Your Weekly Guide to Life in Midcoast Maine

BY KELLY MICHAUD, EDITOR

The smells of popcorn butter mixed with sweet cotton candy and fresh-cut french fries return every summer. They meld with sounds of children laughing and thrill seekers screaming. Nearby, pigs snore in the fresh hay and Clydesdales stand at attention, waiting to engage the audience with their strength.

Once again, it’s time to head to a summer fair.

The carnival lights, the food, the games — it can make anyone feel young at heart. And the end of the summer is bustling with fair activity, all within a short drive, or located in, Midcoast Maine.

A little over an hour away, the Bangor State Fair is going on right now until Sunday, Aug. 4, at Bass Park in Bangor. This year’s fair includes a monster truck show, Wednesday, July 31, at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. featuring Carolina Crusher and Overkill, among others. The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack show happens three times a day throughout the duration of the fair and Reptile Adventure, an open exhibit, will be open everyday until 8:30 p.m. Fair admission is $6 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and children 12 and under are $2. On-site parking is $3 per vehicle.

The 55th Annual Maine Lobster Festival kicks off Wednesday in Rockland. The festival goes until Sunday, Aug. 4. Wednesday is also Home Town Day, which means free admission. This year’s theme is “A Special Spirit,” and the five-day celebration features fresh boiled lobster dinners, marine exhibits and displays, as well as fine arts and children’s activities, crafts, live music, carnival rides and games. For additional details and admission prices, see the Lobster Festival article on page 10.

The 50th Annual Olde Bristol Days in Pemaquid kicks off Monday, Aug. 5, with a night of Bean-O at the New Harbor Fire House at 7 p.m. The festival continues until Sunday, Aug. 11 and will feature music, a road race, parade, contradance, bicycle tour, lobster boat races, auction, golf tournament, crafts, bean & lobster suppers, the Bristol Footlighters show and fireworks, among other activities. For more on Olde Bristol Days, turn to page 18 of Steppin’ Out.

The fair that signals the end of summer for many in Midcoast Maine — the Union Fair — will take place Sunday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Aug. 24. The fair takes place at the Union Fairgrounds, located off Route 17 in Union. This agricultural fair happens in conjunction with the State of Maine Blueberry Festival and features harness racing, a pig scramble, fireworks, talent show, dairy show, pulling, a bubblegum blowing contest, a sheep show, among other activities. For information, visit www.union-fair.com/index.cfm or call (207) 236-8009.

As soon as the Union Fair ends, the Windsor Fair begins, Aug. 25 through Sept. 2. The Windsor Fair is located about 15 miles east of Augusta on Route 32. The fair includes a demolition derby, pickup truck pulls, the Hollywood Auto Thrill show, the Casco Bay Cloggers and music from bands including the Lincolnville Band and the Frye Mountain Band. For information about schedules and tickets, visit www.windsorfair.com.