Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140Nineties nostalgia: Smash Mouth will be headlining The Maine Lobster Festival on August 7. 2016 Maine festivals guide & Red Claws “ Blue Skies Maine’s main export gets its star turn at Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland this summer. It’s just one of many festivals that draw 800,000 discrete (and mostly discreet) visitors to Maine. Here is our guide. by Jaime Wilson I t makes me feel good about where I live,” a vol- unteer says when asked why she keeps coming back every year to help run the Maine Lob- ster Festival. Driven entirely by donations and vol- unteers, the festival has grown from a creative mar- keting idea to a Maine classic in its 69th year. “Originally, it was a way to get rid of the new shell lobsters there was no market for, says the fes- tival’s entertainment director Chuck Kruger. “The lobstermen’s wives got together and had all-you-can- eat lobster for $1.” These days, over 20,000 pounds of lobster and 1,700 pounds of butter vanish during fes- tival weekend. It’s great to see Rockland Harbor Park welcome tens of thousands of visitors to its shorefront loca- tion, but it’s more staggering to consider the num- ber of volunteers–they top one thousand. And it’s not just Mainers who make the journey to pitch in. “It’s remarkable how many volunteers we get, and how di- verse they are,” says Kruger. “We have a whole family who comes up every summer all the way from Tem- pe, Arizona.” Not a fan of lobster? No matter, the festival boasts a variety of raucous events to keep disbelievers enter- tained. This year, 90s rocker favorites Smash Mouth will be headlining the festival’s main stage on Sat- urday, August 6, rousing crowds with their nostalgic hits. Traditional festival highlights also include the amateur Seafood Cooking Contest and The Big Pa- rade. Festivities accelerate across August 7 with the more adventurous visitors taking part in the Great Lobster Crate Race, where daredevils sprint across a flimsy bridge of lobster crates spanning the harbor. What’s the secret to keeping this fishy festival afloat? According to Kruger, it’s simple: “We don’t take ourselves too seriously.” n J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 6 2 3 from top: abetterhappierstsebastion; pj walter; courtesy photos(2) fairs Acton Fair, Route 109, Acton. Live entertainment, 4-H animal events, horse and oxen pulling, tractor pull, midway, vintage car show, King Arthur flour baking competi- tion, Miss Acton Fair pageant, women’s skillet toss, woodsmen’s day of competition, and of course a pig scramble, Aug. 25-28. actonfair.net Allagash Wilderness Wa- terway, Town of Allagash. Displays, exhibitions, guest speakers, bateau rides and a bean supper, Aug. 20. maine.gov/allagash Bangor State Fair, Cross Insurance Ctr., 515 Main St., Bangor. 4-H animal shows, demolition derby, Frisbee-catching dog