Christine's Surprise Wedding Shower

The lovely ladies at Bangor Metro decided to throw a surprise shower for our sales manager, Christine Parker, at the Lucerne Inn (where she'll be getting married on October 8th). Thanks to our publisher, Mark Wellman, the day went off without a hitch and Christine was pleased as punch. Thanks again to the Lucerne Inn and Acadia Limo for making this the best Tuesday ever!

Christine had no idea where we were taking her. Once she realized we were having lunch at the Lucerne she got a little emotional.

What's better than a champagne lunch on a Tuesday? Not much...

From left to right: Tori Britton, Alex Parker, Christine Parker, Mindy Hart, Sandy Flewelling, Jen Violette, Loretta England, and Melanie Brooks.

Meadowlark Music Camp

By Melanie Brooks

Yesterday I drove to the tiny town of Washington to take photos at Meadowlark Music Camp on the shore of Washington Pond. Seventy-five people, mostly adults, spent the week practicing the banjo, harp, dulcimer, flute, fiddle, guitar, voice, and more. See some of my photos after the jump...

What's Happening This Weekend...

There's more than just the American Folk Festival happening this weekend...

Piscataquis Valley Fair
August 26-29
Dover-Foxcroft
Eat homemade ice cream, go on rides at the midway, and view agricultural exhibits and animal pulling events at this fun fair.
943-2650

Crown of Maine Balloon Festival
August 26-29
Presque Isle
When you're not hopping on a hot air balloon ride, enjoy the many other activities, such as the ride-fly-ride bike race, music on the riverside, kids' activities, live music, and BBQs. Balloon launches are at 5:30 am and 5:30 pm.
www.crownofmaineballoonfest.org

Shakespeare in Stonington
August 26-29
Stonington Opera House
Measure for Measure is presented by Actor's Equity performers and directed by Jeffery Frace. 7 pm. $25-$32.50.
www.operahousearts.org

Maine Crafts Guild Fine Crafts Show
August 27-29
Bar Harbor
Come and meet some of Maine's finest professional craftspeople who create heirloom-quality work in wood, metals, clay, natural fibers, and more. Fri. 5-9 pm; Sat. 10 am-5 pm; Sun. 10 am-4 pm. Adults $5; free for children.
www.mainecraftsguild.com

The American Folk Festival
August 27-29
Bangor Waterfront
It's another fun-packed weekend for the AFF. Performers from all across the country will shower the Queen City in music, art, and foods of various cultures and heritages.
www.americanfolkfestival.com

An Evening of Maine Humor With Tim Sample
August 28
Hammond Hall, Winter Harbor
Maine's favorite native-born humorist presents a family-friendly evening of his famous Downeast songs and stories. 7 pm. $20.
www.schoodicartsforall.org

A Cruise on the Katahdin

By Melanie Brooks

Sidekick Shane surprised me with tickets for a ride on the Katahdin steamship this past weekend. It was a 3 hour tour around Moosehead Lake and a ton of fun. He got the tickets at WVII's Half Off Store so we saved a bunch of money -- which was also fun.

I brought along the camera from work to snap some photos. Here's a collection of them. For more, visit our Facebook page!

September Cover

We had the amazing opportunity to put one of Brian Vanden Brink's photos on the cover of our September Home Issue. Lucky us! We've already sent the magazine to the printer but we wanted to see what cover photo you like best. All of these photos are from Vanden Brink's book Ruin: Photographs of a Vanishing America. We want to know what one you like best, so please vote! (Note: if you click on the image it will appear larger in the window.)

poll by twiigs.com

What's Happening this Weekend...

Get out and enjoy this beautiful weekend!

The Ellsworth Antiques Show
August 18-21
Woodlawn Museum
America's longest-running summer antiques show features 27 nationally and regionally renowned dealers, 12 from Maine and 17 from as far as Missouri. Prepare for a diverse selection, from furniture to paintings, to rare books and ceramics. Thurs. 10 am-6 pm, Fri. and Sat. 10 am-5 pm. $10 per person, $15 for show and Woodlawn tour. $75 for preview party and three day pass.
www.woodlawnmuseum.com/antiques

Shakespeare in Stonington
August 19-21
Stonington Opera House
Measure for Measure is presented by Actor's Equity performers and directed by Jeffery Frace. 7 pm. $25-$32.50.
www.operahousearts.org

Compass Project Boat Building Festival
August 19-21
Steamboat Landing Park, Belfast Waterfront
Build your own boat during two and a half days of boatbuilding for youth groups and their families. All materials and instruction provided. Preregister by June 1. Boats launched on Sat. 9 am-1 pm as part of Harbor Fest.
www.compassproject.org

Machias Blueberry Festival
August 20-22
Machias
The 34th Annual Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, located Down East, the region which produces approximately 85% of the world's blueberries. Includes pie-eating and -baking contests, music, foot races, and a blueberry musical comedy.
www.machiasblueberry.com

Come Boating! Annual Regatta
August 21
Belfast Harbor
Races and awards for rowing boats and sailboats in several classes.
www.comeboating.org

Belfast Harbor Fest
August 21
Steamboat Landing Park, Belfast Waterfront
Celebrate a full day of boats on Belfast's historic waterfront. Watch as teams of two race to build a wooden skiff in record time at the National Boatbuilding Challenge, then cheer them on as they test their boats for seaworthiness in a relay race across the harbor. A pancake breakfast, 5K road race, live music, a classic small boat show, marine-related exhibitors, children's activities, and more. Free.
www.belfastharborfest.com

The Wailin' Jennys
August 21
The Strand Theatre, Rockland
Get swept away by the harmonizing vocals of the Wailin' Jennys. With varied musical backgrounds come a unique folk-pop sound and timeless quality. 8 pm.
www.rocklandstrand.com

Union Fair
August 21-28
Union
The Union Fair, one of the oldest in Maine, celebrates agriculture with 4-H exhibits, a sheep shearing contest, horse, oxen, and tractor pulls, an old-fashioned pig scramble, and more. Plus there's a carnival, fireworks, and the crowning of the State of Maine Wild Blueberry Queen.
www.unionfair.org

Maine Fiddle Camp

By Melanie Brooks

Yesterday Shane Leonard and I grabbed our cameras and drove to Montville to check out Maine Fiddle Camp. My friend, Anne Mostue, and her sister were attending this year and I thought a music camp for adults and families was too cool to not visit. So I did.

Maine-Made Ice Cream

If you haven't picked up your copy of our August issue yet, you're really missing out! Because summer is swiftly coming to a close we decided we'd better share our picks for Maine-made ice cream while you can still get it.

What's Happening This Weekend...

Summer is coming to an end; get out and enjoy it!

Caribou Cares About Kids
August 12-14
Caribou
Caribou hosts a three-day festival for kids! There's something for every kid: a parade, games, outdoor movies, hayrides, and a bike race.
www.cariboumaine.net

Forest Heritage Days
August 13 & 14
Greenville
Celebrate the history of the Moosehead Lake REgion with wood tours, a graft fair, logging games, and more.
www.forestheritagedays.org

Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors Show
August 13-15
Rockland
The 8th annual Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbor Show showcases boats in the water and on land. Enjoy arts, food, and marine ware while discovering Maine's best boatbuilders, craftsmen, and architects. Plus historical exhibits, children's activities, the Annual World Championship Boatyard Dog Trials, and more.
www.maineboats.com

The Maine Antiques Festival
August 13-15
Union
This is Maine's largest antiques festival, with over 350 dealers. Expect everything from early period formal to 1950s furniture.

Be Here Now! Festival
August 13-15
Starks
Come to Harry Brown's Farm at 43 Abijah Hill Rd. for music, art, dancing, puppets, and more.
www.harryshill.com

Winter Harbor Lobster Festival
August 14
Winter Harbor
Start off the Winter Harbor Lobster Festival with blueberry pancakes, then go on to watch lobster boat races, a parade, and craft fair. 8 am-6 pm.

Blueberry Wing Ding
August 14
McLaughlin's Restaurant
Route 1, Lincolnville Beach
Celebrate the Maine Blueberry with a blueberry pancake breakfast with sausage, bacon, juice, and coffee. Blueberry crafts and blueberry baked goods, too. Sponsored by the Lincolnville Improvement Association.

Wooden Canoe Festival
August 14
Medway Recreation Complex
Come participate in this daylong event celebrating Medway's wooden canoe heritage.
www.katahdinmaine.com

Medway Old Home Days
August 14-22
Medway
Join in for some old-fashioned fun, small-town style with live entertainment, loggers competition, canoe races, and more. Help Medway celebrate their 135th anniversary.
www.katahdinmaine.com

Summer Sonic Tonic
August 15
Waterfall Arts
52 Kingdom Rd, Montville
11th annual celebration of art, nature, and music. $10 at the gate.
www.waterfallarts.org

Bangor Greendrinks

Bangor Greendrinks is at it again...this time at the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor tonight from 5:30 to 8 pm. If you haven't been to one of these fun events yet -- now's the time to check it out. Not only is it going to be in a unique setting tonight, it's going to be chock full of interesting people. Bangor Land Trust will be there giving out information and Ann Marie Orr from Ann Marie's Kitchen will be providing the snacks. And the DRINKS! Of course there will be drinks.

Bangor Metro featured Greendrinks in our August issue. Check out the story below!

What's Happening This Weekend...

Start August off right by enjoying one or more of these upcoming events:

Schoodic Arts Festival
Now through August 15
Winter Harbor
The two week festival features over 80 workshops, 14 evening performances, 12 brown bag lunch performances, and a silent auction.
www.schoodicarts.org

Maine Lobster Festival
Now through August 8
Rockland
There’s more lobster than you could ask for at the Maine Lobster Festival. This huge event has maritime displays, harbor cruises, waterfront activities, and a parade.
www.mainelobsterfestival.com

Athens Fair
August 6 - 8
Athens
Athens’ small country fair comes complete with crafts, midway rides, and animal exhibits.
660-7340

KahBang Indie Music & Arts Festival
August 6 - 14
Bangor
Independent music lovers rejoice for the KahBang Annual Music Festival, bent on discovering “the next big thing.”
www.kahbang.com

Sullivan Daze
August 7
Sullivan
The Sullivan and Sorrento Volunteer Fire Departments raise money by sponsoring this all-day event. Rain date is August 8.
www.downeastmaineonline.com

Sustainability Tour: Homes, Farms & Woods
August 7
Waldo County
The Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance is offering its 2nd annual self-guided tour of unique homes, farms, and woods that engage sustainable practices and technologies. Volunteers welcome. 10 am–5 pm. Tickets: $10–$20.
www.swlamaine.org

WINNERS of the Best Restaurants 2010 Readers Poll!

In case you haven't picked up your copy of the August issue, here are the results of our 2010 Best Restaurants Poll:

Best Seafood: Captain Nick's, Bangor

Best Family Restaurant: Nicky's Diner, Bangor

Best Romantic Dinner: Muddy Rudder, Brewer

Best Place to Watch the Game: Ground Round, Bangor

Best Chowder: Captain Nick's, Bangor

Best Steak: Texas Roadhouse, Bangor

Best Pizza: Pat's Pizza, multiple locations

Best Value for the Money: Geaghan's Pub, Bangor

Best Dessert: Governor's Restaurant, multiple location

Best Salad: Ruby Tuesday, multiple locations

Best Brunch: The Lucerne Inn, Dedham

Best Sandwich: Harvest Moon Deli, Orono and Jimmy V's, Bangor

Best Place to Throw a Party: Sea Dog Brewing Co., Bangor

Best Cocktails: Woodman's Bar & Grill, Orono and Miguel's Mexican Restaurant, Bangor

Best Wine List: Muddy Rudder, Brewer

Best Neighborhood Pub: Paddy Murphy's, Bangor

Best Service: Massimo's Cucina Italiana, Bangor

Best Vegetarian: Fiddlehead's, Bangor

Best Buffet: Epic Buffet, Bangor

Best Chinese Takeout: Panda Garden and Oriental Jade, Bangor

Grasshopper Shop vs. Mexicali Blues

It's official...the owners of the Grasshopper Shop in downtown Bangor are selling their building and storefront to the owners of Mexicali Blues, Portland-based store. The Grasshopper Shop has been a staple on the corner where State, Harlow, Main, and Central Streets converge since the late 1980s -- and feelings are mixed on the transition.

We want to know what you think. Are you a Grasshopper Shopper or a Mexicali Blueser?

poll by twiigs.com