Your guide to Maine’s best fall festivals and events

Fall usually beckons the question: Where can I pick my own apples?

The answer is: all over the Midcoast. So pack up the car and take a road trip to the nearest orchard for a day of fun.

These farms offer pick-your-own options, as well as yummy cider, apple butter and more.

Call to verify hours before trucking over, though (phone numbers are provided below). See more orchards and farms by visiting www.maineapples.org.

What will you do with all those…

Union Church of South Bristol is holding its annual Harvest Fair on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Center on Middle Road.

There will be crafts, wreaths, baked goods, Thanksgiving pies, cookie walk and white elephant table. There will also be a table for children to make Christmas ornaments.

Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. on, and will feature a choice of corn…

Autumn is a time for photographers, professional and amateur, to break out their cameras and capture the glories of leaves changing, the fun fall festivals and activities, and of course, the obligatory Halloween selfies, too.

It’s time to vote for your favorites fall photos! The Best Fall Photo Contest ends Sunday, Nov. 2.

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'Tis the Halloween season, that time of year when the veil between this world and others is thinnest. 'Tis the time of year when the departed can easily return to former “haunts,” places and to see people that were important to them, particularly on Halloween night.

But, don't kid yourself. Spirits (those who have passed through “the light” and moved on to the afterlife) and ghosts (those who are caught…

On October 23 at 6 p.m. in the Boothbay Region High School auditorium, over 60 people gathered to watch teacher Mary Miller's performing arts class perform “Dracula!” a one-act play adapted for the stage by Paul Olson.

There were one or two minor missed line mishaps, and an occasionally crash during scenery changes behind the curtain, but all in all the play went smoothly and was a tribute to the hard work of the class and teacher, particularly since they have only been practicing…

Good news: The town voted in favor of the Edgecomb Eddy School's tractor purchase. Now the question is its maintenance, since the old tractor could have gone on much longer, if it was taken care of. If the old one is put out to bid, who would buy a rusted out tractor? Or are there ways to clean and repair it. That’s probably more expensive than it's worth. Or can we get a little for it as parts, or scrap metal?

It was nice to give Chip Griffin the three-volume "History of Edgecomb," by…

If you haven't found the your pumpkin either for decorating your front steps or for making pumpkin puree, try heading out to Peoria, Illinois and I'll bet you can find pumpkin perfection thereabouts.

The University of Illinois reports that 90 percent of pumpkins grown in the United States are all grown within a 90 mile radius of Peoria. Can you imagine how beautiful the fields must be at harvest time? About 99 percent of all pumpkins sold are used for decorations and not for eating, so…

Project Graduation, a program started in the Oxford Hills area in 1980 to provide a safe chemical-free activity for high school seniors at graduation time, has been a long-time tradition at Boothbay Region High School.

The parents and students of the BRHS Class of 2015 intend to continue the Project Graduation tradition this year. We have had two meetings so far. Many ideas have been shared regarding fundraisers and officers have been appointed.

We welcome the community to join…

Have a spooky day in the Boothbay region by spending your afternoon with Underhound Railroad at Two Salty Dogs Pet Outfitters, at the corner of Boothbay House Hill and McKown Street, in Boothbay Harbor on Saturday, Oct. 25.

After dinner, visit the Ghost Train at the Boothbay Railway Village on Route 27 where Underhound Railroad will have a raffle, games, bake sale items, a doggie costume contest and, of course,…

On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24 and 25 from 5:30-8 p.m. the Boothbay Railway Village will once again be cloaked in mystical moonlight and creepy candlelight for the annual Ghost Train.

Just once a year the ghouls and goblins come out to haunt the otherwise peaceful village. Passengers will journey through enchanted cemeteries, see zombies and other ghastly things, hear the calls of strange beasts and experience…

This year’s Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta featured a lot of pumpkin destruction, a major ongoing theme of the popular Midcoast Maine festival.

The Big 10 Inch punkin chunker air cannon sent pumpkins 3,500 feet into the Great Salt Bay until the boat (which was not made out of pumpkin) that tracks the shots broke down.

For more Pumpkinfest videos, click…

If there was ever an appropriate time for the Red Cloak Haunted History Tours, it's the month of October!

Tour local haunts, historic buildings and locations, including cemeteries, led by the Lady in the Red Cloak, Sally Lobkowicz, in Boothbay Harbor and Wiscasset.

Don't forget your cameras. Many a tour-goer has captured a spirit or orb while walking through towns they thought they knew so well.

All lantern-lit walking tours begin at 7 p.m. and are by reservation only.

One of the nice things about the Rite Aid parking lot this time of year is the view. There are some very colorful trees on the front lawn of the high school, and generally less traffic to obstruct. It's easy to see why Rite Aid chose their location.

But, be careful, traffic varies. School dismissal traffic can be challenging. Sometimes it’s smarter to stay parked and enjoy the view or return to the pharmacy for more of what you came for. Alternatively, avoiding the area during school…

The eighth annual Damariscotta Pumpkinfest Regatta ended much the same way it typically does: with a flourish, some floundering and a whole lot of pulp.

The Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta, which started Friday, Oct. 10 with pumpkin painting, ended Monday, Oct. 14 with its signature event: the regatta.

But, before the small outboards were fired up or paddlers took their place in a pumpkin cockpit, the weekend featured a litany of pumpkin creativity and general fruit…

To be a human or a zombie: That was the question October 11 at CLC YMCA’s second annual Zombie Run, during Pumpkinfest in Damariscotta. The 31 entrants who opted for human received a minute’s head start on their seven zombie counterparts. But while the humans had the numbers and the time advantage, each of them also had three flags to lose.

“If the human loses all their flags ... they’re technically dead, but they can still finish the race,” the Y’s program director Joe Clark said…

There were 28 entries to the pumpkin dessert contest at Skidompha Library on Saturday, Oct. 11 as part of the Pumpkinfest weekend in Damariscotta.

With Heather Troydl, chairperson of the Pumpkinfest Dessert Contest officiating, and Ashley and Kelly Sawyer volunteering their time, the tasting got underway around noon.

Three judges sampled all the delectable looking desserts with pumpkin as the main…

A pumpkin is not the willingest of canvases.

There are dips, divots, scuffs, and the over-sized fruit seems to drink the paint.

That’s not even mentioning the inevitable spider left over from the pumpkin patch that caught a ride on the behemoth.

But with the great pumpkin deployment, the pumpkins have been placed from Damariscotta to Boothbay Harbor and points between. The deployment and…

The next time you head to Ocean Point for a leisurely drive, plan on some surprises along the way.

The second annual scarecrow extravaganza is in the works.

Last year around this time people with homes or businesses along Route 96 in East Boothbay got their creative juices flowing and made scarecrows of every…

Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations will rock the house with a powerful mix of Motown and Memphis soul at the Chocolate Church Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 11. This high-energy concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is scheduled by popular demand to celebrate Bath’s AutumnFest.

The Chocolate Church Arts Center continues to highlight local and regional talent. Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations is a100 percent old school R&B revue, complete with female backup singers and a full horn…

A pumpkin festival is just a festival without the addition of a very large, very orange fruit.

For this year's Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta, there will be a whole lot of pumpkin.

During the annual weigh-in on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Pinkham's Plantation in Damariscotta, the unofficial start to Pumpkinfest…

On Oct. 11 and 12 the Boothbay Railway Village along with the Boothbay Information Center will host a true New England Craft Fair.

This year the Fall Foliage Festival is part of a new initiative, called Maine Craft Weekend, sponsored by the Maine Crafts Association in partnership with the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development’s Maine Made Program and additional support from the Maine Office of Tourism.

The beautiful crafts are center stage on the…

Don Snyder of Boothbay Harbor has grown a giant pumpkin for Columbus Day weekend Damariscotta Pumpkinfest.

The giant pumpkin is also being grown as a charitable effort for the benefit of Minnehaha, the firemen's fund of the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department. Friends from the Minnehaha Fund will take the pumpkin to the weigh-off in Damariscotta on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The…

It is easy to get caught up in the day to day of life and forget to acknowledge and show gratitude for the abundance this season brings. Monhegan Island is no exception.

Despite its remote location 12 miles off the coast of Maine, residents and visitors will come together this week to celebrate the sea, the land, the community and other unique offerings that make this island so special.

Oktoberfest is an annual 16-day festival held in Munich, Germany since 1810 where over six million people gather to celebrate. On Saturday, October 4, the First Congregational Church of Wiscasset will hold a much smaller version on the common from 10 to 2. Proceeds of the fair go to the support of the church.

Church members will be grilling bratwurst and serving German sauerkraut as well as hot dogs, chips and drinks for lunch. Delicious homemade baked goods will be available, and the…

“hARvesT 13,” the final exhibit of the 2014 season, is now on display at the Stable  Gallery through Oct. 18.

For “hARvesT 13,” nine artists will be featured in the large carriage room of the Stable Gallery.

Talented and imaginative featured members include Priscilla McCandless with vibrant scenes from the local area, Bill Bellows' award winning woven rugs; paintings of Daisy Greene, Richard McFaul and Stephen Mott; hooked rugs by Susie Stephenson, textiles by Janet Percival,…

The leaves are changing, the nights are getting cooler, scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns have taken the place of summer guests, and soon pumpkins will will be spewing fumes and making a racket in Damariscotta.

Damariscotta's annual Pumpkinfest and Regatta officially begins Oct. 4 with the volunteer weigh-off at 7 a.m. at Pinkham's Plantation, which will be followed with a presentation on how to build a pumpkin boat.

A special two-hour leaf peepers tour is coming up on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. on The River Tripper, located at Schooner Landing Restaurant and Marina, by the bridge in Damariscotta (rain date is Oct. 11, 2 p.m.).

Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $30 for senior citizens and $20 for children under the age of 12.

Once again we will be lucky to have one of our favorite guest naturalist, Sarah Gladu, on board with us from the Damariscotta River Association (DRA), who will…

Tickets are still available for Boothbay Region Land Trust’s (BRLT) The Great Hike event, Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This family-friendly festival will take place at Ovens Mouth Preserve and will include a non-competitive hike, scavenger hunt, barbecue, kids’ games, live music and beer.

The hike will begin at 11 a.m. from Ovens Mouth East Preserve off of the Dover Extension Road in Boothbay. Hikers can participate in the trail scavenger…

River Arts of Damariscotta, which offers classes and open studios year-round, announces its fall line-up of classes. From acrylics to encaustics, stone carving, ceramics and several fiber arts classes, the offerings also include a serious, but fun, course in color theory as well as open studios in ceramics, life sculpture and life drawing. Registration forms for all classes are on River Arts' website.

“Functional Pottery with Nathan Willever” meets Monday evenings from 5-7…

Inspired by Maine’s natural beauty, generations of painters, sculptors and decorative artists have identified the state as a brilliant backdrop for the creation of visual arts, fiber arts and Maine made crafts.

There are unique arts exhibitions to be enjoyed this summer and fall at museums throughout the state, such as an exhibition featuring quilts at the Penobscot Marine Museum;…

The Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta invites Maine artists to submit a design for this year’s official festival T-shirt. The selected design will be featured on the back of the T-shirt commemorating the eighth annual Pumpkinfest & Regatta, to be held from October 4 to 13.

A $500 prize will be awarded to the artist whose design is selected. To be eligible, the artist must be a Maine resident (year-round or summer).

The winning design will become property of the…

I recently received an email singed “a fan of What’s Cooking” asking for instructions for making your own pumpkin puree for a pie. Easy peasy!

The first thing you need to know is which type of pumpkin to buy: there are the larger pumpkins that are specifically grown for their size and should be used for decorating and carving into Jack O’Lanterns; and then there are the smaller,…

The fall season has definitely arrived and these cooler temperatures call out to me: “Apple pie … apple pie.”

Peter and I have planned our annual pilgrimage to Turner this week to pick Honey Crisp apples at our favorite orchard.

My mouth is watering in anticipation of plucking a big, fat juicy apple from a branch, giving…

Although the summer season is leaving with a bang, there are plenty of reasons to look forward to the fall season.

The boats (and tourists) may be going away for the winter, but the best time to be in Maine is just beginning.

No traffic

Almost as quickly as the leaves fall from the trees do the added motorists leave the streets…