Head to Way Downeast Maine for Fourth of July fun, fireworks, and patriotism.
If you like to celebrate the Fourth of July while skipping crowds, head to small town Downeast Maine, for fun, fireworks, and patriotism. The local Fourth of July committees put together a surprising number of events to enjoy. There are enough parades and fireworks that you can see several during a July 4th weekend. There’s even one town where you can see two fireworks displays on the waterfront at the same time.
Downeast Maine Fourth of July Fun for All
There’s something for everyone to enjoy during Downeast Maine Fourth of July celebrations. From crate and lobster boat races to frog jumping contests. There’s doll carriage and bike decorating contests and Miss Fourth of July contests. Plus lots of music by local musicians. There’s also plenty of local food and Farmer’s Markets. For a very small town of about 1300, Lubec, Maine offers an incredible amount of home town style events. You can find the schedule for 2022 here.
And, there’s also local breweries, for those who like craft beer. Lubec’s brewery has a beer garden, to boot. There’s a new brewery on Eastport’s waterfront, Hornrun Brewing, that we look forward to trying.
Downeast Maine Fourth of July Fun includes good food
Look for signs like this one along Rt. 1 and outside churches for a great and memorable meal.
Churches, like the West Methodist Church in Lubec, offer up a special lunch or bean supper. The West Methodist Church is known for having it’s annual fish chowder and pie sale on July 3rd. Except for 2020, during the Pandemic, they also have a Bazaar and offer sandwiches for a dollar. In 2020 they cleverly offered chowder and pie through a drive-thru set-up. The chowder came with crackers and you had a slice from a choice of a couple of pies. The chowder is always full of fish and very flavorful. Here are photos of the chowder and pie we brought back to our cabin to enjoy. The chowder came in a plastic tub hot and fresh from the pot and we couldn’t wait to enjoy it.
Usually at the West Methodist United they have tables set and you can sit down and enjoy the chowder in the lower church hall, as well as the camaraderie of the church volunteers and other chowder lovers. In 2021 and 2022 they are back to sit-down serving. And, they have a mouth-watering, really, selection of slices of homemade pies to chose from. You can’t just chose one and walk away. And it’s hard, so hard to choose. We usually buy four to go and cut them in half to share over the next two meals. Maybe.
Downeast Maine Fourth of July Fun includes parades, lots of them
Even the very small towns in Downeast Maine seem to muster enough participation for a parade. They may not be long, they may not have a band, but they have heart, humor, and patriotism. Many of the floats reflect the fishing culture and some local subjects to maybe slyly poke fun at. They may have them at different times, or on July 3rd, not the 4th, so that you can take in more than one in a day, or weekend.
Some towns have a “horribles” or in Lubec’s case, a shirttail parade in addition to a traditional parade. Eastport has a torchlight parade the night of July 3rd in addition to it’s big parade. Click here for Eastport’s 4th of July weekend schedule.
Different years, we try to see different parades. We’ve enjoyed the Jonesport parades, Cutler, Machias, Eastport and Lubec. We hope to see Pembroke’s parade some year. It has conflicted with some other events we like to attend.
Here’s photos from the 2020 Machias fourth of July parade:
Unfortunately I didn’t think to cross the road and take photos with the sun at my back. But this was also during COVID and we were keeping our distance.
The Downeast parades often have groups of go-carts and other mini-sized vehicles manned by groups that are part of the Anah Shriners of Bangor, Maine. Machias had several last year. The go-carts sometimes do tricks going up and over a ramp mounted on a car.
Here’s some pictures of Lubec parades:
The float above was a creature made from beach trash.
Eagle Float in Lubec, ME July 4
Depending upon the timing and transportation, you can see both the Lubec and Eastport parades. They are about 45 minutes apart by car, 20 -25 by boat. Then there’s by air. Both Lubec and Eastport have small airports. In 2020, Senator Susan Collins made use of air and water to participate in both parades as well as the one in Jackman Maine.
Downeast Maine Fourth of July Fun Fireworks
What’s the Fourth of July without fireworks and Maine has lots of them. The newspapers print lists of them. Eastport is known for having the biggest of all in Maine. Not only can you see them while in Eastport, but also from Campobello Island and Lubec. In addition, private parties also have their own displays along Eastport’s waterfront so there’s lots to enjoy. On Campobello, people congregate on the beaches to watch.
If you go down to Lubec’s waterfront, you can see in the distance the area where the fireworks are set off. While some may say it’s not as good as being in Eastport, or on Campobello, it’s still a good experience. Unfortunately, in 2021, U.S. citizens can’t go to Campobello until the Canadian and U.S. governments allow it, due to COVID.
On Johnson St., which winds along Lubec’s waterfront, you can see Eastport across the Bay. About midway on the horizon in the above photo is about where the fireworks are set off in Eastport.
Some years Lubec and Eastport have fireworks on the same night, weather permitting, and that is when you can see two town’s fireworks at the same time. It’s a great experience as the fireworks are reflected on the water.
The area is known for its fog, the Quoddy Mist, and it has caused fireworks to be postponed more than once. In 2020, as the clear sky was growing pink as the sun set, the mist silently started rolling in.
Someone must have made the decision to start the fireworks early due to the sudden appearance of the mist. The result was a very different effect, but very engaging. I tried to capture some photos of the fireworks in the mist.
Downeast Maine Fourth of July Fun worth the trip
This post touches on just some of the many delights and activities that you can enjoy while Downeast, especially the eastern most part, around the Fourth of July. One local source is The Quoddy Tides newspaper, which is published twice a month and provides news about the most eastern part of Washington County, and adjacent Canadian towns plus Campobello and Grand Manan. As you drive along Rt. 1 there are so many beautiful as well as funky things to see. I’ll write about some of them in another post.
Have you visited Downeast Maine during the Fourth of July? What do you like about the celebrations? Please comment.
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Keeping track of your craft beer adventures
The Maine Brewers Guild distributes a free Maine Beer Trail brochure. You can either download one from their website or pick up a hard copy at member breweries. Get rewarded for visiting breweries if you have a brewery staff member checkoff, sign and date the brochure when you visit. You can earn a hat, t-shirt, or a prize pack, if you visit 10 or more breweries.
If you want to keep more detailed records of where you went and what beer you enjoyed, you might like Keeping Up with Craft Beers: A Journal for Your Tasting Adventures. You can list up to 100 beers, as well as list breweries and brew pubs you liked as well as beer festivals.