TOP WEEKEND PICKS

There is so much to choose from this weekend! Check out the inside of your favorite local lighthouse, visit an apple orchard, and enjoy the cheese festival.

You can have it all at Burano’s in Hallowell every 4th Thurs. of the month. If you haven’t been, you must. They have great drinks, food, attentive staff, a lovely outside seating area and occasional local musicians. And their signature peanut butter and bacon wings are a must try.

Check it out here: https://events.humanitix.com/comedy-night-at-burano-s-wood-fired-pizzeria-9-24

Want to see your business, event, organization or fundraiser featured here? Email [email protected]

It's tucked away on Togus Road in Chelsea and is much more than a roadside farm stand. It's a diversified family farm with its own country store, selling farm-raised pork and lamb, sausages and other meats, vegetables, apples, jams, jellies, preserves, salsa, sauces, soaps and other Maine-made goods. The farm also raises chickens, ducks, geese, goats, sheep and hogs. It’s MOFGA certified. They also have an online store. Check them out: https://www.oldehavenfarm.com/our-farm

Local folklore says he ordered a woman executed for witchcraft.

Before her death, she allegedly cursed his grave, promising that her leg would mark his final monument. As she died, or as her leg fell from the fire, she allegedly cursed Buck, vowing that the mark of her foot would forever stain his grave. Years later, a distinct, leg-and-foot-shaped stain appeared on his marble tomb marker. Town caretakers tried cleaning, scrubbing, and even replacing the stone. The creepy shape reportedly returned every single time.

However, geologists and skeptics explain that the haunting silhouette is simply a natural discoloration or mineral defect in the granite, often caused by iron oxidation.

Folklore or fact?

Read more here: https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/6159

Manchester/Hallowell | Up to ~6 miles | Easy–Moderate | Free

Looking for a longer local hike without a big mountain climb? Jamie’s Pond Wildlife Management Area has a network of wooded trails winding around ponds, wetlands and quiet forest right outside Augusta. Choose a shorter loop or combine trails for several miles of hiking, making this an easy one to customize for your afternoon. Expect classic Maine woods, water views and plenty of opportunities for wildlife and bird spotting.

From Manchester: Take Pond Road to Collins Road. The trailhead is roughly 1 mile down Collins Road on the left/north side, with parking and a kiosk.

Deer Spy month for 2026 season! The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is asking for you to stay alert and active through September. They are also asking for observations. Keep your eyes open for deer through the month of Sept and report any you spot using this online form. They are looking for location, time, bucks, fawn and does. The biologists will take it from there. They will compile and analyze Deer Spy observations alongside other datasets to learn about Maine’s white-tailed deer populations and apply appropriate management strategies for a healthy and sustainable population. You can read more information here: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/mammals/maine-deer-spy/deer-spy.html

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR - MAINE’S FIRST FOLIAGE REPORT IS OUT

“Even though this summers lack of rain may dull the colors and shorten the season in some areas, Maine should still have beaitufll fall colors across the state, especially in the western mountains, which have received a good amount of rain. The weather over the next few weeks will make the biggest difference, as cool nights, warm, sunny days, and shorter daylight hours turn green leaves into bright colors of fall” - Gale Ross

You can take a fall foliage road trip and celebrate!

Follow the first hints of fall color north along the St. John Valley/Fish River National Scenic Byway, where the route winds through river valleys, farmland, and communities shaped by Maines Acadian and Franco-American heritage. This year brings another reason to make the drive: U.S. Route 1 is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, and its northernmost miles run right through the St. John Valley. Make a day of it with stops for local food, cultural landmarks, and wide-open views in a part of Maine where autumn tends to arrive first.

It was created by retired National Geographic photographer and Maine filmmaker Bob Krist as he goes on a road trip. Want to watch the film?

https://www.pbs.org/video/100-years-of-route-one-a-centennial-road-trip-r2awv2/

This is the first time hearing about this for me. It’s brilliant.

A NEW MUSEUM THAT RECENTLY OPENED IN LEWISTON

So what kind of museum is it? It’s “a unique collection of over 10,000 artifacts, hundreds of recorded oral histories, and engaging exhibits exploring the history and heritage of yesterday and how it influences our today and tomorrow. Maine MILL’s collection began with salvaged machinery and artifacts saved by local community members when the last textile mill closed in 2001. As word spread, more objects came into our collection—expanding to include other industries and stories that helped to shape our community over the years. We continue to add to our collection to include a wider range of perspectives and experiences in order to tell our community’s whole story, a story that continues to unfold.”

As of today they have over 10,000 artifacts, over 5,000 archival documents and photos, over 2,000 original industrial sized silk screens, over 350 original hand drawn designs and more. Check it out: https://mainemill.org/

Sat. Sept 12th - Statewide

See Maine from the top of a lighthouse. Maine Open Lighthouse Day unlocks doors that are usually closed, offering rare access to historic light stations along the coast and on Maine islands. Twenty light stations are participating this year, making it a good excuse to pair the first signs of fall with a different kind of view.

FALL DOESN’T JUST HAVE TO BE ABOUT APPLES & CIDER. HOW ABOUT CHEESE?

Join in on the 10th annual Cheese Festival in Pittsfield on Sunday, Sept 13th. Read more here: https://mainecheesefestival.org/

The new store fills the former Bed Bath & Beyond space at Turnpike Mall, bringing the shopping center close to full occupancy.

I’ll probably see ya there!

Click here to see participating orchards: https://maineapples.org/events/

HOW ABOUT FREE TICKETS, TONS OF ACTIVITIES…AND EVEN SEEDS?

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. Visit here for updated listings.

Augusta

Sept 12-13th: Maine Paranormal @ Horror Convention at Civic Center. Enjoy the supernatural, the unexplained and the terrifyingly entertaining.

Litchfield

Sept 11-13th: Litchfield Fair 9-8PM $25 unlimited ride bracelets

Augusta

Sept 20th: United States of America Maine Pageants at Civic Center. 3-8PM

Sept 26th: Augusta Dark Verse Color Run at Downtown 6-11PM. This is a goth themed color run event.

Farmington

Sept 20th-26th: “Maine’s Harvest Fair.” There’s horse racing, pie eating contests, demolition derbies, tractor pulls and more!

Lewiston

Sept 19th: Motorcycle Seasons’ End Stunt Show at L-A’s Harley Davidson 11, 1, & 3PM. Food, drinks and free

Waterville

Sept 15th: Celtic Thunder @ Waterville Opera House 7:30

Sept 20th: Gram Nash @ Waterville Opera House 7:30

Bath

Sept 12th: Pints on the Pier. 4-7PM. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and join in on the historic Persy & Small Shipyard to sample some of Maine’s best beers, canned cocktails, and more! Food trucks will be there too.

Pittsfield

Sept 13th: Cheese Festival. Cheese, wine, food vendors, competitions and more!

Unity

Sept 25th-27th: Common Ground Fair. It’s their 50th annual fair. MOFGA’s annual celebration of rural living features 1,000 plus exhibitors and speakers.

Apple season is quickly aproachingp! Grab a bag and make a fall day of it at one of these local orchards:

🍎 Lakeside Orchards, Manchester
Pick-your-own apples, farm store, fresh cider, baked goods & cider donuts.

🍏 Lemieux’s Orchard, Vassalboro
Pick-your-own apples, cider, donuts, pies, pumpkins & fall activities.

🍎 Kents Hill Orchard, Readfield
A smaller local orchard with apple picking, beautiful views & homemade treats.

🍏 Applewald Farm, Litchfield
Family-run farm with apples, fresh produce & a relaxed country-farm feel.

🍎 Chick’s Apple & Berry Farm, Monmouth
Pick-your-own apples & pumpkins with views overlooking Cochnewagan Lake.

🍏 Bond’s Orchard, Richmond
A small family orchard offering a quieter, traditional apple-picking experience.

TIP: Apple varieties and picking conditions change throughout the season, so check with the orchard before making the trip

Sept. 10–12 — DARK SKY WEEKEND
Tonight is the New Moon, making this one of the best weekends of the month to head somewhere dark and simply look up. With almost no moonlight, look for the Milky Way stretching across the sky and thousands of stars normally washed out by the Moon.

Sept. 13–14 — Crescent Moon + Venus
Shortly after sunset, look low toward the western horizon for brilliant Venus paired with a thin crescent Moon. Venus will be the incredibly bright “star” nearby.

Sept. 14–20 — Find the Center of Our Galaxy!
About an hour after sunset, look south for the Moon and reddish Antares. Nearby is the “Teapot” shape of Sagittarius. From a truly dark location, look above the Teapot's spout for a hazy band of light — you're looking toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy!

Sept. 18 — Venus at Peak Brilliance
Look west shortly after sunset. Venus reaches its brightest point of its current evening appearance, outshining every star in the sky.

No telescope required for any of these — just find somewhere dark, give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust and LOOK UP!

There’s also Blueberry Pond Observatory that holds star gazing guided tours! They are located in Pownal. Read more here.