Jane’s Walk ME, a festival celebrating community engagement, will be held May 2, 2026. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement and is celebrated globally in more than 500 cities and towns, according to Maine Preservation, in a news release.

Individuals and organizations are invited to learn more about Jane’s Walk by visiting janeswalkme.org and may submit a walk via an online form until March 27. A typical walk is 60-90 minutes and is free and open to the public.  
 
“Jane’s Walk is a wonderful way for everyday Mainers to celebrate the importance of place and place-keeping in their communities,” said Tara Kelly, executive director of Maine Preservation. “We are all experts in our own experience and the festival provides the opportunity to share that with others.” 
 
This is the fifth year Maine communities have officially participated in this global celebration, according to Maine Preservation. Jane’s Walk is inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs, who spent her life (1916-2006) using grassroots advocacy to protect neighborhoods in both the United States and Canada from urban renewal and emphasizing the power of individuals to influence the places they live. Today, her principles represent the participatory planning approaches that have been embraced in communities around the world.

Last year, more than 50 walks were held in 29 towns and cities across the state. Walk titles included: 

• • Architectural Styles and Stories: Eastport’s Central Neighborhood;
  • Boom to Bust and Back Again: Wiscasset's Museum in the Streets; 
  • Continuing Our Walk Through Historic Downtown Van Buren;
  • Legends of Union Street: A Walk Through Blue Hill's History;
  • Pedal Through Ellsworth: A Guided Bike Ride; 
  • The Public Art of Downtown Bangor (and Why It Matters); 
  • Stepping Out: Portland Queer History Trail; 
  • Trains, Trees & Parks in Thorndike; 
  • Little Free Library Ride in Westbrook;

A full roster of 2026 walks will be available at least two weeks before the festival, according to Maine Preservation. 
 
“Jane Jacobs shares with Friends of Congress Square Park an utmost love for and curiosity in the social urban environment,” said CJ Opperthauser, executive director of Friends of Congress Square Park. “We're proud to co-facilitate this beautiful statewide event to spread that love across diverse Maine communities.” 
 
“Greater Portland Landmarks is excited to celebrate Jane’s Walk ME,” said Kate Lemos McHale, executive director of Greater Portland Landmarks. “These uniquely immersive, community-focused walks connect us with the stories and lived experiences of special places.” 
 
“The Maine Downtown Center is thrilled to be part of Jane’s Walk with programs happening in some of our Main Street and Affiliate Communities,” said Anne Ball, senior program director at the Maine Downtown Center. “Jane Jacobs would be so happy to think of her work and legacy living on in Maine’s historic downtowns, pocket parks, trail systems, riverfronts, and myriad shared public spaces.”

“As we commemorate the nation's semiquincentennial, these community-led walks help us see Maine through the lens of place, memory, and civic connection,” said Sarah Hansen, director of Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. “History lives in our neighborhoods and in the stories we share as we walk together.”

“This is an opportunity for residents to learn some history, brainstorm ways to improve their surroundings, and have some fun exploring their city,” said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown.