Events
Camden offers a variety of events year-round. Whatever your preference for activity, you will always find something to your liking in Camden. Listed below are some of our biggest events, but there’s always even more going on here! The Calender link within our local Free Press Online is a great resource for week-to-week events. Additionally, the beautiful Camden Opera House stages a fantastic variety of shows year-round, everything from traditional plays a la Shakespeare to Dutch female impersonators. Bay Chamber Concerts is another year-round presenter of fabulous music and dance in the Midcoast area. Please click on the links below for more information about each event!
Calendar of Events
Business is Blooming
May 16 - 19, 2013
Help Camden kick off the summer season with this spring celebration! Many stores do sidewalk sales and also feature their newest wares.
Peter Ott’s 10K
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Run one of Maine’s oldest road races! The course hugs the ocean and travels past the Galloway Cows, down dirt roads and through the woods, by a golf course and then back to the downhill stretch to the finish.
Ragged Mountain Run Around
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Join in this scenic trail race at the Camden Snow Bowl! Chose to run either a 4-mile or 9-mile course. Benefits Ragged Mountain Development and Coastal Mountains Land Trust.
Maine Home+Design Show
June 29 & 30, 2013
The Maine Home+Design Show will bring the pages of Maine Home+Design magazine to life in a specially constructed 30,000 square foot clear span semi-permanent structure located in Rockport.
Camden’s 4th of July: Festival of Our Independence
July 3 - 7, 2013
From Camden through Rockport, to Owls Head and to Thomaston. Midcoast organizations team up to offer the Festival of Independence. Four days of fun in the Midcoast over the Fourth of July holiday. There will be concerts, family events, parades and fireworks throughout the Penobscot Bay region, with fun and affordable options for everyone!
North Atlantic Blues Festival
July 13 & 14, 2013
Our neighbor Rockland hosts the magnificent annual two-day blues music festival featuring national blues performers. It’s widely considered one of the most prestigious blues festivals on the East Coast!
Camden Garden Tour
July 18, 2013
Camden Garden Club presents their 66rd Annual House and Garden Tour from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - rain or shine. Enjoy a day visiting lovely homes and gardens in one of Maine’s oldest and most famous summer tours. Unique views, waterfront properties, and in-town jewels make this tour a must for residents and visitors alike!
Carol Sebold Harbor Arts Juried Arts & Craft Show
July 20 & 21, 2013
The Carol Sebold Harbor Arts Festivals take place in the summer and fall. Over 100 artists and craftspeople display and sell their work in scenic Camden Amphitheater, Harbor Park, and along Atlantic Avenue. Stroll around the different vendor tents and shop for unique art and crafts while enjoying the view.
Maine Lobster Festival
July 31 - August 4, 2013
A Maine coast tradition, packed with family-friendly events and lots of lobster, of course!
Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Show
August 9 - 11, 2013
If you love the coast of Maine, you won’t want to miss this high-summer event! Each year the show gathers Maine’s finest artists, architects, boatbuilders, craftsmen, designers, furniture makers, jewelers, and marine gear vendors together in ONE place at ONE time!
Lobster SUP Cup
August 10 - 11
“The Battle for Penobscot Bay”: Stand Up Paddle Board Race and charity event. Competitors paddle from Rockport Harbor to Lincolnville beach in one of the world’s fastest growing sports!
Penobscot Bay Rendezvous
August 15 - 18, 2013
One of New England’s best regattas for power and sail boats!
Camden Windjammer Festival
August 30 - September 1, 2013
Every Labor Day weekend, Camden hosts a windjammer celebration of maritime heritage. Throughout the day on Friday, Schooners from around Maine sail in and dock in our harbor - whether you’re a boat lover or not, it’s a spectacular site. After nightfall, fireworks officially kick off the weekend, and festivities continue throughout. When it comes to a community party, the crews, captains, craftspeople, business owners, residents, neighbors, and visitors really know how to have a great, family-friendly time in one of the world’s prettiest harbors.
Camden International Film Festival (CIFF)
September 26 - 29, 2013
The Camden International Film Festival, better known as CIFF, showcases the finest international documentary cinema. Recognized as one of the top 25 film festivals in the world for documentary films and filmmakers, the festival highlights work that shows dedication to craft and a unique and artistic approach to telling a darn good story. The Festival utilizes beautiful and unusual venues in Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine. Screenings are followed by intimate Q&A sessions with directors and industry professionals. Festivities over the weekend include panels, workshops, photographic exhibits, musical concerts and exclusive parties. CIFF gets bigger and better every year!
Fall Carol Sebold Harbor Arts Juried Arts & Craft Show
September 28 - 29, 2013
Over 100 artists and craftspeople display and sell their work in scenic Camden Amphitheater, Harbor Park, and along Atlantic Avenue.
Pop!Tech
October 24 - 26, 2013
PopTech brings together a global community of innovators from many fields to share insights and work together to create lasting change.
Christmas by the Sea
December 6 -8, 2013
In December, the whole town is transformed into a festive and intimate fairytale town, complete with an enchanting star on top of the mountain overlooking the town. Christmas by the Sea, featuring a full weekend of activities, kicks off the season with a holiday parade, Santa’s arrival (by boat!) to the Midcoast, store-wide sales, free photos with Santa, open houses, craft fairs, and fireworks.
Winterfest
January 27, 2013
Winterfest is a community celebration of winter. The centerpiece of Winterfest activity remains the Community Ice Carving Event. Groups come together to carve blocks of ice into crystalline statues.With or without snow families are encouraged to come and play. This event is fun for all ages.
Toboggan Nationals
February 8 - 10, 2013
This amateur event started in the 1990s and has swelled into a serious affair, with people coming from all over the U.S and overseas, often with their wooden toboggans roped to the roof of their family SUVs. The 400-foot long, one-run toboggan chute is located at the Camden Snow Bowl skiing area.
Camden Conference
February 22 - 24, 2103
The 26th annual Camden Conference, The Middle East: What Next
Maine Restaurant Week
March 1 - 10, 2013
Restaurant Week is a celebration of the culinary talents of area restaurants. During restaurant week, restaurants offer specially priced three-course meals. Chefs work hard year round to take care of their customers. During restaurant weeks, they go above and beyond. The first restaurant week concept originated in New York City in the early nineties and caught on in Maine in 2009.
Midcoast Rendezvous: A Plates and Pillows Event
April 5 - 14, 2013
The Midcoast Rendezvous in Midcoast Maine celebrates the premier culinary and lodging experience found from Brunswick to Belfast. It consists of ten outstanding days of dining, cooking, tasting and a host of other events, all led by local hospitality greats, and friends from all over, who cherish the Maine experience.