MIDCOAST—To paraphrase Auntie Mame, "Maine is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death."

These last days of summer are not for scrolling, lounging, or wasting, for there are many experiences still to be had. Here are three in the Midcoast to get the most out of August's swan song.

Beat the End-of-Summer Blues by Going Blueberry Picking in Lincolnville

The South Thomaston Conservation Commission (STCC) and the Gilford Butler Center (GBC) will be hosting another "Backyard Talk" on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 - 11 a.m. 

Gary Fish, Maine State Horticulturalist, will discuss "Invasive Plants: Winning the Weed War!"

Hannah Howland, perennial manager at Plants Unlimited, will lead an outdoor presentation on "Native Perennials" at Merryspring Nature Center on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 12 p.m.

CAMDEN — War Memorial Post 30 American Legion will host a special ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The memorial service will take place on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 2 p.m. It will be held at the Legion Hall, 91 Pearl Street in Camden.

The event features speakers from local public safety agencies and veterans' leadership, including representatives from the Camden Fire Department, the Camden Police Department, and the American Legion.

CAMDEN and ROCKPORT — CamdenCAN will host the free Third Annual Camden-Rockport Food Garden Tour on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, with a rain date of Sunday, Aug. 30. The free community event invites residents and visitors to explore local food gardens, meet the people who tend them, and exchange practical ideas about growing food in Midcoast Maine.

Eureka Masonic Lodge, 4 Watts Avenue, Tenants Harbor, is offering Crab or Shrimp Rolls on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

For the price of $15, treat yourself to either a Crab or Shrimp Roll on a toasted bun, a bag of potato chips, a homemade dessert and a bottle of water.

This is curbside pick-up and starts at 11:30 a.m. until sold out. The last sale of the season will be Sept. 2. The Lodge looks forward to serving you.

Vanessa MacDougall got Milo as a kitten. Now 15-20 pounds and 9 years old, Milo has been the subject of an extensive search in the Gardiner Road (Route 27) area of Wiscasset since Aug. 12. MacDougall had him in a carrier at 9:20 a.m. in the parking lot of Wiscasset Veterinary Hospital, where his hurt paw was going to get checked, MacDougall told Wiscasset Newspaper Aug. 17. She said he pushed against the carrier door and it came completely off.

The Waldo is excited to have DakhaBrakha (pronounced “da-ha bra-ha”) a world-music quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine performing on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 pm.

The name DakhaBrakha is original, outstanding and authentic at the same time. It means “give/take” in the old Ukrainian language. DakhaBrakha was created in 2004 at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art by the avant-garde theatre director, Vladyslav Troitskyi. Theatre work has left its mark on the band performances — their shows have never been staged without scenic effects.

Enrollment is underway for Penobscot Bay YMCA after school programs at Camden Rockport Elementary School, Ash Point Community School in Owls Head, South School in Rockland, and Thomaston Grammar School. 

This fall, Belfast Senior College offers nineteen classes for the curious life-long learner, encompassing a wide variety of topics—from hands-on art, to local and world history, from literature classics to food and wine.

Classes will be held at various times throughout the weekdays and most of them will meet for four to six sessions, depending on the class. Classes meet in a variety of Belfast downtown venues, with two offered via Zoom and one held in Camden.

AUGUSTA — The Maine State Beekeepers Association will mark its 50th year with the 2026 Bee Fest, a free public celebration of bees, beekeeping, honey, and Maine’s pollinator community, Sunday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Viles Arboretum, 133 Hospital Street, Augusta, Maine.

Bee Fest welcomes current beekeepers, people considering their first hive, families, gardeners, food enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the vital role honey bees play in Maine’s environment and agricultural landscape.

The Tomato Tasting will return for an encore at Merryspring Nature Center on Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 3 p.m.  

The format for this year’s tasting will be much like last year’s, which drew about 50 participants, according to Merryspring, in a news release. The event begins with expert speakers who will focus on growing tomatoes, different seed-saving techniques, and which varieties to select for your garden. That will be followed by the Tomato Tasting itself.

As summer draws to a close, families across Maine are wrapping up their seasonal activities and vacations while preparing for the start of a new school year. As students return to the classroom, the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety reminds motorists that one of the most important steps they can take to keep children safe is to slow down.