Maine is Vacationland all year long, not just in Summer and Fall. And here in Rockland, well, we’re open year round! There are lots of events to lure you to Midcoast Maine when the temperature drops. Plan your Maine winter getaway now before we are booked!
Top Maine Winter Activities – Do Not Miss Them!
1. Festival of Lights – November
Start the holiday season off right by joining us for Rockland’s annual Festival of Lights Celebration. The Festival is always held the weekend of Thanksgiving and there are many events for all ages. The whole city of Rockland decorates to usher in the holidays. Santa Claus arrives by boat courtesy of the Coast Guard. On Friday night, the famous Lobster Trap Christmas Tree is lit for all to enjoy; it may have you rethinking your more traditional decorations. Saturday afternoon you are welcome to join us for a holiday house tour of the Historic Inns of Rockland who have decked the halls to put you in the holiday spirit… and there are usually cookies, too! Ticket proceeds from the House Tour benefit the Rockland Public Library. The festival’s big finale is Saturday night’s parade where you vote for you favorite float with canned food. The float with the most cans wins, as does our local food bank which collects the cans to help families in need.
2. Christmas by the Sea -Early December
We continue rolling out the holidays the following weekend (the first weekend after Festival of Lights) with more holiday cheer. The weekend of Christmas by the Sea in Rockport, Camden, and Thomaston is filled with tree lightings, shopping, holiday concerts, and craft shows. And don’t miss getting your picture taken with a cute Belted Galloway cow at Aldemere Farm; that’ll make for the perfect Holiday card!
3. Pies on Parade – End of January
The entire town of Rockland gets pie crazy the last Sunday in January with Pies on Parade. More than 20 restaurants and Inns dish up their best in pie form and you can sample them all. And the best part- it’s all for a great cause. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry. (Since 2006, more than $160,000 from this event has been raised and donated to help provide food and heating oil for Midcoast families in need.) The date changes but is always the Sunday before Super bowl weekend so basically a non-football weekend – what else are you going to do???
4. Camden Winterfest – Early February
Winterfest is Maine’s Mardi Gras and begins the first weekend in February. This is a week-long celebration of Winter with outdoor and indoor activities including ice carving and snow sculpting, concerts, parades, and movies.
5. National Toboggan Championships – Early February
The Camden Winterfest concludes with the National Toboggan Championships at the Camden Snow Bowl. Crazy costumes and wild team names seem to be a requirement. Spectators converge on the Snowbowl with various and sundry items to ensure comfortable conditions while cheering on the competitors. Be prepared to see couches, tents, barbecues, etc. This is a great people-watching event!
*Photo Provided by Lindsay Heald
6. Camden Conference – February
The yearly Camden Conference held the third weekend in February tackles the big questions. Thought provoking, timely, and inspiring, the conference focuses on a different issue facing the world each year. Conference topics have included “Refugees and Global Migration: Humanity’s Crisis”, “The Global Politics of Food and Water”, and “New World Disorder and America’s Future”.
7. Gardens Aglow – November-January 1
The wonderful Gardens Aglow event is held from Thanksgiving to New Year’s at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, this event offers a spectacular sight. Over 500,000 lights set the gardens aglow. Grab a mug of hot chocolate and stroll through Maine’s biggest light show.
Old Man Winter may have settled over the Mid-Coast area but there’s still plenty to do! We’ll see you soon!