Events & Specials

For generations, the stage of the historic 1894 Opera House in Boothbay Harbor, Maine has played host to actors and musicians from around the state and around the globe. With over 100 events and performances annually, there is almost always something happening at the House-an evening with a Grammy winning musician, a visit from a Broadway actor, nights of jazz or bluegrass, rocking Celtic concerts, lectures, holiday celebrations and community events fill the schedule. With fine acoustics, historic charm and a great old bar room upstairs the Opera House is a gathering place for the local community and visitors alike.

Check out the amazing schedule of entertainment at the Boothbay Opera House and call the inn to reserve your getaway and tickets.

A highlight of any trip to the Maine coast is a stop at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. These gardens have become world class and are a major attraction in the Boothbay area. TripAdvisor rated Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens #1 for mid-coast Maine attractions and USA Today named CMBG one of the top 10 (actually 6th) Botanical Gardens in the U.S.

The Gardens has become one of Maine’s top attractions and one of the most distinguished botanical destinations in the country. Its exquisite gardens, dramatic and compelling natural landscape—including nearly a mile of tidal saltwater frontage—make it ever-changing, endlessly captivating and thoroughly unique. As the largest botanical garden in New England, the Gardens comprises 295 acres, 17 of which are gardens featuring native plants of Maine and other plants suited to northern coastal conditions.

Check out what’s blooming and call the inn to reserve your getaway and tickets.

You’re invited! Foodies and seafood lovers flock from all over to enjoy the best of our region. Come watch local chefs compete for the best lobster bite & vote for your favorite to win the People’s Choice Award.

Experience a taste of Maine’s heritage in a stunning seaside setting The Shipyard In Boothbay Harbor – it’ll be an experience you won’t soon forget.

There’s plenty of fun to be had on this perfect Maine Summer Weekend — on June 17 The Shipyard will host the 8th Annual Fishin’ for Fashion Show!

Be sure to plan ahead for lodging & check back here soon for Ticket details!

This festival marks the kick off to summer in our region and is a time to reconnect with family, friends, and neighbors after the long winter, an opportunity to support local businesses and welcome visitors. It is a time to honor our maritime history and celebrate the vital role it plays in the lives of all who live here. Events include grand sailing vessels featured in an awe-inspiring Parade of Sail, the rollicking Cod Fish Race where teams transport a fish through town in full foul weather gear, a street parade, art shows, waterfront concerts, and a spectacular fireworks display.

For more information on this summer’s official kickoff check out the 2023 Windjammer Days Schedule.

“Superb Salt Bay festival brims with star power”

Festival concerts in Damariscotta on August 8, 11, 15, and 19 at Lincoln Theater

This season (our 29th!) we celebrate the musical GODDESS, through a festival that is centered on powerful female figures from myth or history and the composers and performers who draw inspiration from their stories. Flutist and MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient Claire Chase will appear at SBC to present works written especially for her, coupled with Schubert’s poetic Death and the Maiden String Quartet. Tenor Nicholas Phan breathes new life and meaning into songs by Baroque women composers, complemented by a dream team of Baroque music specialists including Italian violinist Riccardo Minasi, harpsichordist Paolo Bordignon, and gambist Arnie Tanimoto. The Brentano String Quartet returns with a program of quartets by Fanny Mendelssohn and Beethoven (Opus 130). Finally, I am particularly proud to present this year’s newly commissioned work by composer Dawn Avery, Grandmother Moon (Ahsonthehnéhkha Karáhkwa) for two violins and two cellos. This will be featured in a program with soprano Kate Aldrich singing Respighi, and Dvořák’s tuneful String Sextet performed by artists Cynthia Phelps, principal violist of the New York Philharmonic, and Susie Park and Sean Lee, violinists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you who make this festival possible from year to year. Our donors, board, and wonderful community all work together to help bring incredible artistry and meaningful arts experiences to the region each year, serving a broad range of concert goers. We look forward to sharing these exciting performances with you in August!

Come to beautiful midcoast Maine for a celebration of all things pumpkin. This festival is a fun-packed week of events including a pumpkin paddle boat relay and pumpkin motor boat regatta, pumpkin polo, and the Maine Pumpkin Growers Organization-sanctioned giant pumpkin weigh-off. There’s also pumpkin catapulting, a pumpkin drop, underwater pumpkin carving, a giant pumpkin parade, 60 giant pumpkins lining Damariscotta’s main street, and a pumpkin derby.
Pumpkinfest was delighted to be named Best Fall Festival in Maine by Travel and Leisure magazine!

To learn more about everything pumpkin come join us at this year’s Damariscotta Pumpkinfest.

The Museum’s Village Green welcomes dozens of vendors of handmade items and fabulous food along with a wide variety of live entertainment for the Fall Foliage Festival. The sound of the train’s steam whistle resonating throughout the crisp fall air reminds guests that this is not your typical craft show.

The beautiful crafts are center stage on the Village Green surrounded by the historic buildings and structures of the Boothbay Railway Village. Rides on the narrow gauge steam train and the opportunity for guests to explore exhibits detailing Maine’s railroad heritage, interpreting village life, and displaying more than 60 antique automobiles set this event apart. Artisan demonstrations and live music sponsored by the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and the Boothbay Sea & Science Center adds to the fun of this family tradition.

For one of our annual fall highlights mark your calendar for this year’s Fall Foliage Festival.

The magic begins as darkness falls.

Join us to experience the brilliance of New England’s most beautiful light display! This year, the seasonal celebration returns to its roots as a walking event with a new, reimagined design and more than 750,000 LED lights woven through 14 acres of central gardens.

The Gardens Aglow route is approximately 1 mile of beautifully lighted pathways through our central garden areas, and we find that most guests spend between one and two hours at Gardens Aglow. Extend your visit to the region by exploring the Boothbay Region during Boothbay Lights, and seeing the entries in our  Community Lighting Contest, where participants have festively lit up their homes and businesses.