Looking at another great weekend ahead with Friday topping out as the warmest, here’s a little cultivated list of some hometown, fun, fall-like things to do and places to go.

Killer Road Trip: Damariscotta’s Pumpkin Fest

Friday, October 7 through Sunday, October 9—Damariscotta

Take a trip down to Damariscotta this weekend to see the giant and fantastical pumpkins that Maine artists have transformed all around Damariscotta and Newcastle for their annual weekend. On Friday, the artists uncover their creations, on Saturday, the annual parade starts at 2 p.m. and on Sunday, the pumpkin Regatta starts at noon. The area is teeming with things to do  which you can find on the Maine Pumpkin Trail covering 40 miles of Maine’s coastline. The event is free, family-friendly, but you’ll probably want to make use of the parking shuttles. FMI: Pumpkin Fest

Killer Road Trip: ARTober in Bangor

Friday, October 7—Bangor

Rio’s BBQ Anniversary Party

Saturday, October 8—Searsport

Remember that cute little place in Searsport I did a story on about a year ago? Well, they are celebrating being in business for one year by hosting a BBQ anniversary party with pig, chicken, and beef short rib on the grill and homemade sides and desserts. The musical lineup includes The Cedar Shakes from 2:00 to 4.30 p.m. and Tom DiMenna singing Gordon Lightfoot from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 and will be going fast. FMI: Details and Tickets

Hope Orchards Fall Festival

Sunday, October 9—Hope

Come to the small family-owned orchard in Hope (434 Camden Road-Rte. 105) for a day of apple-picking, (20 varieties of apples and three varieties of pears) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rosey Gerry and his musical friends will provide live entertainment from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Joining him will be bass player, Jimmy Ostergard; fiddle/mandolin queen Lise Becu and the mojo master of banjo, Stevie Davis. Check out our past story on Hope Orchards. FMI: Details

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

SEARSMONT—Waldo County Woodshed, a volunteer-run nonprofit that works to provide free firewood for people in Waldo County, is about to trade wood splitters for aprons for one night.

On Thursday, October 6, teaming up with Threshers Brewing Co. in Searsmont, the organization is aiming to put on a fancy dinner at the brewery for families who’d like a night out and for a price that doesn’t break the bank.

Dawn Caswell, Waldo County Woodshed’s treasurer explained: “Scott Bendtson, the owner at Threshers, had been to a ‘pay as you can’ restaurant out west and brought it up to our volunteers, thinking if we used Threshers’ kitchen, we could recreate the same kind of event here. Because we’ve done a lot of fundraising through Threshers, we considered this idea, We did some research. Nonprofits in Maine are only allowed to have 12 food events, so we’ve decided to host this inaugural event once a month.”

The idea is simple. There are no reservations. Any individual, couple, or family who arrives may sit down at a table adorned with a tablecloth and silverware and served family-style.

The menu planned for that evening will include non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers, soup, salad, a pork dish, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables,  a vegetarian lasagna, and dessert. At the end of the meal, there will be a box that accepts donations. It will be anonymous; no one will see what is going into the box and all proceeds will support Waldo County Woodshed.

“It’s an opportunity for people and families to get out for a nice dinner for an evening and pay what they want,” said Caswell. “Going out to dinner is a lot of money for people and if someone can’t afford to pay anything but really wants to come to this, there’s an opportunity to volunteer for an hour in the kitchen,” she said. “This will get you a meal.”

Caterers, farmers, cooks who work in commercial kitchens, and restaurant servers will provide the food and service in the front and in the back of the house. At this point, Caswell said they have one donation from a local butcher shop, but that the organization is looking for more local producers of produce and meat to sponsor products for this first event.

“We’ll have table cards that identify who is donating what and all of our volunteers will have nametags,” she said.

The first event, if all goes well, will springboard into a monthly event with different products and meat sponsors with the aim of the Waldo County Woodshed to ultimately create a year-round non-profit “Pay As You Can Café.”

“Getting the community out and being with each other is really our goal,” said Caswell. She added that if the idea takes off and they can get pop-up chefs to come in and do similar events, Threshers Brewing Co. may even have more ‘Pay As You Can’ dinners in the future.

The event will take place Thursday, October 6 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will be first-come, first-served. To donate any food to the event, get in touch with Caswell at dawncaswell1@gmail.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

As long as we’re continuing to get some lovely 60ish-degree weather this weekend, let’s get outside to enjoy it! Kicking off Rocktober with some great fall events!

Note: the Electronic Dance Party previously posted for Saturday has been canceled.

Killer Road Trip: Freeport Fall Festival

Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2—Freeport

Take a trip down to Freeport where 175 New England artists, makers, and local food producers take over the town for a three-day family-friendly festival. Musicians will be playing live all day and there are plenty of activities for the kiddos while you walk around and take in all of the activities, artists, and food options. Here’s a daily schedule of events.  For the adults, don’t forget to check out Oktoberfest at Mast Landing Brewing Company’s Freeport Tasting Room, Fall Flannel Fest at Maine Beer Company, The Art of Boatbuilding at De’Bramble Art Gallery, Island Treasure Toys Sidewalk Sale, Wolfe’s Neck Center Fall on the Farm, Pineland Farms’ Harvest Festival as well! Free to the public.

Belfast Bay Beer Bash

Saturday, October 1—Belfast

Marshall Wharf Brewing Co. is hosting its fourth annual fall beer festival offering 40+ beers to sample. The $35 entrance fee comes with a commemorative taster glass, 10 beer tickets,  with two bands playing live music. Event starts at 2 p.m. FMI: B4

Chairlift Rides at Camden Snow Bowl

Sunday, October 2—Camden

Wheee! Fall foliage chairlift rides at the Snow Bowl are back, starting this Sunday. Ride up; hike down or ride back down. $10 per person. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Oktoberfest at Sterlingtown Public House

Sunday, October 2—Union

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

This weekend is all about the seasonal switchover from summer to fall with the September Equinox. The nights are getting chillier (so bring a parka to The Pour Farm) and the days this weekend are filled with rural living. We’ve picked out the best of what’s going on in the Midcoast for you to enjoy.

Cupacity Bartender Open Audition

Friday, September 23—Damariscotta

Cupacity is hosting its ‘Open Bartender Audition Night”  beginning at 5 p.m. and going until 9 p.m.This is going to be a lively event both for mixologists and the audience participants. According to Cupacity chef Bennett Perry, “Taking a cue from our favorite baking show, audition participants will compete in three mixology trials—signature, technical, and showstopper. The winner will be able to bring their very best in front of a live audience because after all, a great bartender is truly an artist and performer.” FMI: Details

The Pour Farm’s Outdoor Movie Night

Saturday, September 24—Union

The Pour Farm, a nano brewery in Union, has been having a lot of camp and fun with its annual fall outdoor free movie nights on Fridays and Saturdays. This weekend’s movie lineup is straight from the 1920s with comedy starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night featuring Sherlock Jr. (1924) and Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances (1925) and on Saturday night, a Soviet-era sci-fi Aelita: Queen of Mars (1924) accompanied by live music with Tom Luther. Space is limited and tickets are required. Beer and popcorn will be served. FMI: The Pour Farm

Common Ground Fair

Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25—Union

The Common Ground Country Fair, an event that celebrates rural living, is something you have to go to at least once to see how unique it is. Where else are you going to see an actual Blacksmith Shop or a Harry S. Truman Manure Pitch Off? According to the website’s “pro-tips,” most volunteers and staff say Sunday is the best day to go with the same exhibitors, food, and activities, with smaller crowds. Here’s a list of vendors and exhibitors as well as a schedule and staff picks. FMI: Info and Tickets

Grace on Ice

Sunday, September 25—Rockland

Now, this is not something you see every day. Ice Dance International, a professional performing arts ice dance company is bringing their live touring show to Midcoast as part of their New England tour, featuring some seriously talented ice skate champions. According to Artistic Director Douglas Webster, “It is an experience for the viewer, a theatrical journey with dynamic, athletic movement, intimate interaction, soaring grace and artistry, and swirling patterns that will transport the audience.” The show starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 to $25. FMI: Ice Dance International

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT—Put together a rich, dark chocolate gelato in a handmade waffle cone and a beyond beautiful deckside view of Rockport Harbor and you’ve got yourself a sweet little business.

Entrepreneur Therese Inman and her husband, Garett Reppenhagen, moved to Maine from Colorado last year, had a vision that Maine would be the place for their dream job.

In Colorado, Inman worked as a CNA in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but baked on the side.

When they got to Maine, they discovered the spot at 27 Central Street, formerly a storage room that had been initially been the darkroom for Maine Media Workshops.

“We knew moving to Maine, this was going to be the plan,” she said. “Sometimes, I come out here out on the deck and it’s just such a nice little breath of fresh air.”

Inman, who began baking desserts for Ports of Italy, handmakes her gelato and waffle cones. The gelato, which is a European-style ice cream, starts with a gelato base from Pineland Farms and is made with milk, cream, and sugar mixed with stabilizer.

“From there, I make the flavors from scratch, so the salted caramel gelato is made from sugar that I caramelize,” she said. “For the blueberries and cream flavor, I take fresh blueberries and dump sugar and a little lemon juice and salt and let it macerate while it cooks on the stove.”

A crowd favorite so far is mint cookies and cream.

“I use peppermint extract along with pureed fresh mint leaves, so it has this really nice pale green color,” she said. “Then, I dump in crushed Oreos.”

Another favorite is Tiramisu.

“I start with a Zabaglione custard, soak ladyfingers in Kahlua and coffee and layer it all together with cocoa powder on top,” she said. “It’s a little lighter version of Tiramisu.”

Soon she will roll out another menu item: crepes, both sweet and savory.

“We’ll have the standard Nutella and fruit and Crepes Suzette, which is lemon and sugar,” she said. “And for those who want savory, we’ll have ham and Gruyere, a basil, pesto with chicken, a turkey and Swiss, all the good sandwiches that you want to eat, except we put them in a crepe instead of bread.”

Down the line, Inman will also be adding beer and wine to the menu, which can be sipped on site.

“So, something for everyone. If you don’t feel like something sweet, but just want a glass of wine, out on the deck, we’ll have that.”

Reppenhagen, who works full time as Executive Director of Veterans for Peace, scoops and works the register on the weekend. The couple’s commitment to the community extends to their tip jar. Tips don’t go to the business; instead, they go to a nonprofit selected each month. This month’s tips going to Waldo County Bounty.

The business has only been open less than a month with a big word-of-mouth following. Sea Folk, the coffee shop around the corner, has been closed for several years during the COVID-19 pandemic and has recently re-opened giving the quiet town of Rockport has two food-and-drink businesses open during the day.

A grand opening is in the works the weekend after Labor Day. For more information on Freya’s Ice cream, visit the website or Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Another nice weekend on the radar with the best day looking like Friday so far—here’s a couple of local events for music and art lovers. And a special Killer Road Trip for Friends of the Fur Babies with Woofstock!

Woofstock

Saturday, August 13—Waterville

Humane Society Waterville Area’s first annual Woofstock Festival will feature local bands, food trucks, and a beer tent from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. with all ticket sales and merchandise proceeds going towards the Humane Society, as well as 10 percent of the proceeds from the vendors. The live music lineup includes Old Souls, Tyler Healy Band, Papa Tim, and the Desperate Men, Bad Daddy,  River Bottom Funk, and Cryin’ Out Loud. Buy tickets online or general admission tickets will be available at the door for $25 while they last. FMI: Woofstock

Lincoln Street Center Open Studios

Saturday, August 13 —Rockland

It may rain in the Midcoast on Saturday, so here’s a fine way to spend your afternoon. Lincoln Street Center will be hosting an Open Studio. Go check out the former high school turned art center and feel free to wander into the studios of more than six artists to chat about their work and process from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hello Newman Rocks The Dock

Sunday, August 14—Rockland

Do you wish you could relive the ‘90s sometimes? Hello Newman, the premier alternative rock band from Maine will be gracing Archer’s on The Pier for rocking the dock Sunday afternoon. They’ll be playing from 2 to 5 p.m. Open to the public.

Note: Weekend Spotlight will be on hiatus for a month while I work on a local film production. See you in September!

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—After a two-year hiatus, the Maine Lobster Festival opened to the public for free in Rockland this week. Sunday, August 7, 2022 marked a favorite event: the International Great Crate Race, where kids and adults in shorts and socks were raring to run across a long string of lobster crates attached to floats. The event was “open to anyone brave enough to risk falling into the chilly ocean with thousands of people watching your every move!”

Congratulations to the 2022 International Great Crate Race Champion Aiden Genthner, 12, of Owls Head, with 2,522 crates. His younger brother, Kobe Genther, 9, won second place with 1,798 crates.

Docked lobster boats provided the party in the background as the contestants lined up on the float in their stockinged feet. Professional photographers and a production company filming the crate races for a Maine-based independent movie documented their spectacular falls and triumphs.  The race, with approximately 100 kids and adults participating, was interrupted by a passing shower, but resumed once the sun came out.

Check out our gallery of photos and videos and download the attached 2022 Crate Race Results.

For more information visit: International Great Crate Race on Maine Lobster Festival’s website.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com 

ROCKLAND—The 75th Maine Lobster Festival is underway and there is so much to see and do this year. Culturally, the Festival is covering all bases with live music all day and night, an Arts and Crafts and Marketplace Tent, cooking demonstrations in the North Entertainment Tent, a Maine Heritage Tent, and even a Pirate Tavern. With no admission charge, it’s worth checking out all of the tents this weekend.

I happened to be in The Marine Experience Tent on Friday along with other exhibitors ranging from Maine authors and artists to a Lobster Touch Tank.

Author Ali Farell has illuminated the lobstering life in her fiction and nonfiction books.

“I’ve met so many nice people this week, so many people who’ve never even seen the ocean before,” she said.

Local lobsterman legend Virginia Oliver, a.k.a. “The Lobster Lady” is 102 years old and still lobster fishing. Oliver is one of the subjects featured in Farrell’s book Pretty Rugged about female lobstermen.

“She’s a celebrity,” said Farrell. “Everyone has seen her on TV and thinks she’s amazing—and she is!”

C. L. Alden, another local author, had posters of her books on display.

“Most of my books are inspired by the Midcoast area, so a lot of the places in the books will be recognizable,” she said. “Some names have been changed, but for example, in my book Empire is actually The Strand Theatre.”

Alden, who has been to the Maine Lobster Festival for four years noticed a bigger crowd this year.

“The crowd looks great,” she said.” I feel there are a lot of people from away this year and everybody gets excited about Maine stories. They see these quaint, New England towns, something they don’t see at home.”

Kathy Putzulu is the creator of With The Grain Woodworks, featuring scroll-sawed artwork with a lobster piece perfectly fit into a cut-out of the state of Maine shape.

Cynthia Dean, co-creator of “Paint It Shoreself Ceramics” had nautical and lobster-themed ceramics at her table, which can be hand-painted.

Two authors, Claire Ackroyd and Robert W. Spencer, representing the hybrid publishing company, Maine Authors Publishing, were manning a table with nearly 50 books from Maine authors on display.

Ackroyd, author Murder in the Maple Woods, said of her book, “It’s fiction, but the setting is real, giving you an authentic view of the processing of maple syrup production.”

At the back of the tent, MLF volunteer Aiden Willis, 13, in charge of The Lobster Touch Tank, identified various locally caught sea creatures in the tank holding them up to curious visitors, including live Maine lobsters, starfish, sea cucumbers, scallops, and crabs.

“I grew up on the water, so I have no problem touching any of these,” he said of the creatures. “I get to feel like an expert for the day.”

Note: various authors and makers appeared in the Maine Entertainment Tent all week and not everyone was profiled in this story.

The Maine Lobster Festival continues until Sunday. For more information visit: www.mainelobsterfestival.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

It’s sizzling this weekend (thanks never-ending heat wave!) but it’s also a great weekend to be outside and enjoy the various festivals that highlight Maine’s best-known food: blueberries and lobster. Oh and sauerkraut, did I mention that?

Maine Lobster Festival

Thursday, August 4 through Sunday, August 7—Rockland

Did you know that the Maine Lobster Festival is FREE this year? As a “thank you” to the community for reaching its 75th year (and after having to cancel the last two years due to COVID-19) the Festival is back with a vengeance. Highlights from Thursday to Sunday include Steins and Vines live music all day and night, and the Eating Tent with plenty of lobster dinners, rolls, chowder, mac ‘n cheese (basically Lobster Heaven). Yours truly will be there along with other Maine authors in the Marine Tent on Friday. On Sunday, don’t miss the Great International Crate Race at 2 p.m. See here for the daily schedule. FMI: Maine Lobster Festival

Wild Maine Blueberry Weekend

Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7—Statewide

Follow the interactive map on this website to tour wild blueberry farms around the state, pick wild blueberries at select locations, and sample a wild blueberry dish or drink. Locally, if you zero in on the interactive map in the Midcoast, you’ll find Brodis Blueberries and Blue Barren Distillery (in addition to its brand new Camden wharf tasting room and restaurant), Ridgeberry Farm, Sweetgrass Farm & Winery, Bluet Maine Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine.

Maker’s Market at Morse’s Sauerkraut

Saturday, August 6—Waldoboro

Head down to Waldoboro (3856 Washington Rd, Rt. 220) to the little-known European deli and specialty grocery Morse’s Sauerkraut, as profiled by PenBay Pilot. They will be hosting a Maker’s Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with local makers offering thrown stoneware pottery, small batch beer soap, hammered metal jewelry, hand printed textiles and paper goods, blown and sculpted art glass, handmade leather goods, handmade wood objects, and more. FMI: morsessauerkraut.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—It has been a twisty, tumultuous path for Blue Barren Distillery’s owners Andrew Stewart and Jeremy Howard. When they first opened on the “quiet side” of Camden in 2019, little did they know the business’s direction would be anything but quiet.

After a June 2020 fire that partially destroyed buildings in the Lyman-Morse boatyard, which forced the distillery to move its operations to a Hope blueberry barren in August 2021, Stewart and Howard had their sights set on eventually returning to Camden once the Lyman-Morse marina had been rebuilt.

With a couple of weeks of a soft opening under their belt, the distillery’s tasting room and restaurant expect to be fully launched at the official opening August 2.

“Originally we were going to move the distillery production back down to the waterfront, but that became too cost-prohibitive to move it twice, so we decided to keep production in Hope,” said Stewart. “And now the area set aside for the distillery is going to be a tasting room, a gift shop, and a bottle shop. Our plan in the future is to have a small display still so we can show people the process of distilling and maybe do classes, but that will probably happen next year.”

The tasting room will feature cocktails primarily made from Blueberry Barren’s spirit line. One signature cocktail, in particular, is finding popularity among locals: The Lavender Sky.

“It uses Barren’s Glendarragh Gin, using English lavender grown at Glendarragh Lavender Farm in Appleton with a lavender simple syrup, ginger beer, and lime — so a riff on the traditional Moscow Mule,” said Stewart.

The restaurant will have 50 seats upstairs and 50 seats outside on the deck overlooking the wharf. The restaurant space will be air-conditioned in the summer and temperature-controlled in the winter. While a new menu is being finalized this week, Stewart said, the restaurant menu will have all of the family classics, such as fish and chips, burgers, nachos, wings, oysters, and mussels.

“Potentially the plan is to be open year-round with the exception of January when we do a deep clean and a reshuffle,” he said.

Stewart said moving back to the same place they were forced to vacate after the fire and COVID-19 lockdowns have produced “so many feelings.”

“We are a little overwhelmed; there has definitely been a relief, but we’re excited and really looking forward to getting up and running,” he said. “The feedback has been really positive so far. Our staff are predominantly high school kids and college kids who live in the area and it’s just a fun, community vibe.”

For more information visit: https://bluebarren.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—She barely remembers it, but nearly 47 years ago Sierra Dietz, the owner of The Grasshopper Shop,  used to play in a playpen in the window of The Grasshopper Shop’s original Belfast location on High Street.

“I don’t remember anything about the first store, but I definitely remember being in the store’s second location where Chase’s Daily is now,” she said.

Dietz, whose parents, Johanna Strassberg and Ken Schweikert, founded The Grasshopper Shop in 1975, is the current owner of the Rockland location and now, the newly opened Belfast store at 105 High Street.

“My parents closed the Belfast store when they divorced, but I’m incredibly pleased to be back in Belfast,” she said. “I live in Belfast and have felt invested and part of the community for a long time. As a kid when the original Belfast store closed, it was my dream to come back and open it again.”

In 1975, when Strassberg and Schweikert still owned the stores in the Midcoast, what consumers wanted was a lot different than it is today.

“What has made the Grasshopper Shop different is how the store evolved over time, reacting to the customers' needs,” said Dietz. “Back in the late 1970s, they were selling wood stoves and macrame hanging baskets. Over time, they changed the merchandise to what the customers were looking for. Many of our long-time customers, the Baby Boomers, are at a point where they aren’t buying a lot of things for themselves but are spending more on their children and grandchildren. So, we’ve expanded our clothing and kids’ toy departments.”

The Belfast store, is in fact, still expanding. Currently, it houses Maine-themed home goods, casual, colorful clothing, a kids’ section, soaps, note cards, and themed books.

Dietz said the store is adding more merchandise, including tea, table linens, candles, more toys, umbrellas, wind chimes, and more clothing.

“Other stores sell just women's clothing, or toys, or home goods,” she said. “We have something for everyone. It’s sort of one-stop shopping to find all of those things in one location.”

“I heard an anecdote from a friend the other day who asked her kids if they wanted to go out for ice cream and they said, ‘No, we want to go to The Grasshopper Shop’ so we may need to make T-shirts that say ‘The Grasshopper Shop—Better than ice cream!”

For more information visit: grasshoppershopofrockland.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This week’s Spotlight throws in a Thursday and a Monday event just to stretch out your weekend that much longer. The heat wave is over and the living’s easy.

Wiscasset Art Walk with Sidewalk Drums

Thursday, July 28—Wiscasset

The Wiscasset Art Walk tonight features something really unique: percussion instruments strewn throughout the sidewalks so that attendees can bang on the drums all day. Jim Doble of Union is bringing materials to build an amandinda, a xylophone-like instrument played in southern Uganda. The Art Walk goes from 5 to 8 p.m. Free to the public. FMI: Art Walk

Union Fair

Wednesday, July 27 through Sunday, July 31—Union

The Union Fair is underway, a reminder that we are past mid-summer point and all need some downtime. 4-H exhibits, livestock shows and auctions, exhibition hall, demolition derbies, harness racing, fireworks, live music, and more. Highlights this weekend include Wild Blueberry Festival Day on Friday, Children’s Day on Saturday, and Demo Derby Day on Sunday. Admission is $20 per person (includes all rides) or snag the early-bird deal (no rides)for $10 from 8 a.m. to noon. See more admission prices. FMI: https://www.unionfair.org

Happenings on the Harbor

Sunday, July 31—Rockport

Grab your picnic blanket, your lawn chairs, your YETI, and snacks–The Right Track band with opener Bella Barnes is going to get Rockport Harbor dancing with food trucks serving at 4 p.m. and the music starting at 5 p.m. This event is free to the public. FMI: Happenings on the Harbor

Belfast Summer Nights Street Party

Monday, August 1—Belfast

The 13th Annual Belfast Street Party will take over downtown Belfast from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on High Street in front of City Hall. There will be entertainment, rides, a bucking bronco, a climbing wall, an obstacle course, and all kinds of activities for children. A $10 pass gets unlimited access. Volunteers are still needed and will get a free pass for rides. Call 338-1975.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—Matt Burke and Jim Thompson, who moved to Midcoast Maine four years ago, have been working toward taking their cookie and granola company, Sweet Monkey Business to its fullest potential—and now they’ve done it with a production facility on Main Street in Belfast.

“I’ve always been a contractor/builder, but I was looking to do something different,” said Thompson. “We’d always wanted to do some kind of small business around food, maybe a café or something. We loved to bake and cook and Matt and I would make 50 or 60 batches of cookies to give to friends every Christmas such as a raspberry pecan cookie and a chocolate cookie dusted with powdered sugar. Many were inspired by Martha Stewart.”

The name and the business logo are a tribute to their mischievous dog, who was renowned for stealing socks.

“Matt and I would say, ‘She’s up to monkey business again,’” hence, the cheeky monkey stealing the cookie in the logo.

Friends convinced the couple that they needed to commercially sell their cookies, so tried their wares out at The United Farmer’s Market in January 2020. Of all the shortbread cookie flavors they created, the lemon cookie turned out to be the crowd favorite.

 “We just wanted to see if people would buy them,” said Burke. “A table costs about $40 a week, so we just wanted to see if people even liked them enough to go bigger.”

“People did like them; they kept coming back,” said Burke.

“We got together a quick business plan and the plan was to sell at a number of farmer’s markets,” said Thompson.

For all of the businesses that got the one-two gut punch at the start of the 2020 pandemic, nothing hurts quite like lining up all the pieces to a successful business launch, only to have no access to customers. In March 2020, they had just started using a test kitchen with The Crosby Center in Belfast and in three weeks, the entire state of Maine shut down in-person gatherings. 

“So the plan shifted to an online business,” said Thompson. “That following Christmas, everyone had an online Christmas.”

With Thompson’s baking skills and Burke’s background in marketing for technology companies, the artisan cookies took off online. Another part of their expansion included educating themselves about how to sell their products wholesale. That took a lot of research, pitching emails, and physically delivering samples up and down the coast. All of this was brand new to both of them.

“And mistakes were made,” Thomspon said laughing.

One of their “oops” moments came in the form of packaging.

“In the beginning, when we would deliver batches of cookies to people in person, we packaged them in tins or boxes with soft tissue paper,” said Thompson “When we mailed them the same way, the cookies would be destroyed. We learned quickly. Although we did get some notes saying they were appreciative we weren’t using a lot of plastic packaging.”

But the work paid off.

“I’d say we’re now in some of the best specialty stores and markets on the coast,” said Thompson.

When lockdown started easing up about a year and a half later, many businesses started to rethink the in-person model once again.

“We realized we could get bigger with more products, so we added granola to our product line,” said Thompson, who modified a family recipe. Their granola is more concentrated with nuts and dried berries than oats. “We just played around with the recipe until we were happy with it,” he added.

The business took one more turn when the couple bought the building on Main Street in 2021, renovated the upstairs apartment, then customized the working space on the ground floor, converting it into a baking production facility. Thompson said they bake nearly 8,000 cookies a week to keep up with the demand for wholesale, retail, online, and in-person farmer’s markets.

“Maine is the perfect place to try out your ideas and start a small business,” said Burke. “It’s been an amazing, supportive community. And the wholesale community is the same. It’s the perfect place to start a small new business. They want to help you; they want to welcome you.”

For more information and where to find their cookies and granola in the Midcoast, visit: sweetmonkeybusiness.com/contact

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Welcome to another hot, hot, hot, weekend. Here are three low-cost and no-cost events outdoors that are effortlessly cool.

Maine Celtic Celebration in Belfast

Friday, July 22 through Sunday, July 24—Belfast

Have ye got a wee bit of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, or Brittany in ye? Check out the three-day festival featuring Celtic music, a dog parade and show, a kilt contest, workshops, and even a Medival Artisan Village as well as vendors selling good food. Don’t forget the Highland Heavy Games with the famous US National CheeseRoll! This is an all-ages event with things to do and see all day and evening. Check out the schedule here. There is a $15 per person suggested donation. FMI: Maine Celtic Celebration

Pick Your Own Blueberries

Sunday, July 24—Rockport

Coastal Mountain Land Trust says it’s ‘Pickin’ Time.”  The public is invited to walk up Beech Hill Preserve in Rockport with your own containers (no rakes) to pick sweet blueberries for free. Members get first priority in the morning and no dogs, please. Registration is required first at coastalmountain.org

Goat Hugs & Doughnuts

Sunday, July 24—Windsor

Who doesn’t like hugs? Who doesn’t like doughnuts? What’s wrong with you? As part of a statewide Open Farm Day, celebrating Maine Farms, Anchor ME Farm at 584 Ridge Road in Windsor is giving you the chance to get baaaaaaaa-ck to nature and hug some adorable goats, chickens, and ducks with all kinds of handmade doughnuts, including gluten-free and vegan, for sale. This open farm day is between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. FMI: Anchor ME Farm

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—In little more than a year and a half, Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, Inc has transformed the east side of Camden Harbor into a modernized marina. On Tuesday, June 12, Lyman-Morse celebrated its re-introduction to the community with the launch of its anchor restaurant, Salt Wharf.

Five hours before showtime, the finishing touches of construction in and around the restaurant were taking place as the general manager was busy making calls and the chefs prepped in the kitchen. The Appledore and Surprise slipped back into the harbor ensuring anyone inside or on the rooftop bar would have a fantastic view.

This is a working harbor and a new, improved vision of a welcoming boatyard, according to Mackenzie Lyman, Lyman-Morse’s spokesperson.

About the restaurant

The interior of the first floor is thoroughly glass-and-steel modern with a retractable glass garage door that can either open half of the restaurant to the salt air on good days and provide a snug space in inclement weather. The rooftop deck includes a wrap-around outdoor bar and several lounge spaces with million-dollar views.

The head chef is Chris Pierce, who has worked in Maine for several years, most recently at Sebasco Harbour Resort.

“He brings such a wealth of knowledge and experience to this place, in addition to this remarkable calm, personality,” said Lyman. “Working with local purveyors, he puts things on the menu with a unique twist.”

The opening night menu, which will switch up regularly, featured a raw bar section, including oysters and small plates, including deviled eggs with caviar. Other sections include soup and salad, main dishes, including a pan-roasted halibut, lobster pasta, and short rib and fingerling potatoes, sides, and dessert.

“We wanted to create an unpretentious Maine seafood, Maine local fare sea-to-table menu,” she said. “We’re trying to provide good, locally sourced food that is still casual and fun. We’re also going to be offering a rooftop bar menu with smaller plates and what we call ‘dock beers’ from PBR to Red Stripe. Or you can have craft brews with an extensive wine selection. This place doesn’t have to be reserved for your fancy, anniversary dinner.”

About the marina

Lyman described a lemonade-out-of-lemons scenario in which the original marina had to be razed and redeveloped after the buildings were partially destroyed in June 2020 during a restaurant fire. Lyman-Morse completely rebuilt what was 33,000 square feet into 34,000 square feet.

“In June 2020, we were all just coming out of lockdown and excited to start socializing again when things changed,” she said. “The mixed blessing in this was that the long-term plan had always been to improve the waterfront facilities. It’s been a cobbled-together hodgepodge of buildings over the decades. When people looked across the harbor, all they saw was an industrial space that wasn’t open to the community or to tourists. It became an opportunity to really build this place the way we wanted it, which is a modern working waterfront with a customer service vantage point. We wanted people to have amenities such as restaurants, shopping, office spaces, and a larger boardwalk with sitting areas.”

Blue Barren Distillery + Restaurant operating in the next building over, has also recently re-opened with a new tasting room, restaurant with outdoor seating, and a store. Adjacent to that is the guest lounge space with laundry and shower facilities, along with day offices.

“We’re all now used to working remotely now, so if you’re out sailing, you can still use the office for your business,” said Lyman.

The guest lounge connects to Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Inc’s administrative offices, which serve as the central hub of the facility.

“We are a boatyard after all, so making this place friendly for both the employees and the customers was paramount,” she said. “We have everything customers need in the middle of the building development.”

The marina has been designed to be a mixed-use space. The far corner of the complex houses three retail spaces, one soon to be occupied by Archive, a luxury consignment boutique. The other two are still open to rental. Inside that facade is the new rig shop. Above the retail spaces are the crew quarters, and three luxury boutique hotel rooms as an accessory use for customers and guests. There is also more rental space upstairs for both workspace and individual office space.

“People who live here, work here, and visit here, can all use it,” she said. “We expanded the boardwalk to 20 feet. We would love people to feel part of this, just respecting the hard-hat areas, as it is still a working boatyard, but there are plenty of friendly spaces around here.”

Lyman said parking has been expanded at the top of the hill and on the other side of the marina, just off Sea Street. They will also be providing valet service. Note to visitors: these areas are not public parking spaces for Camden, but instead, available for any of the marina services, retail spaces, and restaurants.

A launch is now available to pick up people at the Camden Public Landing several times a day and deliver them directly dockside to the restaurant.

“That’s going to be kind of a novelty for people who don’t spend time on the ocean to just hop on a boat and come over for dinner,” she said.

For more information visit saltwharf.com/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Outdoor festivals are the name of the game this weekend with themes ranging from food to music with a special historical re-enactment and a finale of Maine films to cap it off.

Killer Road Trip: Yarmouth Clam Festival

Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17—Yarmouth

This free weekend festival draws visitors from all over the country who come to enjoy the music and arts, events and competition, and of course, the main event—clams. More than 80 different types of food and beverages are featured at the Festival’s food booths, including more than 6,000 pounds of clams, 13,500 Lime Rickeys, 6,000 lobster rolls, 2,200 pancake breakfasts, 1,500 shore dinners, 400 homemade pies, and 6,000 strawberry shortcakes. Don’t miss the clam-shucking contest (The record-holder for the annual clam-shucking contest shucked 25 clams per minute.) FMI: Clam Festival

Living History Day - Fort Knox

Saturday, July 16—Prospect

20th Maine Company B is a history-oriented non-profit educational organization whose members hail from across New England. The group authentically portrays the common Maine infantry soldier during the 1862-1865 period and they are going to travel back in time to the 1860s with the Civil War Living History Encampment at Fort Knox. This family-friendly event will demonstrate how life really was back during the Civil War, from cannon fire, drills, medical procedures, and daily life. The event goes from 9 to 6 p.m. and is free to the public. FMI: Living History

MIFF Final Weekend

Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17—Waterville

This is the last weekend to see quality feature-length and short Maine films in all genres from documentary to claymation, plus a closing night party on Sunday night. Here’s the schedule of films. FMI: MIFF

Blues Fest & Pub Crawl

Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17—Rockland

The North Atlantic Blues Festival is back this weekend in Rockland. The annual two-day blues music festival (Sat & Sun) with national blues performers takes place at Rockland's Public Landing featuring more than a dozen renowned blues acts. Here’s this year’s lineup.  The Club Crawl starts on Friday night and is always a good time for the locals. Even if you don’t have tickets and there will be a party in the streets both Friday and Saturday night with blues bands playing local venues, along with rock, funk, vintage, and new music. Here’s a lineup of the Club Crawl each night. Note: some venues may charge a cover. FMI: Blues Fest

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Another lovely weekend is upon us and the energy is booming with pirates and cannons, traditional schooners racing their hearts out, live music, quality Maine films, and much more. It’s good to be alive in Midcoast Maine.

45th Annual Great Schooner Race

Friday, July 8—Belfast

The 45th Annual Great Schooner Race on July 8th, 2022 is considered the largest gathering of traditional schooners in America—and we get to watch it in Midcoast Maine every year! If you want to see all the schooners gather, go down to the Rockland harbor by 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 7. The race is on Friday, July 8, promising maritime lore, high competition, and live music. On Friday morning, they’ll set off at Islesboro. The winner will finish crossing the Rockland Breakwater around 2 p.m. then anchor in the South End for an awards ceremony at 5 p.m. The best place to see the race is on the Rockland Breakwater, so get there early and wear sturdy shoes! FMI: Website

Maine International Film Festival

Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 17—Waterville

Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) is kicking off Friday for a 10-day event featuring more than 100 films, “representing the best of American independent and international cinema, and putting the spotlight on some of Maine and New England’s most exciting and innovative filmmakers.” Check out the schedule. This year MIFF honors Debra Winger. 

Pirate Takeover Day

Saturday, July 9—Belfast

Funky Folk on the Hill

Saturday, July 9—Rockport

After a gentle walk up the Beach Hill Preserve, prepare to get up to get down. Local, funky, folk rock, five-piece band Splitwillow will be playing dance music on Beech Hill at 6 p.m. as part of Coastal Mountains Land Trust’s Arts on the Hill music series. Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs, but please, no dogs. FMI: Facebook

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

A gorgeous sunny holiday weekend is upon us and with the sun not going down until almost 8:30 p.m. it’s time to squeeze everything out of each day and night. Here are some fun things to do this weekend, plus where to go for Fourth of July celebrations.

Belfast Summer Nights

Thursday, June 30—Belfast

‘Jaws’ at the Shotwell Drive-In

Saturday, July 2—Rockport

For anybody who remembers seeing Jaws at the original drive-in, this will be a fun retro experience. The Camden International Film Festival is screening this summer classic from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.  Tickets are $20 per vehicle. They will begin allowing vehicles into the lot an hour before the scheduled start time. Restrooms are available on site. Picnics are encouraged. FMI: Tickets.

July 4th Celebrations

Monday, July 4—Maine

Searsport is doing it up all weekend with fireworks on Saturday night at 9 p.m. and a parade at 11 a.m. on July 4. FMI: Facebook

Camden Rotary is hosting a free Music By The Sea concert at the Camden Public Library Amphitheatre from 12 to 7:15 p.m. The whole event starts out on the Village Green at Noon with a concert by the Bay Chamber Jazz Ensemble. And then the party moves to the Camden Amphitheatre at 2:00 p.m. Bring your picnic blankets and camp chairs. FMI: Facebook

Thomaston is hosting their annual Fourth of July celebrations with a pancake breakfast, a 5K road race, a parade, a craft tent, food vendors, the Nikki Hunt band from 6 to 9 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. FMI: Website

Also in Thomaston,  Salt Water Fields is throwing a public bash with food trucks, bartending from On The Rocks, Ferda Farms oysters shucked to order, lobster sliders from Captain Dan Hendricks, live music, and fireworks. The event goes from 4 to 10 p.m.  Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs. FMI: Facebook

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

DAMARISCOTTA—One portrait is the deep, bold blue of twlight whereas the other two are the hot orange fire of Autumn.

River Arts Gallery is currently hosting its Members’ Show featuring 160 artists from all over Maine. Three women, Cathie S. Peterson, Laura McNelly, and Anne Holmes all have work in the show. Each fiber artist has her own preference and style. Here is the story behind each portrait.

Cathie S. Peterson

A Glimmer of Hope

Cathie has been a fiber artist for about 10 years. “I went to visit a farm near Bethel and while I was visiting I saw this giant needle-felted piece of a path going into the woods and I just said to myself ‘I just want to walk into that,’ she said. “So then I just practiced the art form. I’ve been taking watercolor classes and it has changed my process. I never took art classes in my life and until in my 50s, I didn’t even try to do anything. I wish I’d started earlier.”

“This piece I had to do at the last minute,” she said. “I bought this beautiful roving [unspun yarn with textured fibers and shape] and I laid it down and wen ‘Ahh...that’s it.’ This is the first time I’ve made a piece that wasn’t matted; I just left the wool on the felt and left the felt as the outside edge. It’s made with Angelina, which is a very superfine nylon sparkle. I couldn’t decide if it’s dusk or dawn, which is why I named it ‘A Glimmer of Hope.’”

To learn more visit her website

Laura McNelly

View to the Sea

Laura has been felting for a couple of years. Of her inspiration, she said, “I made this piece from an image of the blueberry barrens in Waldoboro on Scott’s Blueberry Farm looking down to the sea in late August or September. I’d gone up there at the height of blueberry season and took photographs, so I worked on this piece from the photograph.”

She said she’s been working on it bit by bit. “It’s wet felted and needle felted,” she said. “I started with the base and added details to it. There are so many beautiful places in Waldoboro that most people don’t see, so I like to focus on them with my work.

laura said she’s a new Member at River Arts Gallery and doesn’t have a website. “I’m just taking one step at a time,” she said.

Anne Holmes

Autumn View

Anne Holmes has been a fiber artist for the last 20 years. “I did this one from the view outside my study window,” she said. “I like doing fall colors and I was just sitting there looking outside my window one day.” Anne often buys wool from thrift shops and unspins it with carding combs. “You can undo a finished piece of clothing, rough it up, and turn it back into roving,” she said. “That gives you the opportunity to use any old thing you can get your hands on. What you’re dealing with is microscopic hooks in wool or felt.” With this piece, she laid down a base and needle-felted a pattern onto it. She then took different colored wool and carded it together to achieve the fiery oranges and yellows.

To learn more visit her Etsy site.

The Members’ Show is up until July 23. For more information visit: https://riverartsme.org/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

After rounding the corner of the longest day of the year, we’re finally going to feel some summer temperatures this weekend. There are a few fun happenings in the Midcoast and up in Bangor for the foodies, and art and music lovers with all kinds of indoor-outdoor events!

Arts in the Park in Belfast

Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25—Belfast

Bread & Brews

Saturday, June 25—Unity

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is once again hosting a Maine-grown grain fest with beer from local breweries, grain demos and workshops, and good food and music. They’ll also be cooking up fresh bread in their wood-fired oven all afternoon, along with special workshop on pizza. See our first story on it in 2019. Get your tickets; they will sell out early. Admission costs $50 ($45 for MOFGA/MGA members) – for full event, includes beer tastings.

Killer Road Trip: Beats & Eats Food Truck Festival

Saturday, June 25—Bangor

It’s going to be a beautiful day at the Bangor Waterfront Park where food trucks and street food vendors from all over Maine will be on site starting at 11 a.m. along with beer, wine, ciders, seltzers, and live music. Ticketed events include music by Dom Colizzi's band, The Tourmalines, playing Top 40s, pop-rock through the decades from 11a.m. to 3 p.m. (Tickets $10 each.) From 4 to 9 p.m. Rowdy Yates will be playing country-rock with The Allison Ames Band. (Tickets $20 each.) FMI: Tickets

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

LINCOLNVILLE—Emmit Dayhoof is 18 with an exciting future ahead of him. 

Like so many high school seniors, he’s now easing into that pleasant lull that comes after finals are over and the graduation caps have been flung in the air. There’s nothing more to worry about other than a summer job and hanging out with friends. It’s time to just savor the last summer in the Midcoast before he heads off this fall to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Recently, Midcoast Music Academy named Emmit “June Student of the Month.” He studied under the guidance of instructors Drew Weber and Thomas Ulichny, who stated, “Over the (almost) decade, I’ve known and worked with him, he’s progressed into a top echelon drummer and is the definition of a true musician’s musician.”

Full disclosure, I’ve known this kid since he was a baby. As a boy, he was always a little bit shy, but it was easy to get a smile out of him. Today, it’s even easier; his confidence has grown both personally and musically as a drummer—even with stage fright.

“It’s a lot easier for a drummer to hide behind a drum kit in the back when you’re first starting out,” he said. “I’d always put my stands up really high. I haven’t done a lot of performances, but I’ve done enough where I’d just focus on communicating with the band to make the best music we can make.”

As his parents tell it, Emmit was always a percussive child.

“I was always tapping on the dinner table with my fingers, driving my family crazy,” he said. “Or I’d just sort of chant, trying to be on-beat, which is why I ended up picking drums when it came to playing music.”

For the last nine years, he has honed his drumming skills with Midcoast Music Academy (MCMA) in private lessons, summer camps, ensembles, and recitals. He’s even mentored younger drummers.

Asked who he admires, he credits Peter Erskine, an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead.

“He’s just known for holding crazy, fast tempos for 10 to 11 minutes at a time,” said Emmit. “Those songs are all jazz pieces and he’s holding 240 beats per minute, which is really tough. There are a lot of things about drums that are hard, but holding that one pattern for so long and having the stamina to keep going is probably one of the hardest thing.”

Even though Emmit has played numerous times in the high school jazz band performances, amazingly, in all four years of high school, he never found his own band to play with.

“Yeah, it’s weird, it’s like kids just don’t form bands anymore,” he said.

That’s something he’s hoping will change when he goes to St. Lawrence, which is 90 minutes away from Toronto, where there are a lot of jazz clubs and cafés.

“I’m hoping to just sit in at some of these clubs and get to know people, and maybe join a band once I get there.”

Having grown up in Maine, he loves loves the outdoors: camping, swimming, and fishing. He’s interested in becoming an environmental engineer and according to him, the outdoor program at St. Lawrence is excellent.

Watch the embedded videos to see how Emmit explains the fundamentals of drumming and then goes into a full improvised riff.

I’m not going to wax Dr. Suess in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” but once this kid gets into a college band, he’s going to slay it. 

Hail To The Rad Kids is series that highlights Midcoast teens with artistic or musical talent. 

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

MIDCOAST—In the month leading up to Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjust full-scale attack on Ukraine February 24, 2022, Daria, 34, was at home in Kyiv, the country’s capital, with her two sons, Mitya, 8, and Niki, 3. Her husband was at work. A couple of phone calls later and everything in their lives would turn on a dime.

Daria and her sons are now safe and housed with friends in Midcoast Maine for the present time. Though she had a working knowledge of conversational English, we communicated by Google translate to get all of the details.  I would ask or type a question and she would type her answer.

Q: What happened just before Ukraine was attacked?

Daria: So I’ll tell you how it all started. We had our own little lives; we had a house in the suburbs of Kyiv. I have a master’s degree in customs law and was an office manager for a customs brokerage firm in Ukraine. My husband serves in Customs and Border protection of Ukraine. Our children went to school. Mitya was in third grade and Niki was in kindergarten. We were planning our summer vacation and planning to build a veranda near the house and plant new trees.

Suddenly, everything changed on the day of the invasion. A friend called my husband at work and told him that we needed to get out of the suburbs as soon as possible. And then a neighbor called and told us to pack our things. There had been no warning days before in the newspapers. An American friend had more information and told me troops were positioned in Belarus and we didn’t have much time before they started shelling Kyiv. I didn’t believe it; I didn’t want to leave our house.

But I summoned my will and I did it for the sake of my children. My husband told us to go to Poland. He had to stay back because of his job and fight the Russian troops.

Q: How much time did you have to gather your children and your belongings?

Daria: We had one day. At the end of my husband’s workday at 5 p.m., he called me and told me I had six hours to get out and go to Poland. And he had to stay behind.

Q: What did you tell your sons?

Daria: I told them we were going to Poland and in one month, we would be able to go home and they would see their father.

Q: What was behind your husband’s decision not to evacuate with you?

Daria: He remained to defend the country, although he could have left with us. He, like most men, and many women have remained to fight. He is just a civilian but was a volunteer in the army. His work is related to helping the military. He worked on the border of Romania and helped transport humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Now, he has returned to his primary job in Kyiv and is restoring the airport and Customs checkpoints destroyed by the Russian military. He is in a safer place right now.

Q: How often do you get to speak to him by telephone or computer?

Daria: We are always in touch, but as you know, a couple of days ago eight rockets were launched in Kyiv; two were shut down, and I’m always worried about whether I’ll be able to contact my husband tomorrow.

Q: What made you take up the offer of Elisabeth and Oleksii in Maine to move even farther away?

Daria: The apartment in Poland was very expensive; we were there for two months. They told us they knew we couldn’t pay for the apartment for much longer and wanted to help us. They said ‘We have a big house for you and your family,” so we flew to New York, then to Maine. We arrived on April 10 and have been living here while my oldest son goes to school.

Q: Was it a culture shock to come this far away?

Daria: For thousands of years, Ukrainian people have been valued for their hospitality and their desire to help a person in need. And I see that same trait in Americans. This is my first time in the United States and I see that Americans are very good and sincere people. Strangers learning that I was fleeing the war with my young children gave us so many things. We were given a house to live in and a car to use. People brought us things we needed, food, clothes, boots–it restores my faith in humanity. I can’t list every name of the people who have shown us hope and kindness in this community.

Q: What news do you have about your house and Bucha? Has it been fully destroyed?

Daria: A shell hit our house but did not cause as much damage as the neighboring houses. There is still a roof and walls but no windows, doors, or furniture. In our village, 1,500 houses have been destroyed, and neighbors have been left without a roof over their heads.  We have neighbors who are just using our house as a shelter at this point. They have a generator and turn it on for three hours a day to heat water. Volunteers bring food and seedlings so neighbors can grow their own vegetables. International organizations are also bringing aid to the villages. The longer the war drags on in Ukraine, the less confidence I have there will be anything left to Ukraine to return to, that it will all be a pile of rubble.

Q: Mitya, eight, has now had his school year interrupted twice with a move to two different countries during the school year. How is he faring now?

Daria: The first transition was very difficult for him in Poland because he could not speak Polish. But, he went to school there with my friend’s daughter who translated for him. Here in America, he didn’t have any friends, but he’d had a lot of English lessons, so that has helped him to understand kids here. The school has made him feel very welcomed and he has made a  friend from the Congo. His friend tells him stories about his life in the Congo too and the problems he’s experienced with their war, so Mitya trusts him—they have the same experiences.

Q: How do you find balance in your days while you wait for the end of this war? How is your husband faring?

Daria: I do a lot of work around the house. I have been planting trees and bushes and flowers in the front of the house. Housework also gives me a sense of home and reminds me of what I had in Ukraine. I want to do something pretty for Elizabeth and Oleksii.  I can’t use my law degree, because I don’t have my work permit yet. I’m also working on my driver’s license. But, I would love to do something with Ukrainian cooking and introduce that to the community. I’d like to get that work permit soon to have a stable, financial cushion for our family.  My husband misses me and the children very much. He says he cannot pass by the playground. When he sees the children there playing, his heart starts to ache. He ordered paintings from a Ukrainian artist of our likeness for a portrait and hung them in his office of an apartment where he now lives.

Q: Do you have any insights into when this war will end?

Daria: We all have hope for the American land lease since Europe has suspended the supply of weapons. We hope for American weapons, without which, we cannot win. But, if we get them, we can go on a counter-attack, and then there will be victory at the end of the year. In the midst of this, I want to thank the State of Maine for the support and assistance they have surrounded us with since the first day we arrived. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I would also like to thank President Biden and the U.S. Government for their assistance. This has been the greatest help we have received in a bloody war with an enemy who kills children and the elderly with a smile on his face. We will win this dishonest war and thank you all for your help.

Certain first and last names have been omitted for security reasons.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

The longest days of the year are coming up and Saturday Rockland’s got it going on with its revived annual summer street party, side dance parties and public gatherings.

Summer Solstice Street & Dock Party

Saturday, June 18—Rockland

Rockland Main Street is kicking up its collective heels to bring the annual street party back to the downtown area this summer. The street will be closed off for foot traffic from 4 to 7 p.m. with plenty of live music, food, and family-friendly activities. Then, the adults-only dock party starts rocking out at Journey's End Marina at the end of Tillson Avenue, featuring a cash-only bar, music, and dancing from 6 to 10 p.m. ID will be required. FMI: Facebook event

Maine Street Market’s Solstice Picnic

Saturday, June 18—Rockland

It’s National Picnic Day,so Main Street Meats is holding a public picnic. Bring a pack of cards or a game and meet somebody new! From 4 to 6:30 p.m. they’ll be spreading out blankets and offering picnic foods available such as drinks, snacks, and grab & go treats along with world-class blues band playing in the background.

Up In Smoke hosts Primo Cubano

Saturday, June 18—Rockland

Portland’s Primo Cubano will be complementing Up In Smoke BBQ’s jerk chicken and brisket with its saucy son, bolero, salsa, cha cha cha and other Cuban dance music starting at 6 p.m. while the Dock Party is going on down the street. Get ready to eat your face off and dance your shoes off. FMI: Facebook event

Lobster Boat Races at the Rockland Breakwater

Sunday, June 19—Rockland

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

LINCOLNVILLE—In the summertime, people drive by rural, roadside farm stands like they’re a dime a dozen. But, there is such art and beauty in a local hutch at the end of a dirt driveway.

For many, a farm stand is a way for home gardeners, farmers, and fishermen to supplement their income without having to necessarily be present at the time of purchase. The old piece of Americana that still holds true is that most of these farm stands sell their wares on the honor system.

These rural farm stands and microbusinesses are all over the Midcoast—one only needs to pay attention while driving to see the signs by a driveway.

For example in Lincolnville, along Route 173, there is one corridor that has everything from fresh herbs to locally caught lobster, wood-fired pizza to quail eggs.

Once you reach Lincolnville Center, there are still even more food and beverage options at Drake Corner store and Lincolnville General Store.

Let’s take a tour. [Note: some of the larger businesses who have an online presence will have the address provided. In order to keep the other tiny roadside farms from being overwhelmed, one must drive through to find the farm stand.]

Wood-Fired Pizza and Baked Goods

Dolce Vita Farm & Bakery, a one-woman home business (488 Beach Road) is the subject of two Pen Bay Pilot stories, “‘Traveling Baker’ takes Italian/American fusion to Lincolnville pop-up dinners” and “Lincolnville’s Dolce Vita makes pizza — and lots of it – to help friend fighting cancer.” Owner Rose Lowell Rose makes everything from scratch and sources as many local ingredients as possible. Keep posted on what’s coming out of the Dolce Vita Farm & Bakery by visiting its Facebook page.

Honey & Quail Eggs

That’s it; that’s all you get. A sign and a roadside stand with the decadent option of buying fresh raw honey and gourmet (nearly impossible to find) quail eggs. This tiny roadside business only has limited inventory, so when they are out, they’re out.

Lobster and Clams

M & L Seafood (638 Beach Rd) is on Trip Advisor.  As one loyal customer said, “You're buying local lobsters from the guy who pulled them out of his own traps that morning. Same with the clams and crabs. Really nice, down-to-earth locals serve up fresh, every day.” Make friends and you might even be able to have them cook them for you to take home.

Fresh Chicken Eggs

A cooler with a predator-proof box sits at the end of another driveway in Lincolnville. Lucky patrons who find the cooler full may drop in a few bucks and take home fresh farm eggs.

Herbs, Flowers, and Plants

One driveway over from the farm eggs is another little gem of a roadside stand that sells all kinds of plants, herbs, and flowers that have been grown on the property and the greenhouse.

Cash or check will suffice; just leave it in the little cookie jar. If you’re interested in leaving a note, the owner provides you with a pen and notepaper to leave your name and she’ll text you back.

Note: to protect the privacy of the homeowners, please follow the directions from each roadside stand and do not knock on the door, unless invited by the sign, if inventory is gone. Please come back another time.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

NORTHPORT—Down the road on Route 1 from The Only Doughnut sits the newly built brick-and-mortar home of The Scone Goddess.

“We call this area of Route 1 ‘The Corridor of Yum,’ ” said founder and CEO Veronica Stubbs, who held the grand opening of The Scone Goddess’ new physical location on May 26.

A one-woman business in 2019, Stubbs began baking and perfecting her scone recipes out of her kitchen.

“I started baking scones one day a week as a way to get to know my community,” said Stubbs who lives with her husband and daughters in Northport. “We’d start at the farmer’s market and sell out in an hour. Then, the pandemic hit and we had to pivot, so we began making scone mixes that are now shipped across the U.S. Last summer, we had a food trailer custom-built and Liz Lane, who owns the Bayside store, allowed me to park there as a test spot. We collected data to see if there was enough ‘scone love’ to build a brick-and-mortar shop. We sold out of scones in 15 minutes in that trailer, so in September we bought a piece of land and began building.”

The building went up in six weeks, thanks to her contractor, whom she rewarded daily with scones. Stubbs thinks that might have had something to do with how quickly the project got done.

Still, people kept coming.

“Before there were even walls, people were putting on masks, and walking into an active construction site looking for scones,” she said.

Today, she sells more than 40 varieties of fresh-baked original and gluten-free scones.

The custom-built shop is a bakery inside with a retail section for her scone mixes, English accompaniments, such as U.K.-imported honey, clotted cream, and preserves.  There’s even a back room dedicated to making gluten-free scones. The mixer is actually a cement mixer with a food-grade drum. A storage area and her office are upstairs. After renovating their two-car garage into a manufacturing building, the business is continuing to expand with online orders, and even offers franchises to licensed bakers across the country. Stubbs said the second floor might be converted to a public area for high tea by invitation.

The scone, a British tea staple, is a pastry that has been around since 1513 and is connected with Scotland, Ireland, and England. It is no coincidence that a lot of people from the U.K. have stopped by her shop to try her baked treat and compare it to what they can get at home.

“We have a ton of European customers,” she said. “I had a customer from England tell me she was a scone snob and that I nailed it, which is huge for me. Because, when I first started, who knew?”

Her most popular scones are the raspberry and cream and wild Maine blueberry lemon, along with savory scones such as spinach feta and sun-dried tomato.

In addition, the shop offers a custom-blended full-bodied medium roasted coffee under The Scone Goddess label, as well as teas, lattes, iced tea, iced lemonade, bottled lemonades, and ginger beers imported from the U.K.

“We carry as much as Maine-made products as possible, such as cards, mugs, jewelry, honey, Tea Maineia, and Bixby chocolate bars out of Rockland,” said Stubbs.

For more information visit their website or their Facebook page.

Kay stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Call this the weekend of anniversary parties and business birthday bashes! We’ve got a couple of events that are centered around food, drink, music, performers, food trucks, and artist/makers.

Stone Tree Farm & Cidery Anniversary

Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12—Unity

Last summer we did a story on the newly opened Stone Tree Farm & Cidery and now they are ready to party for their one-year anniversary. All weekend they will be hosting the Salty Dog food truck with delicious barbeque and plans for live music.  Remember the wine slushies we wrote about in the aforementioned article? They are part of Stone Tree’s offerings and a must-try. They’ll also be releasing a new, highly anticipated wine. Stone Tree Farm & Cidery will be open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Killer Road Trip: ‘Resurgam’ Music & Arts Festival

Sunday, June 12—Portland

Maine Academy of Modern Music is launching a brand new inclusive community-minded music and arts festival called Resurgam (definition: I will rise again) that will showcase Portland’s creativity and youth from 12 to 9 p.m. The event, held at Thompson’s Point, will be FREE and open to the public from noon to 9 p.m.  There will be music all day, food trucks, a maker’s mall with local businesses and artists, a children’s parade, and even a limited-run Resurgam beer made by Bissell Brothers. Check out the website for its performers and makers as well as more details. 

MCMA’s 10th Birthday Bash

Sunday, June 12—Rockland

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

DAMARISCOTTA—Walking through River Arts Gallery in downtown Damariscotta (36 Elm Street), it’s evident there are a lot of artists from Midcoast Maine represented in their latest juried show, “Wild Things.”

“Wild Things,” an exhibition with 70 selected artists was designed to encourage individual interpretation of the theme, bringing in works that focused on the natural world with an exciting display of expressive landscapes or untamed creatures.  

“This ensured a stimulating and often surprising array of submissions,” said Alice de Mauriac, President.  “It also allowed for creative exploration by abstract artists who submitted works with dramatic, emotional significance.”

PBP: What surprises you or delights you when you host a certain theme and you get to see what artists’ interpretations of that theme turn out to be?

Many of our artists are regularly submitting work throughout the year and it is always exciting when someone steps out on a limb and produces something that shows an evolution of their creative process.  A standout in this show was Karen Nadeau, one of our volunteers, who has been doing experimental poured paintings for a number of months.  Her entry into this show clearly shows that she has completely grasped her materials and all of her hard work has paid off in a beautiful painting.

PBP: Is there a particular artwork that absolutely nailed the theme?

Doreen Nardone is another artist whose work in this show pushed her boundaries and as the title ‘Outliers’ expresses, she created a work that is unusual for her.  It is a remarkable virtuoso handling of vibrant paint.
However, I could honestly state that many of the artists pushed their boundaries and the result is a show of high creative energy and exciting exploration. 

PBP: Why do you think so many artists who applied for this theme happened to reside in the Midcoast area?

Our membership is around 300 and all of our juried shows bring in a number of non-members from all over the state as well.  Midcoast is always well represented.

The show closes on June 11 and the next show, open to all members of River Arts opens June 18, 2022. For more information visit: https://riverartsme.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—This is our annual “Welcome back” article to acquaint those who haven’t been around this winter to see what’s open, what’s closed, what's new, and what's happening. Here is your Rockland rundown for the summer.

New Restaurants and Food Trucks

Me Lon Togo, Midcoast’s only restaurant with West African cuisine moved from its Camden location to 10 Leland Street in Rockland on Christmas Eve. Owner Jordan Benissan, who immigrated from his West African country of Togo was featured in one of our past PenBay Pilot stories.

A new nano-distillery and tasting room called Luce Spirits opened in 2021 at 474 Main Street, regularly serving up classic and inventive cocktails. Look for our PenBay Pilot story coming soon.

Tuck and Roll, a locally owned food truck specializing in breakfast and lunch, set up base at Buoy Park and is readying for a spring opening. See our recent story.

And over in Union, a new bakery and grab-and-go breakfast and lunch spot opened  in February of this year. Sterlingtown Bake House is the sister entity to the restaurant and bar, Sterlingtown Public House. See our recent PenBay Pilot story here.

New Businesses

Maine Sport Outfitters will open its third retail location at the corner of Main and Park streets in Rockland on Saturday, May 7. See that story here.

Arctic Tern Books opened in January on 432 Main Street, the third bookstore to cement Rockland’s reputation as a thriving cultural scene. Owner Allison Worden opened the boutique bookstore naming it after the migratory bird that travels from pole to pole every year. It was chosen as a metaphor for exploration. “Books have the power to take people wherever they want to go—whether it’s somewhere back in time, or into someone else’s life, or on a personal journey.” See that PenBayPilot story here.

Modern Metalsmith opened at 497 Main Street. Their motto: “Bespoke hand-crafted jewelry produced in small batches in our workshop.”

Spine By Design Chiropractic, the office of Dr. Thomas White opened at 62 Maverick Street offering a disc-based, manual approach to adjusting the spine and extremities. Read that story here.

The Tiny Tattoo Studio in Rockland recently opened at 144 Union Street just behind the Dark Harbor Barber Co.

In Union, the George’s River Mercantile, a hardware store at 2179 Heald Highway is hosting its grand opening on Saturday, May 6 with food and prizes.

Businesses that we missed

This is a little shout-out to the businesses we missed covering that opened during the pandemic.

Famed artist Eric Hopkins opened a new gallery in 2021 in downtown Rockland. Read DownEast’s story on him.

Dark Harbor Barber Co. opened in 2020 at 144 Union Street, a barbershop whose name is nod to beautiful Islesboro village. Read that story here.

The Painted Pirate (329 Main Street) is a gallery and store of original paintings, prints, cards and hand-painted furniture by Virginia Souza.

A number of cannabis dispensaries have opened in downtown Rockland and surrounding areas. Here’s a list of where to find them.

Ruckus Donuts, (377 Main Street) is a year-round takeout donut shop open Monday 7:30 – 11 a.m., closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 to 11 a.m.

Short Shots

A couple of city streets in Rockland that receive heavy pedestrian traffic as part of the Rockland Harbor Trail are being eyed for a beautification project by the City. Read that story here.

A new Family History Center built into the lower level of the Rockland Public Library allows people to do a deep dive into Midcoast’s history with old Courier-Gazette negatives, boxes of old photos from photographer Jim Moore, who worked for the Courier-Gazette and The Portland Press Herald, as well as bound volumes of the Courier Gazette. Read that story here.

The Maine Lobster Festival, which has been on hiatus for the last two summers due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions is roaring back to life this summer for its 75th anniversary, August 3-7, 2022. Read more here.

The Rock City Café, which has been open only as a takeout service for much of the pandemic recently announced they have now opened the café’s seating area back up to the public.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT−Brother Shucker is a new fixture in Rockport and beyond the cheeky name, the food truck offers something no other food truck in the Midcoast has ever offered: fresh, raw oysters shucked on site.

Zak Kuras moved to Maine in 2016 and started oyster farming on the Damariscotta River, first with Glidden Point Oyster Farm in Edgecomb. After that,  he managed Community Shellfish’s Oyster Farm in Bremen.

“I decided after that, I’d like to run my own business with my brother, Hudson,” he said—which removes the mystery of where the name “Brother Shucker” came from.

“Our mom named us,” he said, adding, “She named us at birth and she named the business.”

Having opened last July, the brothers have been dividing their time at various locations and breweries in the Midcoast. This spring marks the first time they’ve been in Rockport. For the last few months, they’ve been situated at the Rockport Farmer’s Market at the Guini Ridge Greenhouse. Now, going into summer, they’ve added an additional location at the Rockland Harbor.

Brother Shucker offers eight to 12 kinds of locally-farmed oysters on the menu, primarily from the Damariscotta region, which many oyster connoisseurs in Maine are familiar with, such as Johns River oysters. 

“As we move up into Rockport, we’ll source from some of the northern farms, such as North Haven, said Kuras. “I like finding new, small farms. It’s like wine varietals—you can really taste the difference in each oyster.”

Customers can buy oysters by the half dozen or a dozen. Their most popular food offerings also include scallop sashimi, which they source from Maine Dayboat scallops. “They’re super high-quality scallops and we place four of them on Japanese spoons served with my own chili oil,” said Kuras.

The smoked mussel dish is also served on spoons. They get their mussels from Mook Sea Farm and Marshall Cove. “We take them home, shuck them, steam them up, and throw them in a smoker for an hour and a half.” They offer a pint of these smoked mussels for $12.

The crab cake sliders are another unique offering. “We get these from Harmon’s Seafood down in Portland,” he said. “They’ve been a real hit. We offer two sliders with either  a spicy kelp bird’s eye chili sauce or a classic tartar sauce.”

For those who want comfort food, Brother Shucker also offers grilled cheese sandwiches and gourmet hot dogs with kimchi and jalapeno sour kraut from Thirty Acre Farm in Bremen. They also offer a hot dog with “curtido” South American spicy, tangy, relish.

“Or, you can just have a plain one and throw some ketchup on it; it’s up to you,” he said.

Stay updated on their weekly schedule via Instagram and Facebook

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Coming out of the weird cold front, Sunday is looking like the best day for outdoor fun, so here are a few indoor events to keep you entertained on Friday and Saturday.

Waterfall Arts Kickoff Event

Friday, June 3—Belfast

Waterfall Arts is pulling out the stops with an all-ages season kickoff event featuring a new art exhibit, an immersive shadow puppet experience, open studios, wood-fired pizza from Uproot Pie Company, local Marshall Wharf beer, and pop-up shows. One of the exhibits pairs up with Coastal Mountains Land Trust (CMLT) called “Art Gone WILD” and has to do with trails. It goes from 5 to 8 p.m. and is open to the public.FMI: Waterfall Arts

Killer Road Trip: Hallowell Pride Festival

Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4—Hallowell

On Friday, Hallowell Pride is hosting a festival from 12 to 4 p.m. at Granite City Park with 30+ vendors and non-profits. Enjoy live music on the bandstand on Water Street near Granite City Park from 12 to 2 p.m. and 2:30 to 4 p.m. with performers Random Ideas and Scolded Dogs. At 2 p.m., a Pride Parade takes place on Water Street. On Saturday, The Quarry Tap Room is the only place where you won’t find someone in a “Disco Sucks” t-shirt.  A disco-themed drag show will take place as performers take the stage with the theme: “Love Will Keep Us Together” from 5 to 8 p.m. Online tickets are sold out but if the weather holds out, additional tickets will be available at the door, weather permitting. Best to check before you go. If that happens, there will still be a disco dance party at Easy Street Lounge from 8 p.m. to midnight. Costumes are encouraged for that event. More information at hallowellpridefest@gmail.com 

Live, Love, Dance

Saturday, June 4—Camden

Sherri’s School of Dance presents its annual showcase for adult and children performers at the Camden Opera House called “Live, Love, Dance” including ballet, tap jazz/hip-hop, and tumbling. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 per person, free for children three and under. FMI: Camden Opera House

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—A little shack set back on 346 Main Street in Rockland has just been taken over by veteran restaurateur, Patrick Cazemajou, who once owned the bistro, Ephemere in Camden.

His latest venture, considerably scaled-down, offers breakfast and lunch at kind of the prices everyone was lucky to see before the pandemic. At a time when rent, food, utilities, gas, and just about every other cost of living expense has gone through the roof for Mainers, it’s nice to see a homemade roast beef sandwich for $11.50—and it comes with a fresh side salad.

Just newly opened, Cazemajou said he’s being flexible about the menu, determining what people want. You can’t beat a three-egg omelet for $6.50. And the prices, he knows, are good.

“It used to be a lobster shack, but I took it over, and am just trying to figure out a menu that people want,” he said.

The menu offers breakfast dishes and sandwiches, soups and salads, sandwiches, and wraps, hot dogs and tater tots.

The lobster rolls and crab rolls are sourced from fishermen locally from Jess’s Market in Rockland and are always a popular item on the menu. But, he’s got a few gourmet surprises as well, including a sushi-grade tuna served rare with a honey soy dipping sauce ($14) or a smoked salmon cream cheese bagel ($11).

“That’s the first thing people are telling us, they can’t believe the prices,” said 19-year-old Ava Baeza, who along with Patrick’s daughter, Alexia Cazemajou, also 19, runs the counter and the prep.

Find them and their menu on Instagram @theshackonmain.e

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

For Memorial Day Weekend, we’re looking at a gorgeous couple of days in the 70s (except for Saturday, which is looking pretty iffy with showers and thunderstorms) with a mix of indoor and outdoor events, plus where to go in the Midcoast for Memorial Day parades and celebrations.

Two Museum Openings

Saturday, May 28—Rockland & Searsport

Given the weather Saturday, here are two indoor events worth checking out. The Center for Maine Contemporary Art will be hosting an opening artist reception from 3 to 5 p.m. for their summer 2022 exhibitions featuring Reggie Burrows Hodges, Veronica Perez, and Yashua Klos. Refreshments will be served in the courtyard. FMI: CMCA

And Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport launches their exhibit season starting today, Thursday, for a free opening reception between 4 and 7 p.m. but will also be open Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. With a new photography collection and stories at sea, Maine’s oldest maritime museum is worth a look. FMI: Exhibits

Live Music at Two Breweries

Saturday, May 28—South Thomaston & Union

The Pour Farm in Union will be hosting the Running of the Black Flies 5K race starting at 9:30 a.m. with live music and cool island sounds at the finish line by Catcha Vibe featuring B Positive. FMI: The Pour Farm.

Splitwillow, a five-piece band from Maine, will be bringing the music while Waterman’s Beach Brewery slings the beers from 4 to 7 p.m. Here’s a video of their musical style. The event is free to the public.

Memorial Day Celebrations

Friday, May 27 through Monday, May 30—Midcoast

Here are all of the events happening in the Midcoast.

Elsewhere:

On Friday, May 27 through Monday, May 30, the Fort Knox Kampground of America in Bucksport is hosting a weekend Memorial Day celebration and annual cookout. FMI: Bucksport

On Monday, May 30, West Bath is holding a Memorial Day parade at 10:30 a.m. at the American Legion in Bath, but best to get there early to grab a spot. FMI: Bath

On Monday, May 30, Down East Singers, Mozart Mentors Orchestra, and soloists Sarah Tuttle and John David Adams, will present Johannes Brahms’s piece, sung in German at Watts Hall (174 Main St., Thomaston) at 5 p.m. Admission is $20 and free for 18 and younger, everyone must have a ticket. Doors open at 4 p.m. Masks required; free masks provided. FMI: Down East Singers

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—Nate Luce and his partner Justine Kablack have a little spot on Main Street that’s probably going to be Rockland’s hippest joint this summer.

They quietly opened Luce Distillery last October and have kept it fairly under the radar while perfecting their nano-distilled spirits, which are brewed in 25-gallon batches in the back.

“We’re both New Englanders,” said Luce. “My Dad lived part of his life in Maine, from Presque Isle to Kittery, and I always loved visiting him.”

His career started off by working for a whiskey distillery in New York City, skills that he’d take with him when he moved to the Midcoast in 2019. Kablack was already living here and working at the Center for Contemporary Maine Art with a passion for foraging and botanicals.

When Luce and Kablack met, they realized they had a lot of shared interests that would be ideal for making craft botanical-infused spirits.

“I had the good fortune to witness the distilling process from the company’s inception,” said Luce. “That set me down the path of researching herbal-infused spirits and their origins. I’m really interested in the medicinal aspect of herbal spirits and the way they were used in spiritual rituals.”

Luce’s flagship spirit is an Aquavit, a Scandanavian traditional spirit.

“Traditionally, you drink this ‘neat’ and cold during feasts, typically around mid-summer and Christmas,” he said.

But switching it up, the couple has experimented with making cocktails with the Aquavit.

“When we first opened, we did a Scandanavian daiquiri with that, but the drink of the summer we’re very excited about will be making this Aquavit highball—the Aquaball,” he said.

Their Old Tom gin is their other flagship style that predates London Dry.

“We’re currently making it with entirely foraged botanicals, said “Luce. “We collect the juniper from a friend’s property and then add spruce tips and bayberry.”

The handmade bar sits only about six people–it’s what is considered a “snug” in Europe.

The former flower shop has a bit of an uneven parquet floor, but it serves perfectly as a dance floor. They’ve had a DJ and a band do pop-up shows in the tiny space, along with karaoke, something Luce and Kablack hope to keep going this summer with the next big party centered around the theme of Midsummer.

Beginning in June, they’ll be open Thursday evenings through the weekend from about 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., culminating in Sunday post-brunch hours from about noon to 5 p.m.

“We’ll have some brunch martinis to go with it,” he promised.

Luce is located at 474 Main Street. Find out more on Instagram @lucespirits or at https://www.lucespirits.com/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

DAMARISCOTTA—Most people associate Maine breweries with beer, but outliers such as Maine Booch Brewing, are sizzling up the craft brew scene with the fizzy flavors of kombucha normally associated with the health and wellness crowd.

Business partners Chauncey Erskin and Shea Quill opened Maine Booch Brewing the summer of 2021, styling out the building at 85 Parking Lot Lane, formerly Van Lloyd’s Bistro.

Erskin, who grew up in Bristol, had experience working with live cultures since his days at college. He turned that hobby during the COVID-19 lockdowns into a full-fledged brewery.

“I was fermenting and making 25 gallon batches in my guest bedroom,” he said. “My friends tried it and enjoyed it so with all of the free time I had during the lockdowns,  I decided to go for it.”

‘Booch, short for alcoholic kombucha, is made the traditional way by introducing a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) into a green tea. Erskin then mixes it with organic cane sugar from Brazil.

Fermenting the SCOBIES in bourbon barrels, Erskin uses stainless steel barrels to streamline the process.

“The process produces trace amounts of alcohol, but then we take the fermented kombucha and add more sugar and a champagne yeast,” he said. “So, really, it’s like a champagne kombucha.”

The result of the second fermentation which they brand the “Naked” is aged in spent bourbon barrels and picks up the oak, which reflects the flavor profile.  To Erskin  it tastes like “an effervescent, organic hard seltzer but with more body.”

“At the beginning, we experimented and created a lot of flavors, but now we’re going to release certain flavors strategically,” he said. “We use all organic ingredients and are currently pouring the Aloha, a ginger and hibiscus flavor, a IPB, double-dry hopped ‘booch with Citra and  Mosiac hops, typically used in New England style IPAs, and we mix it up on the third flavor–you have to come down and try it.”

So, the third flavor is under lock-and-key?

“Yeah, you have to stop by to find out,” he said.

“I like to thank the community for their support and for being patrons; it’s been really nice,” he added.

Erskin, who also has a full-time job managing the catalogue of the Mexicali Blues website, has expanded the business hours even more since opening last year. Now they’re open in the afternoon/evenings from Thursday to Monday.

For more information visit: Maine Booch Brewing

Let’s call this weekend “The Day The Music Revived.” It’s another stellar weather weekend to catch performances all over Belfast, Camden, Rockland, and Union.

All Roads Music Fest Is Back On

Friday, May 20 & Saturday, May 21—Belfast

After two years on hiatus due to COVID-19, the All Roads Music Festival is back! The two-day festival featured performances in a variety of genres including indie rock, folk, pop, bluegrass, and indie-folk. More than 30 performing artists will be playing along with discussion panels, curated showcases, and the annual Maine Songwriter’s Circle. Tickets and FMI: https://allroadsmusicfest.org/tickets

Aidan Kaczynski plays live at Ada’s Kitchen

Friday, May 20—Rockland

Longtime readers of the Pilot might remember this young man when I interviewed him in high school. He was just 17 and starting out his music career then. Check out the embedded video of a duet he did at Camden Hills Regional High School. Aidan has kept at his craft and has come a long way. He will be “putting his unique and personal spin on a catalog of classics and deep cuts from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s.” The show is free at starts at 7:30 p.m.

Pokey LaFarge at the Camden Opera House

Friday, May 20—Camden

Veteran singer-songwriter Pokey LaFarge, known for his old-time swing and jazz with a 21st-century spin, is performing at the Camden Opera House with special guest Peter Gallway. This is a limited capacity show! Choose-your-own reserved and spaced tickets $20 advance/$25 day-of-show via camdenoperahouse.com or 236-3154. The show goes from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Masks are encouraged.

Thompson Center Art Fair

Saturday, May 21—Union

The Thompson Center Art Fair (51 S Union Rd, Union), will be offering an open house, cornhole, food, and live music throughout the day, starting at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn. Midcoast artists are also encouraged to reserve a table.

Killer Road Trip: Find a treasure at The Vault

Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22—Winthrop

The Vault has to be seen in person to understand how vast an old textile mill is and how many cool, handmade, or found treasures lurk inside. Read my recent story on the Stanford family, why the place is called ‘Freckle,’ and why Stefon from Saturday Night Life would call it “Winthrop’s hottest club.”

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

WINTHROP—During the pandemic when an unprecedented number of shops around Maine closed, Nicki Stanford and her husband Jesse, opened a quirky shop in 2019 called Freckle Salvage Company in the heart of Winthrop, a tiny town surrounded by lakes.

Here’s how Stefon from Saturday Night Live would describe it: “If you’re tired of ‘Live. Laugh. Love’ decor, I have just the place for you. Winthrop’s hottest club is called Freckles. It’s a former church that’s got everything: antiques and architectural salvage, recycled fashion, weird stuff, vintage doo-dads, and original Maine-made home goods and gifts. It’s like Elmer’s Barn and a Maker’s Space had a baby and it was dressed as Sarah Jessica Parker.”

Walking inside feels like walking into the Willy Wonka Factory, only instead of unending rooms of candy, the rooms are filled with vintage finds, everything from curated clothes to antiques. Turn the corner and there are other undiscovered nooks filled with furniture, home decor, art, books, crafts, and gifts made by artists all over Maine.

“The large vendor room used to be the sanctuary and the side rooms used to be the classrooms,” said Stanford.

Standford, who had spent 25 years of her career in retail management, decided to go for it and convert the former church into her ideal store with an emphasis on “maximalism” movement.

“If minimalism is the spare, neutral color look, maximalism is lots of color and texture, beautiful art and books. There’s nothing sparse about it, especially if you’re into the vintage look, maximalism embraces that aesthetic very well. The idea behind the shop was to do a mix of the old and new.”

She searches estate sales and other venues to find her inventory but Freckles keeps its offerings fresh by additionally hosting several dozen vendors.

“It’s very Maine-centric,” she said.  “Where Maine is mostly known for its rocky coast and lobster lighthouses, we like the aesthetic that’s more interior Maine, the lake homes, camps, and cabins.”

Stanford, who runs the shop with her husband, named the shop after a freckle on her son Colton’s ear.

“I would look down at this freckle on his ear as a baby, and would tell him that it was his lucky, magic freckle,” she explained.

The Vault Vintage Market

The shop took on an even bigger role when the Stanfords learned from their landlord that the former textile mill next door was available and could be used as a monthly pop-up shop for an even bigger venue with more vendors.

“We’ve never been the kind of people to stand still, and having the shop just wasn’t enough for us,” said Stanford on their Facebook page. “We like doing these themed pop-up events once a month it adds to the excitement knowing that it will only be open to the public for two days each month.”

The monthly-themed market is hosted in a 6,000 square-foot space with 24 different vintage dealers. At the market, people will find a curated selection of vintage goods including; furniture, home decor, art, books, accessories, clothing, and more.

Freckle Salvage Co. is located at 129 Main St. and is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more by visiting their Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

American Craft Brew Week is upon us and for Maine beer lovers, that means another dozen options to choose from when stamping their passports on the Maine Beer Trail.

According to Maine Brewers’ Guild, as of early 2022, Maine is home to 165 active, licensed breweries, representing over 100 unique brands. While Portland tends to be the city with the most concentration of breweries, the surprising fact is that the majority of new breweries opening in 2022 were north of Bangor.

Here they are from the south to the north.

Southern Maine

Riverstone Brewing Co. is Sanford’s first microbrewery owned by Sanford resident, Michael Gill.  He is currently working full time out of his garage, producing lager and ale full time while he looks for a commercial location. But his brews can be found on tap at The Run of the Mill Public House and brewery, and the Springvale Publick House.

Portland

Portland’s mecca for craft breweries attracted a number of expansions this year from established breweries such as Stars ‘N Stripes, which opened up a new location at 3 Spring Street. Banded Brewing opened up a new location at 82 Hanover Street. (Suite 6). Also at the same location, Batson River Brewing and Distilling opened up another location at 82 Hanover Street. Après, which makes hard seltzer and hard cider, opened up at 148 Anderson Street. And, in other news, Sebago Brewing shut down their Old Port location.

Midcoast

Olive Pit Brewing Co., at 16 Main Street Lisbon Falls, took three years to come together. A woman-owned business, Christy Cain named her brewery after her beloved pittie, Olive Roo,. The first brewery in Lisbon Falls, its mission is to produce a full spectrum of beers focusing on less hoppy styles.

Kennebec and Moose River Valley

Sidereal Farm Brewery is a brewery and winery situated on an organic produce farm on 772 Cross Hill Road in Vassalboro. Many of their ingredients are grown on their farm, or locally and regionally sourced as much as possible from farms with similar values.

Maine Highlands

Who thought the northern region of Maine would have the most breweries opening? Katahdin Brew Works at 10 Katahdin Street in Patten is a new nano brewery by Joel and Jona Fitzpatrick with a family-friendly tasting room. Two Knights Brewing Co. located at 136 Mcphetres Rd, Sangerville, is family-owned and operated. TKB is named in honor of the two Sangerville Maine-born men that went on to be Knighted by the royal family of England. And Bryant’s Brewing, at 1009 Great Moose Drive, Hartland, just north of Bangor, is so new that there is scarcely anything online about them.

Check out Maine Brewers’ Guild’s Maine Beer Trail for your summer beercation!

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Folks, we’re officially cracking the 70-degree mark this weekend. Break out the mint juleps, the Carharrt shorts, the lawn darts, the corn hole boards, and the grill. Combined with what we’ve got going on this weekend, it’s going to be a scorcher.

Drink a Beer and Figure out a Whatzit

Friday, May 13—Union

The Pour Farm is hosting an odd event in which a dozen or more curious old items will be on display for attendees to guess the use and/or name. Prizes will be awarded to the person with the most correct guesses. Try guessing what some curious old objects are or go deep in the barn/attic and bring something that has you stumped. This benefit for the Union Historical Society runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at 56 Crawfordsburn Lane, in Union. FMI: The Pour Farm

Four Comics—One Evening

Saturday, May 14—Belfast

Four comics will take the stage at the Colonial Theatre starting at 7 p.m. Crystal Bernard, Adam Hatch, Leonard Kimble, Nick Gordon will be keeping it very real and funny. Adam Hatch has performed with Bob Marley, Juston McKinney, and David Letterman (see embedded YouTube clip). The Tiki bar will be open and the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.

Music and Dancing at Ada’s Kitchen

Saturday, 14—Rockland

The evening will start soft and slow when Maine original songwriter Becca Biggs takes Ada’s Stage with her full album band at 9 p.m. and then will kick it up a notch when popular local ska band The Dolphin Strikers takes the stage at 10:30 p.m. FMI: Ada’s Kitchen

Baby Goat Cuddles!

Sunday, May 15—Somerville

Kid hugging is actually a thing. And it’s pretty darn cute to be able to pick up a baby goat and give it a nose kiss, no matter what age you are. The Pumpkin Vine Family Farm in Somerville is holding their yearly kid hugging session from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thirty-four Mama goats gave birth to baby goats this season. Visitors can view a special new documentary on the babies’ birth and Uproot Pie will be on site selling wood-fired pizzas. Their farmers’ market will have baked goods, vegetables, fiber, local meat, plants, goat cheese, and smoothies. FMI: https://pumpkinvinefamilyfarm.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—People craving an affordable breakfast and lunch option while walking around Rockland’s harbor this summer have a new place to go. A third food truck in Rockland’s Buoy Park is set to open soon. Husband-and-wife team Brian Toothaker and Lorraine Ritzi, along with business partner Tucker Murch, have turned a play on Tucker’s name into a mobile food business called Tuck and Roll.

Pretty much everything on the menu features waffles.

“We’re serving breakfast and lunch with a waffle twist,” said Toothaker.

For breakfast, the couple offers chicken and waffles, avocado toast on a waffle, and waffle bowls filled with various ingredients. The one non-waffle item is the “Un-burrito-ble,” a traditional breakfast burrito.

“That comes in a regular tortilla, but we press it in the waffle maker, so it still had waffle imprints,” said Ritzi.

For lunch, the options include fried chicken thighs in waffle sandwiches and on nachos. While the menu also offers french fries, Toothaker said supply chain issues may make them hard to come by at first. Then, there’s always waffle fries.

“Everything on our menu can be gluten-free,” said Ritzi, who added, “Our son has celiac disease, so we wanted to make sure he, and anyone else, could have everything on the menu.”

They purchased the 24-foot vending trailer originally owned by Waterman’s Beach Brewery and customized it to contain ovens, a fryolator, a freezer, refrigerators, a coffee station, and of course, a waffle maker.

The couple has made sure that the food truck has a separate waffle maker and fryolator for the gluten-free batter, so there is no cross-contamination.

Tuck and Roll will offer fresh-roasted coffee, latte, and espresso from MD Coffee in Harpswell. “We’ll have iced coffees and iced lattes,” said Toothaker.

One original concept they’re also offering is flavored Red Bull energy drinks with more than 30 different flavors for an “afternoon pick-me-up.”

With tourism expected to have another banner year in the Midcoast and the Maine Lobster Festival back on, along with a new Reggae Fest scheduled in Buoy Park this summer, the food trucks will be busy.

“With the foot traffic down here at its peak in the mornings and afternoons, we decided to offer people some refreshments while they’re walking around,” said Toothaker. 

Tuck and Roll is set to open sometime before Memorial Day. The food truck’s hours are tentatively scheduled between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Visit their Facebook page for more information and their grand opening.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—Signs that Camden has renewed its vigor over the winter are showing up in new businesses and restaurant openings. It’s always interesting to see what’s open, what’s closed, what’s new, and what’s happening. Here is your Camden area rundown for the summer. 

Restaurants

The biggest news this season is the rebuild of the Lyman-Morse complex of boatyard buildings after a devastating fire. Lyman-Morse anticipates opening its new two-story restaurant – Salt Wharf by June, as covered in a recent PenBay Pilot story by Lynda Clancy. Adjacent to this restaurant will be Blue Barren Distillery’s new waterfront distillery and restaurant when it opens this spring. Co-owners Andrew Stewart and Jeremy Howard are excited to open the tasting room and store as well as the restaurant, which will feature an indoor dining area and bar as well as extended outdoor seating for the summer. Look for this story in our spring/summer issue of The Wave.

Business Moves

Laugh Loud Smile Big, a gourmet cupcake shop has moved into 38 Main Street (at the corner of Main Street and Tannery Lane) with a planned spring opening. Owner Vicki Murray has worked on installing a full kitchen and has big plans for the store’s bay windows. “It’s a whole new ballgame,” she said in a recent PenBay Pilot story.

Symmetree Base Camp, a new outdoor clothing store, opened at 20 Bay View Street in November. Cynthia Trone, the owner of the environmentally-conscious store, has modeled it after her son’s Oregon-based Symmetree store.  Trone has put her own signature on the Camden-based store with one corner of the store dedicated to meditation books and pillows and the back of the store converted to a meditation studio, which Trone will be co-facilitating, and opening to the public. See more of this PenBay Pilot story.

Liberty Graphics, a t-shirt printer whose designs center around the natural world and rural themes, has expanded to a new Camden location. Designing and printing since the 1970s, Liberty Graphics recently moved into the storefront at 13 Mechanic Street and plans to open in the spring.

Rockport News

Rockport Harbor Hotel, a new hotel being built in Rockport, has continued construction despite the ongoing court actions brought by Rockport residents against the hotel plans and construction. With a three-month construction pause, the Rockport Code Enforcement Officer issued a permit on April 1 to 20 Central Street LLC, the company that is in the process of building a 20-room hotel in Rockport Village. See more of this PenBay Pilot story and 10 related stories.

The Rockport Planning Board is considering a proposal to turn a side entrance of lower Union Hall in Rockport Village into Freya’s Ice Cream shop. If that is approved, a 790 square-foot space that now exists within Union Hall, which is under the ownership of 24 Central Street LLC, will be leased for the food-service business. See that story here.

Devi Maine, a new Nail Spa/Art Studio/Crystal Shop recently opened in Rockport at 823 Commercial Street.

Quinn Bunting, the 23-year-old owner of Painted Monarch, a relaxed atmosphere hair salon, opened her salon in the fall of 2021. Specializing in lived-in color, balayage, and blondes with an emphasis on healthy hair, read more of Quinn’s story on PenBay Pilot.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—Much like last year, Belfast had a very low business turnover in 2022, which speaks to a strong economy.  Penobscot Bay Pilot has the rundown on everything that has opened and changed while you were gone.

New Restaurants

The hottest thing in restaurant news this year was the opening of two new restaurants in Searsport. In November of 2021, Rio’s Spiked Café, a European-style tapas bar and eatery opened at 357 W. Main St. featuring Romanian- and Scottish-inspired cuisine, a nod to the heritage of its owners, Oana and Russell Manton. Read PenBay Pilot’s story on Rio’s Spiked Café here.

And in February 2022, Kirk Linder and Charlie Zorich, the owners of The Hichborn opened up a fun, funky, taco gastro pub on 25 East Main Street in Searsport, called Hey Sailor featuring “ TACOS+. ART. BOOZE.” One thing has been certain from the second the doors opened at Hey Sailor, the place is usually full within five minutes—it’s become that popular with the locals of Searsport. Read PenBay Pilot’s story here.

Must Be Nice, the lobster shack run by lobsterman Sadie Samuels, won the bid to be the Belfast City Park’s new concession stand anticipating a first of June opening.  The menu includes regular lobster and crabmeat rolls, mini rolls, grilled cheese with a choice of lobster or crabmeat, hamburgers, and popsicles. 

In March, the vacant space from the former “Neighborhood” restaurant at 132 High Street, turned into Fon’s Kitchen, a Thai restaurant named after co-owner’s Sarunya Rock’s childhood nickname, which means “falling rain.” Said her husband and co-owner, Dan Rock: “She’s a great cook and I call her a ‘curry genius.’ She makes her own dumplings from scratch using as many local ingredients as possible from local businesses. I’ve yet to have any dumplings in this state as good as hers.”Read PenBay Pilot’s story here.

Meanwhile In Belfast, (no that’s not a preamble, it’s a former pizza restaurant) has closed permanently. In its place at 2 Cross Street, is Wicked Maine Pops, a new food and beverage shop opening on May 5 under the company umbrella of Northwoods Gourmet Girl LLC.

A Caribbean restaurant, Jamaican Grille, that we somehow missed last summer, is re-opening their jerk shop at 37 Front Street, along the Harborwalk behind Front Street Grille.

In Lincolnville, the former Youngtown Inn has been taken over Michael and Karrie Nowak and their new restaurant, Aster & Rose, targeting a late May opening. And just down the road at Lincolnville Beach, there are early signs that the Lincolnville Beach Store will be re-opening once again after being closed for the pandemic.

Another Dunkin Donuts franchise has finally taken over the vacant space that used to house Wendy’s fast food restaurant at 22 Belmont Avenue. The franchise is drive-through and mobile order only.

Business Moves

Over the decades, The Grasshopper Shop, a family-run clothing and gift shop had locations in Belfast, Camden, Bangor, Ellsworth, Searsport, Stonington, and Bar Harbor. The original shop got its start in Belfast nearly 30 years ago, and is returning to its roots on 105 High Street in Belfast this summer.

Short Shots

The Colonial Theatre, which had been closed to the public during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, re-opened after a 15-month intermission last June. For those who weren’t aware, The Colonial,  a locally-owned three-screen cinema is back with a force, screening classic, cult, and new films in-person once again. See that story on PenBay Pilot.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

It’s a weekend for being outside! Don’t forget that the First Friday Art Walk happens in Rockland tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. And if you’re still trying to think of a unique gift for Mom, browse some of the fun events collected in our Spotlight.

Walk a labyrinth in Belfast

Saturday, May 7—Belfast

Did you know that Belfast has a 30-foot diameter, ADA-accessible paved labyrinth on the Belfast Common? Well, I’m not going to talk in circles, but Saturday happens to be World Labyrinth Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, thousands of people around the world participate in this moving meditation for world peace and celebration and to “walk as one.” To celebrate, people are invited to walk Belfast’s labyrinth at 1 p.m. Maine-based labyrinth designer and researcher Yadina Clark will be on hand to talk about the local event. FMI: Facebook

CMCA Free Reception

Saturday, May 7—Rockland

Center for Maine Contemporary Art will be hosting a free closing reception from 3 to 5 p.m. offering a last look at their spring exhibitions. The event includes in-person gallery talks from Nicola López and Young Sun Han as well as artists Paolo Arao, Grace DeGennaro, Jeff Kellar, and Will Sears who will be speaking about Walk The Line, a diverse range of works by eight Maine and Maine-connected artists who share a central use of linear or geometric forms in their compositions. Refreshments and a live music performance by Robin Lane will be located in the courtyard. FMI: Facebook

Fun Stuff for Mother’s Day

Saturday, May 7 & Sunday, May 8—Statewide

If you want to shake things up and go do something fun with Mom this weekend, here are a few events.

Saturday

There’s going to be a Mother’s Day Maker’s Market in Surry featuring women-owned businesses and makers who’ll have a variety of locally produced art, cards, jewelry, textile crafts, and more. Goes from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. FMI: Facebook

The Not So Empty Nest in Bangor is also hosting a Mother’s Day Market along with Downtown Charcuterie, which will have personalized charcuterie boards and boxes. The event goes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features fresh flowers to create a special bundle, bud vases, and fresh plants. Pick a pot, pick a plant and use our plant bar to create a special gift. FMI: Facebook

Sunday

The Cardinal Cove Mini Golf Center is opening for the season allowing moms to play for free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Cover Me Art in Belfast is offering a Mother’s Day wooden flower arrangement class and you can bring your own drinks and snacks starting at 2 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

UNION—After three years of successfully running the Sterlingtown Public House in Union, owners Jillian Lary and Brian Fickett decided to open a new business this winter under the Sterlingtown name. In early February, the couple opened the Sterlingtown Bakehouse across the street from the restaurant at 30 Burkett Road.

“We decided it was time the town needed some coffee and some baked goods,” said Fickett.

The couple polled the town beforehand to find out what the community wanted.

“It was either coffee or a car wash,” said Lary.

“We wanted to fill the gaps with what this town needed,” added Fickett.

With the restaurant’s kitchen at full capacity, the bakery operations needed its own space to grow and flourish. A former candy store across the street was just the right fit.

Lary and Fickett have their hands full as the bakery opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. They only have an hour's break before the restaurant opens at 3 p.m. and stays open until 8 p.m.

“We have a little girl who is going to turn three, so sleeping is not really a thing we do around here,” said Fickett. “It is without a doubt, a full day. However, we do have an all-star team, including our head baker Abby Peabody, who gets there by 4:30 a.m.”

Peabody was one of Sterlingtown Public House’s veteran servers and she made all of the restaurant’s baked goods and desserts. Now, she spends her days making cupcakes, cookies, croissants, bread, brownies, and scones and custom orders while continuing to serve at the Public House a few nights a week.

The Bakehouse uses Rock City Roasters from Rockland as their primary source of coffee and espresso.

“We’re widening our range and will start working with a bunch of purveyors, locally,” said Fickett. “Just like our beers at the Public House—we will never pour anything through these taps that wasn’t made in Maine. The plan is to do that with the Bakehouse, too, and just keep a rotating lineup of smaller Maine roasteries.”

More than just a bakery

The retail side of the bakery sells books, beers, wine, and cider and offers the community a place to grab breakfast and lunch.

“We have a grab-and-go case with pre-packaged sides, sandwiches, and salads,”  said Fickett. “We have spice blends and ingredients we use in the restaurant. We’re also going to have a consistent list of different hot sandwiches to give people other options for lunch. The Sterlingtown name is kind of known for food so we’re going to stick to that and keep it rolling.”

For more information visit: https://www.sterlingtownbakehouse.com/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend before we plunge into more rain next week, so this is the weekend to participate in numerous Earth Day clean-ups happening all around the state. It also happens to also be the weekend where two Gen X icons are honored: Prince and Hunter S. Thompson. Read all about it!

A Tribute to Prince

Saturday, April 23—Waterville

Let it be known that Dean Ford is THE lewk and sound of the late, great Prince Rogers Nelson and will be performing at The Waterville Opera House on Saturday night at 8 p.m. In 2011, Dean Ford and his fellow musicians put on the first of many sold-out tributes to the Purple One in Portland, Maine. His career has followed this trajectory into “Dean Ford and The Beautiful Ones” show, performing all the hits you know and love, including the “Purple Rain” album in its entirety. Tickets: General Admission $18 pre-sale; $23 day of the show and can be purchased here.

Killer Road Trip: Bangor

Friday, April 22 through Sunday, April 24—Bangor

It’s an alternative art weekend in Bangor with Pecha Kucha kicking off Friday night at The Bangor Arts Exchange. Come to experience creatives, architects, artists, musicians, performers, idea activists, and designers showcase their work in a  high-energy format with 20 slides and 20 seconds of commentary per slide. Doors open at 5 p.m. Admission: $7 for adults and $5 for students. FMI: Bangor Pecha Kucha Night.

Then settle in for a weekend of pure geek fun for adults and kids April 22 through 24, 2022 at the Bangor Comic & Toy Con at The Bangor Mall. Check out the variety of guests and artists from many hit shows and movies who will be present for photo ops and autographs. There will be guest panels, a haunted house, a cosplay contest, and a gaming lounge. Here’s the daily schedule. Tickets are $20-$30 for adults and kids under 10 are free. FMI: Bangor Comic & Toy Con

An evening dedicated to Hunter S. Thompson

Sunday, April 24—Searsmont

In 2004, Hunter Thompson called author Eva Morris one evening at three am. For five years he’d been following her “Blond Updates from the Open Road” series of road trip writing adventures and wanted to hire her to interview him, while paying her $2,000. A year later this interview became his last when he committed suicide the following February in 2005. Featured in PenBay Pilot, Morris recently finished a novel, Adventures of RoadBabe from which an “Ode to Hunter S. Thompson” is excerpted. She’ll be talking about excerpts from his final interview at Threshers Brewing Co. in Searsmont at 7 p.m. Grab a brew and hear the stories. Free to the public.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—From Summer 2017 until March 2020, the youth center of The Landing Place was filled with 30 to 40 teenagers from surrounding communities on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  The kids who walked through the doors of the drop-in center were considered high-risk in that they might not have enough food that day or perhaps needed some clothes or bathroom supplies.

Some struggled in an unstable housing situation while others had personal conflicts or family issues weighing heavily on them. Kids who didn’t have regular access to the kind of resources and supplies that could help them get ahead on a day-to-day basis went to The Landing Place.

When the drop-in center doors had to close due to the state’s restrictions on indoor capacity at the start of the pandemic in 2020, it cut off a lifeline for those teens. And the doors have still not been able to fully open to having them all come back in.

Due to the isolation and uncertainty, the long stretches of time out of school, and other factors, the fallout from the COVID-19 virus has caused a “mental health state of emergency” for children and adolescents, according to a statement from three organizations that represent child health-practitioners.

Mental health emergency visits amongst kids and teens have spiked during the pandemic. 

Today, the living room is empty. Boxes of clothes and food take up the space where the kids used to hang around.

The nook with couches and a beanbag chair have been replaced with a Free Store of donated clothes and supplies. But, while the circumstances have drastically changed, The Landing Place’s mission to connect and serve these kids has not wavered. The drop-in center is still open by appointment or if someone happens to stop by while the staff is on-site.

“If a kid just wants to stop in, say hello, grab a bite to eat, and grab some clothes, or bathroom products, they still can,” said Joseph Hufnagel, Director of The Landing Place. “Because of COVID, there’s a limit to how much indoor programming we can do, so we can only do small groups inside.”

“Socks are the number one thing I need when I come here,” said Timmy, 15. “I usually just browse through the clothes to see if there’s anything I like, sometimes underwear, body wash, and toothpaste.”

“The girls also need socks, underwear, bras, coats,” said Kim Bernard, the Maker’s Space coordinator. “And they like special beauty things like face masks and conditioner, nice soaps, and body wash.”

The Free Store

Inside the building, the staff has created an area of new and used clothing, jackets, hats, mittens, gloves, boots, as well as backpacks filled with school supplies—all free to any teen who needs it.

“We get in-kind donations from both organizations and people who just want to donate,” said Peter Cook, Youth Center Co-Coordinator. “Normally I send a text with each family after I drop items off. It’s like Instacart but free; I just ask if there’s anything else they need.”

“We work collaboratively in the community with a number of school groups and youth-focused agencies,” said Hufnagel. “Whenever there is surplus, everyone is kind of sharing and helping each other out.”

The way it works is that kids, teens, and families can simply pick out what they need. There are no forms, no paperwork requirements.

“It’s very informal. People just email me or text me what they need,” said Hufnagel. “And if they can’t come to The Landing Place, then The Landing Place comes to them weekly, as part of their Doorstep Deliveries in a van filled with comfort food, heat-and-serve suppers, hygiene products, art supplies, and seasonal clothing.”

“The Landing Place teardrop trailer, built by the kids, is another lifeline,” said Cook. “It’s a trailer with a coat rack and storage bins and we fill that with the Free Store items and drive that to schools.”

Every once in awhile, the Free Store is open to the community on a specific day. Stay connected through their Facebook page for the next day.

The Landing Place hopes as CDC restrictions continue to ease, they will be able to open the drop-in center doors once again to more youth in the near future. They will still continue to deliver items out to the community if and when restrictions ease.

The Landing Place has many more functions such as helping teens earn gift cards for community service,  a Maker’s Space, free therapy, mental health support, case management, and a transitional living program for youth at the risk of homelessness. 

Find out more at The Landing Place.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT—Lobsterman Sadie Samuels, whom Penobscot Bay Pilot interviewed multiple times over the years, is the subject of filmmaker Greg Kohs’ seven-minute film The Captain, playing at The Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro April 13.

The documentary is part of more than 20 films that will be screening at the Mountainfilm On Tour festival, which started in Telluride, Colorado, and is on a national tour.

At 30 years old, Samuels is the youngest and only female lobster boat captain in Rockport Harbor.  In 2018, she readied her boat Must Be Nice to be put into the water in Rockport, where her dad fished as well on the Mimosa.

“The wisest thing I've ever heard is: the more I fish, the less I know,” she said in Chris Wolf’s story in 2018. “Every year is totally different, but this year the ocean is cold, so I'm hoping it will be a little more normal.”

A year later, Samuels expanded her one-woman business by opening a lobster shack under her boat’s name: Must Be Nice Lobster Co, located on the Belfast Harbor.

“We don’t know for sure what the future of lobster fishing is going to look like, so, I’ve been expanding a bit,” she said in a 2019 follow-up PenBay Pilot story.

It’s no surprise that at such a young age and with such an enthusiastic outlook, Samuels would be an inspiration to the creative types in Maine. Not only did Belfast painter Susan Tobey White depict Samuels in her “Lobstering Women of Maine” series (which was all about the women who haul traps, bait bags, stern, and lobster fish off their own boats), but she was also featured in author Ali Farrell’s book Pretty Rugged: True stories from women of the sea.

Pretty soon, she began to catch the attention of Boston.com and other news outlets.

Last year, the crew of Good Morning America came to Rockport to shoot a segment on her for their “Rise and Shine” series, as chronicled in this Penobscot Bay story by Lynda Clancy.

And this week, Kohs’ short documentary will give an up-close and personal look at her journey as a lobsterman.

While she gets a kick out of the attention, she’s still up at four a.m. every day during the lobster season, hard at work, before bringing her catch back to the lobster shack to sell.

The show kicks off at the Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday April 12 at 6:30 p.m. and at the Waldo Theatre on Wednesday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets for Mountainfilm on Tour in Damariscotta are available at the Lincoln Theatre website. Tickets for Mountainfilm on Tour in Waldoboro are available at the Waldo Theatre website. Tickets will also be available on the day of the event at the theaters. The cost for each show is $15 per adult and $5 per child/student. Beverages from Oxbow Brewery and Tin Top Cider will be available for sale. See the complete playlist at www.mountainfilm.org/tour/schedule

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—“If they can’t come to us, we’ll go to them” is the unofficial motto of The Landing Place, the youth program of the Knox County Homeless Coalition and a low-barrier drop-in center for at-risk and unaccompanied youth

When the drop-in center opened in 2017, as reported by Penobscot Bay Pilot, it was the only multi-purpose drop-in center and residential program for at-risk youth in the Midcoast. 

The Landing Place continually works to ensure youth have hot meals, a place to live, educational and art opportunities, and gives them the skills and tools to thrive as adults.

When COVID-19 shut down communities in the spring of 2020, the enforced social distancing seriously impacted the 30-40 youth who hung out at The Landing Place every day.

Without the means to go by, grab a meal, get a clean pair of socks, and have the much-needed social interaction, Director Joseph Hufnagel knew they needed to find a way to socially connect with the teens in a different way.

The teardrop camper that sits in the parking lot behind The Landing Space, nicknamed “TLP Mobile”, was the idea and design of local artist Kim Bernard. It was built by Bernard and the teens, who have made The Landing Place their “third place.”

“The youth helped me put it together, hammering nails, assembling with screws, and painting it,” said Bernard. “All of the youth that were involved put their signatures on the inside.”

Inside and surrounding the camper are donated jackets, hats, mittens, boots, socks, underwear, microwavable and nonperishable food, toiletries, and even art kits—all free for any kid who simply needs it.

As part of their outreach program, The TLP mobile is taken out once or twice a week for Mobile Unit Endeavors to local schools in the RSU 13 (Rockland), MSAD 40 (Waldoboro), and Five Towns CSD (Rockport) school districts. 

In addition, throughout the winter, the TLP Outreach team has been orchestrating weekly Doorstep Deliveries to various neighborhoods located within the greater Rockland area on a weekly basis. 

Stocked with supplies and snacks, and art and activities from their Free Store, the deliveries serve as a way to keep the kids connected and engaged, while ensuring they have what they need each week.

“If we go out to the community and bring a 14-year-old some supplies and find out that he’s got two younger siblings also at risk, we make sure we find a way to get those younger kids the resources they need, as well,” said Hufnagel.

Generous funding has made it possible for the construction of the TLP mobile as well as the art supplies that are given out.

With Bernard’s guidance, The Landing Place hosts Maker’s Space Classes, twice a week for middle school and high school students as well as a Community-Minded Jobs program that offers local youth the opportunity to earn community service hours by doing things to help others in the community.

For more information about the TLP Mobile Unit visit: The Landing Place

Stay tuned for Part II of this series: What at-risk teens need in a pandemic.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

After a brief hiatus, we’re back to tell you about the hidden pockets of talent that will grace the Midcoast this weekend. And with the weather finally getting the hint and creeping up to near 50 this weekend, a road trip might be in order to catch some superior reggae bands and spring skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain.

Sugarloaf Mountain Reggae Fest

Thursday, April 7 through Sunday, April 10—Carrabassett Valley

It’s Maine’s version of Spring Fest, but instead of 20-somethings drunk-arguing on the beach, the Annual Sugarloaf Reggae festival hosted by Baxter Outdoors, will feature four days of indoor and outdoor entertainment all day and night with shuttles running throughout, so you don’t have to drive. Plus, there’s still good skiing if that is your thing. They promise “good vibes only!” Click here for tickets and the band line up.

Stand-up Comedy in Belfast

Saturday, April 9—Belfast

Leave the kiddies at home for this one—The Colonial Theatre is hosting three seasoned comedians, Johnny ‘Friggin’ Ater, Tuck Tucker, and Mark Turcotte. “All three Maine comics have toured nationally and are equal parts smart and funny—with plenty of comedic bite leftover.” To see a little bit of Tuck Tucker’s act on The Bob Marley show check out this clip. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 which can be purchased here. 

Coffee House Singers

Saturday, April 9—Camden

Zoot Coffee is hosting four talented singer-songwriters to croon while you sip your latte: Alice Limoges, Louisa Stancioff, Bella Barnes, and Caeley McVerry at Zoot will be performing from 5 to 8 p.m. There’s a $10-15 donation and masks are optional. To learn more about their backgrounds and music styles visit this Facebook event page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BANGOR—Growing up spending summers in Willimantic, Maine in Piscataquis County with his grandparents, Chris Packard heard a lot of stories from his grandfather—things you don’t normally hear. “He told me stories about these weird, mythological creatures that lumberjacks had seen,” said Packard. “I always thought he was making it up until I picked up a book on Maine folklore a decade ago and read about some of these creatures that he’d been telling me about. And I realized they’d been in existence for hundreds of years. These legends came from a continuous oral tradition that had been passed down through the centuries and I got a little obsessed with collecting those stories, sort of reliving my childhood.”

Packard’s collected stories, titled Mythical Creatures of Maine: Fantastic Beasts from Legend and Folklore, published by Down East Books has been out for a year.

Meticulously researched, the book contains 40 individual stories, with more than 100 academic references. “I mined anthropological records, old newspapers, books, and personal conversations with people who had recollections of these old stories.,” he said. “As someone once said to me, ‘They are literally the spirits of Maine.’ ”

A high school biology teacher, Packard found himself intrigued by tales that couldn’t be verified by science. A naturalist and avid outdoorsman, he found a connection to Nature with legends. “I think these stories we tell are compelling and are important culturally and important to how we relate to Nature,” he said. “I got really intrigued by the commonality of these stories and how they offered other dimensions to the world.”

The Creatures

Among Packard’s collected tales, a number of them originate from America’s “First People.”

“The Wabanaki have many traditional tales about giants like Glooskap, a warrior against evil who is kind and benevolent and possesses magical powers,” said Packard. “They have other tales about the terrible and fearsome Chenoo (or ‘kiawakq’) who has magical powers, but also a heart of ice and an insatiable hunger for human flesh. There are also tales about Pamola, a powerful and dangerous winged creature that inhabits the top of Mount Katahdin and must not be disrespected.”

Although some of the creatures are light-hearted and fantastical, he said some of the lumberjack and Maine Guide stories revolved around deadly entities—scary monsters, which he goes more in-depth about in his blog.

“The one people in the Midcoast often her about is The Sidehill Gouger, a creature adapted to hill county such as the Camden Hills,” he said. “It’s a creature of the forest with uneven legs, and keep their backs level on sloping paths. You catch them by scaring them and they fall over on their uneven sides. It’s almost like a Snipe Hunt, but with scarier elements.”

Midcoast residents can find copies of his book in locally-owned bookstores such as Left Bank Books in Belfast.

To learn more about Chris Packard and his upcoming speaking events visit: christopherpackard.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com