67 Midcoast eateries offering yellow food, drink in July's 'Into the Light!' festival
Vicki Murray with the “Into the Light!” lemon cupcake at Laugh Loud, Smile Big in Camden. Murray writes about transcending physical and emotional abuse by her first husband in her new book "Cupcake Lady". (Photo by Patrisha McLean)
Danielle Turner with the "Into the Light!" roasted cod with pearled couscous, tomato jam, olive tapanade, and safffron nage at the Harborview Bistro at the East Wind Inn. (Photo by Patrisha McLean)
Salt Wharf Managers Mackenzie Gassett, Jake Smith, and Crystal Longo with their top-selling fresh passion fruit and pineapple "Vacation Land" cocktail that is their "Into the Light!" offering in July. (Photo by Patrisha McLean)
Vicki Murray with the “Into the Light!” lemon cupcake at Laugh Loud, Smile Big in Camden. Murray writes about transcending physical and emotional abuse by her first husband in her new book "Cupcake Lady". (Photo by Patrisha McLean)
Danielle Turner with the "Into the Light!" roasted cod with pearled couscous, tomato jam, olive tapanade, and safffron nage at the Harborview Bistro at the East Wind Inn. (Photo by Patrisha McLean)
Salt Wharf Managers Mackenzie Gassett, Jake Smith, and Crystal Longo with their top-selling fresh passion fruit and pineapple "Vacation Land" cocktail that is their "Into the Light!" offering in July. (Photo by Patrisha McLean)
“How much yellow can YOU eat, drink, (and buy) in July to brighten the lives of Maine domestic abuse survivors?” said Finding Our Voices, in a news release. "That is the challenge and opportunity of July's 'Into the Light!' Yellow Festival bursting for the third year into Midcoast Maine with a record number of participants."
Pineapple daqueris, yellow-rose gelato, limoncello cake, local oysters with leche de tigre, Sungold tomatoes, and honey-mustard fried chicken are just some of the special “Into the Light!” offerings through July at 67 eateries in 16 Midcoast towns and on one island (Islesboro), with all or part of the proceeds being donated to Finding Our Voices.
Participants include fine dining destinations, diners, food trucks, lobster shacks, farmer's market stalls, bakeries, and food co-ops, and this year the festival has extended to the Blue Hill Peninsula with 37 eateries on board from Castine to Stonington.
On the non-eatery side of the festival, five bookstores are donating proceeds of yellow books, Michael Good Gallery and Windsor Chairmakers are hosting raffles for 18 kt. earrings and a tiger maple-seat armchair, and Christine's Framing Gallery is presenting an art sale.
“I am overwhelmed by the generosity and also creativity of the Midcoast and Blue Hill Peninsula business communities,” said Patrisha McLean, CEO and Founder of Finding Our Voices. “For so many chefs and merchants to take the time to create clever, compelling yellow offerings, and then donate proceeds to brighten the lives of domestic abuse survivors, in their busiest time of the year and all month long, is heart-warming indeed.”
Yellow is the color of the Camden-based, statewide nonprofit, according to McLean, “because we are survivors who have managed to cross over to the bright side of safety and freedom, shining a light for our sisters who are still in the dark.”
“Into the Light!” proceeds will fund such programs as peer-to-peer dating abuse-prevention in high schools and access to free dental care but the benefits of the event extend beyond the fundraising aspect.
Said Liz True, a Finding Our Voices board member from Sedgwick and chief organizer of the peninsula event: “A friend of mine told me that when she was going through domestic abuse herself, seeing the wide embrace of this festival in her community would have made a huge difference to her, by letting her know she wasn’t alone and that people did care.”
The lead sponsor of 2025's “Into the Light!” in Midcoast Maine is First National Bank, joined by Viking Lumber, Borden Cottage, Camden Whole Health, Hay Runner, Cold Mountain Builders, Rickey Celentano, Liv Rockefeller and Ken Shure, and Susan and Rufus Williams. Media sponsors are Midcoast Villager, Frank FM and The Wave.
For a complete list of participating businesses with their “Into the Light!” offerings and for more information about Finding Our Voices visit https://findingourvoices.net/
Finding Our Voices is Maine women survivors of domestic abuse providing critical resources and connection to our sisters, for personal healing and systemic change.
