Your guide to Maine’s best fall festivals and events

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

'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… Read more

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… Read more

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,… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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.

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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.