MainersWeekly July 4-July11th

Summers here, and this means concerts and festivals. Don Felder (former Eagles lead guitarist) , Mallett Brothers Band & Eric Grant Band are coming to Hallowell @ The Ice Vault. This is going to be a good one, and I’m really excited for it. And, it gets even better..proceeds go to The Travis Mills Foundation to help our veterans. So, get your favorite lawn chair ready, bring your favorite people, and be ready to rock out for a good cause. 2-7PM. Get your tickets HERE and see ya there!

AHOP is one of THE places to go for breakfast. Service is friendly, consistent and always spot on. The food is delicious and quality, especially their handmade bread & biscuits. So dinner? Oh, this will be good.

Visit the quintessential lake town of Readfield for their Heritage Days festival weekend. For the competitive types - you can sign up your team for the kickball and/or cornhole tournament. Think kids versus adults? Enjoy the makers market, breakfast, HUGE book sale, BBQ, ice cream, and more! This is a great family event with lots of kid friendly activities and a lake beach to cool off in. Proceeds from the event will go to the Fairgrounds Fundraiser. Do good and have fun! Visit HERE for more info and updates.

opening days vary, make sure to check the link for detailed info

Augusta: Tuesday’s Mill Park 2-6PM

Belgrade: Sunday’s 8-1, 7 Lakes Alliance

Hallowell: Saturday’s: Stevens Commons 9-12PM

Waterville: Thurs: Downtown Waterville @ Head of Falls Park 2-6

Winthrop: Thurs:(June 4-Sept10) 2-6, Municipal Parking Lot

GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK

This park isn’t even close to Kennebec, about 1-2 hours away depending on where you are. But I HAD to list it. This park is one of my favorites and definitely worth the drive. You can easily spend a day here cooling off in the natural waterslides, waterfalls and gorges. Here are some of the most challenging hikes on the Appalachian Trail. But, there are also very kid friendly hikes too. Something for everyone. So go take a hike, cool off at the waterfall, and grab a bite at Sunday River Brewing Company.

Augusta: July 4th Mill Park & Downtown Augusta. Parade 10AM, fireworks 9PM with events in between.

Bar Harbor: July 4th. Parade, pancake breakfast, craft fair, seafood festival, family activities, Great Lumberjack Show, concerts and fireworks

Belgrade: The Belle Block Party! TONS of events and specials starting at 9:30!

Camden: July 4th. 9-10PM at the Camden Harbor

Portland: July 4th (rain date July 5th) Eastern Promenade. Symphony, fireworks & food trucks.

Rockwood: Take a cruise! Hop aboard Steamboat Katahdin. July 4th

Waterville: July 4th @ Head of Falls 9:30 PM

Winthrop: July 3rd @ Norcross Point 9PM

I know, I know… But listen, I just had to. Plus it’s true, go on FB and see the proof that he would just rather hang with us locals than perform for us. What can ya say, Lil Wayne got lost in Maine. But, he will be back on July 28th at the Bangor Amphitheater - or will he?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF OLLIE’S BARGAIN OUTLET? I hadn’t until recent, but this is exciting - we all LOVE a good bargain. Sorry Mardens. But this does add to an awesome weekend of bargain shopping. It’s going up in Waterville, in the old Chapter 11 building. The official date hasn’t been released yet, but they are hiring - so soon!

Even if you're not a soccer fan, the FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sporting event on the planet. This year's tournament has already shattered attendance records across North America, proving soccer's popularity continues to grow in the United States.

Here’s some matches happening today. These are the final round of 32 before round 16 begins!

This holiday weekend, the Maine Warden Service will be actively patrolling Maine’s waterways as part of Operation Dry Water, a national campaign focused on preventing boating under the influence.

Game Wardens will be looking for impaired boaters, enforcing Maine’s boating laws, including Headway Speed, checking for required life jackets and safety equipment, and reminding boaters to clean, drain, and dry their boats to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Located at 153 Water Street in Gardiner, Bintliff’s Corner Brew has expanded with a thoughtfully designed space that honors both the building’s history and the character of historic downtown Gardiner. Featuring reclaimed 200-year-old beams, repurposed vintage horse troughs, and salvaged architectural elements, the new addition reflects their commitment to preserving local history and celebrating Maine craftsmanship.

This place is known for their quality and delicious brunches and desserts! I can’t wait to see their new addition. Hopefully I’ll see you there! https://bintliffs.com/

BREWFEST TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. August 8th, 2-6PM, Downtown Front St. Augusta. Get your tickets HERE.

Want to volunteer? https://ironman.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=102738

Lithgow Library - Augusta, Hubbard Library - Hallowell. Cumston Library - Monmouth, Bailey Library - Winthrop, Waterville Public Library - Waterville, Readfield Community Library - Readfield, Belgrade Public Library - Belgrade

Jessica Fike at Brookewood Realty can help you discover local homes, lake properties, and communities that fit your lifestyle. Click here for updated listings.

Auburn

Sun/July 12th: Comedian Bob Marley at Lost Valley 6:30PM

Augusta

Sun/July 12th: Augusta Marathon 5K/10K/Half/Full back for a 2nd year! 7AM at the Furniture Gallery on 402 Civic Center Dr. Open for all abilities - no time limit.

Mount Vernon

Sat/July 11th: Craft Fair 9-2 at the Community Center

Waterville

Fri/July 10th-19th: The 29th Maine National Film Festival. Click here for more info

Wayne
Sat/July 11th: Strawberry Festival 9-3PM. Walk around the beautiful quintessential town of Wayne, shop local businesses and enjoy wonderful strawberry desserts.

Augusta

Thurs/July 23rd-Sat/July25th: Maine Quilts 2026 - over 500 quilts, workshops & events @ Civic Center

Sat/Aug 8th - Sun/9th: Maine Cannabis Expo @Civic Center

Hallowell

Sat/July 18th: Old Hallowell Day. Arts and crafts, road races, parade, bakeoff, bounce house, food, music, corn hole, cribbage, fireworks and more.

Mount Vernon

Sat/July 26th: Hidden Gems of Mount Vernon. 10-4 This is a self guided tour with 9 unique locations in Mt. Vernon to explore. The event is to raise funds for the community center. A seasonal lunchbox will be available for preorder at Scapes (delicious food btw).

Readfield

August 7-8th: Heritage Days in Readfield. Kickball and cornhole tournaments, ice cream, book sales, makers market and SO MUCH more. Bring the kids and come visit this beautiful Maine town and its lake side beach. Make a whole family fun weekend of it.

Waterville

Sat/July 21st: The Princess Concert @ Waterville Opera House 3:30. If you have a little girl in your life, this sounds amazing! Music from Moana, Frozen, Wicked and more.

Berwick

July 11-12th: Lavender Festival 10-2PM.

Brunswick

July 11th: The Great State of Maine Airshow 2026 @9AM featuring US Navy Blue Angels. Get tickets here.

Rockland

July 11th-12th: North Atlantic Blues Festival

Skowhegan

July 9-11th: Skowhegan Log Days begins along the riverfront with the start of a three-day celebration of the community’s logging heritage, river culture, and summer fun. Opening night begins at 4:30pm with a guided mountain bike ride & trail run and ends with our annual Glowstick Paddle which departs from the Cleaver

Gardiner: Waterfront Concert Series, every Fri 6-8:30 (starts mid June)

Augusta: Waterfront Concert Series, every Wed 6-8

Belgrade: Lakeside Listening at the 1958 Cafe Every Friday 4-6:30

Hallowell: Plenty of local music concert venues

Bowl in the Pines, Sidney - you HAVE to check out this little local gem

An impressive line up. ELLE KING just joined the line up!! Here’s just a few of MANY: Jo Dee Messina, Alison Krauss, Blues Traveler & Gin Blossoms.

Waterfront Concerts, Bangor - Not in Kennebec, but an amazing line up!

Winthrop - Norcross Point, Sunday

The moon reaches its last quarter phase, meaning darker evening skies are on the way.

This is the best night of the month to get away from city lights.

You'll have excellent views of the Milky Way's bright core, Thousands of stars invisible under moonlight, Early Perseid meteors beginning to appear, Comet 10P/Tempel 2 with binoculars or a small telescope from a dark location

From about July 14–20, the Milky Way stretches across the southern sky after 10 p.m. This is one of the year's best opportunities for Astrophotography, Camping, Late-night lake viewing, Northern Maine dark-sky trips

Before sunrise, look east to see a thin crescent Moon, bright Saturn, Mars nearby

Just after sunset, the crescent Moon will appear close to Venus in the western sky

July's full moon rises on the evening of the 29th and will look especially dramatic near the horizon, making for excellent photos over lakes and fields