming Championship.
Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens coneflower with bee. Candia Baxter/Shutterstock.com
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens season opening
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily starting on May 1. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay, $22, $18 seniors and veterans, $15 students, $10 for 3 to 17, free for under 3. mainegardens.org
Spend the day in the Midcoast’s version of paradise as you breathe in the early spring air and take a relaxing, renewing stroll around the expansive grounds of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. There you’ll find giant wooden trolls, rare plants and flowers, a waterfall, ocean views and, best of all, peace and serenity in the great outdoors. Head back June 2-4 for Maine Days, when locals get free admission.
Shriners race along Main Street during Kennebunk’s annual May Day Festival parade. Carl D. Walsh/Staff Photographer
May Day
May 6. Downtown Kennebunk locations. kennebunkmaine.us/366/May-Day-Festival
The first Saturday in May is a dandy day to spend some time in downtown Kennebunk. The town’s annual May Day Festival has something for everyone. Events and activities include a pancake breakfast, food trucks, farmers market, lobster toss, book sale, kids’ activities, craft projects and much more. There’s also a huge parade featuring antique cars, Shriners’ epic mini cars, assorted mascots, several floats, a marching band and more fabulous parade fodder.
Rapper Spose, who is part of this year’s All Roads Music Festival, performing at a previous year’s one. Photo by Lauryn Hottinger
All Roads Music Festival
May 19 & 20. Downtown locations, Belfast, $40 for May 20 day pass, $60 for two-day pass, $30 youth, $10 for ages 5 to 10, $80 VIP pass. allroadmusicfest.org
The All Roads Music Festival, presented by arts nonprofit Launchpad, shines a big light on indie music from Maine and beyond. It all happens over the course of two days in a cluster of walkable spots in downtown Belfast. Genres are all over the musical map and include folk, rock, bluegrass, hip-hop, alt-country, punk and more. Along with all the shows, the festival features discussion panels, curated showcases and a Maine songwriters’ circle. This year’s lineup of more than 40 acts is stacked and includes Weakened Friends, Bait Bag, Spose, Peter Gallway, Love By Numb3rs, Dead Gowns, Dave Gutter & The Yonder, The Ballroom Thieves, Alice Limoges and Angelikah Fahray.
The Wolff Sisters are part of the Sandy River Music Festival. Photo by Denis Semenyaka
Sandy River Music Festival
May 27 & 28. Narrow Gauge Amphitheater, 123 Narrow Gauge Square, Farmington, $50 weekend pass, $30 single day, 12 and under free. whistlestopconcertseries.com
Fill your Memorial Day weekend with local and regional music by heading to the Sandy River Music Festival, where over the course of two days you’ll see 10 acts perform outdoors. Food and beverages will be available for purchase on both days and lawn chairs and blankets are allowed. Now for the music! You’ll be treated to sets by Adam Ezra Group, Coyote Island, Connor Garvey, Jason Spooner Band, Sagittarius Rising, Griffin William Sherry, The Wolff Sisters, World Famous Grassholes, King Kyote and Invite the Wild. What’s more, there are affordable on-site camping spots available, so you can stay put all weekend.
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