A coastal cocktail at the Boothbay Harbor Fest. Photo courtesy of the Boothbay Harbor Fest website.

Harbor Fest is a fantastic end of summer coastal festival focused on local food, fashion, art and entertainment, all set in one of Maine’s prettiest Southern Maine seaside towns. The 2018 Boothbay Harbor Fest schedule runs from August 31st through September 9th.  Food lovers will enjoy participating in the three day  ‘Taste of Local Flavor’ event where, with a $15  ‘passport,’ they’re able to journey to 12 regional restaurants and experience unique music, local dishes and downeast ambiance, including tastings held on decks and docks as well as in pubs, art galleries and breweries.  The 2018 Harbor Fest schedule also includes a ‘Fishin’ For Fashion’ show, 5K run and half marathon. There is already a pretty solid schedule in place for  2018 which I’ve included below and will add to as more granular details become available.

The Boothbay Harbor Fest Schedule 2018

Friday, August 31st 

The Boothbay Harbor Fest kicks off on Friday with ‘Taste of Local Flavor’ – a food, cocktail and live music crawl.  Taste of Local Flavor runs through September 2nd and, for $15, food lovers will be able to enjoy food tastings and live music at 12 local restaurants, most of which are right on the waterfront and have befitting nautical names. The 12 restaurants participating in the 2018 Harbor Fest Taste of Local Flavor are The Fisherman’s Wharf Inn, the Tugboat Inn and Restaurant, Whales Tale at Carousel Marina, Boathouse Bistro, Harborside Tavern, Boothbay Harbor Inn, Mine Oyster, Mc Seagull’s, Kaler’s Restaurant, Oak Street Cafe, Thistle Inn, Cod’s Head Fish House, The Mystic Mermaid and Boothbay Lobster Wharf. Click here to buy your 2018 Taste of Local Flavor pass for the Boothbay Harbor Fest.

Saturday, September 1st

The ‘Taste of Local Flavor’ event continues.

Sunday, September 2nd

8:00 a.m. –  The 5k trail run and half marathon kicks off from Sherman Field in Boothbay Harbor.  The half marathon course offers runners miles of water views, including inner harbor, open ocean, lakes and tidal rivers as well as taking runners over two islands and a historic footbridge.  Click here to register for the 2018 Boothbay Harbor fest 5k or half marathon.

Passport holders will also be able to enjoy the final ‘Taste of Local Flavor’ events on Sunday while the ‘Ware It’s At’ local shop even and ‘A Stroke of Art’ event, featuring local artists and their works, both kick off.

Monday, September 3rd – Friday, September 7th

Restaurant theme week will take place.

Friday, September 7th

This year a new event called ‘East Side Vibe’ kicks off and will run over the weekend. East Side Vibe will feature vintage art, music and local eats.

Saturday, September 8th

The annual ‘Fishing for Fashion’ design challenge takes place at the Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay. This unique fashion show enables guests to lounge on a sea deck, sipping cocktails and nibbling on fine food before witnessing a lobster boat pull up and models unboard onto a lobster dock runway.  All the designs in this fashion show are inspired by the coast and made with marine materials, by talented local designers. The fashion show costs $30 ($35 for VIP tickets) and sells out every year.  Click here to buy tickets to the 2018 Fishing for Fashion show at the Boothbay Harbor fest .

To read about other Maine seafood festivals, click here.