Summer Festivals & Maine Events to Enjoy in June

We’ve compiled some great events and festivals happening this month across the state to celebrate the warm weather, from the Maine Oyster Festival in Freeport, to the Strawberry Festival in South Berwick, to the iconic Windjammer Festival in Boothbay Harbor.

Acadia Birding Festival
Mount Desert Island
June 1-4, 2023

“Acadia’s birding community invites you and your family to celebrate the ecological wonders of the birds of the Gulf of Maine at the Acadia Birding Festival. Explore Mount Desert Island and its birds through numerous events and venues. Greet our warblers on early morning birding walks, visit with puffins and pelagic birds at sea, and observe Peregrine Falcons at an active breeding site in Acadia National Park. Our combination of lectures, walks, and adventures will connect you to Downeast Maine’s many bird species, diverse habitats, and local birding experts.” Learn more at acadiabirdingfestival.com

Jazz in June
Camden
June 16-17, 2023

Midcoast Maine’s Jazz in June festival returns to a two-day format this year: Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17, featuring jazz guitar icon Bill Frisell, saxophone force-of-nature Grace Kelly, and acclaimed Los Angeles vocal stylist Staci Griesbach, each with their combos. There will be featured evening concerts at the Camden Opera House; free daytime performances on the Village Green, in the Camden Amphitheatre, and at Zoot Coffee; and dusk receptions at downtown fine-dining destinations both days. Camden’s Jazz in June festival debuted in 2019 and had big plans for 2020, which, of course, were scuttled by the pandemic. But in 2022, the long-awaited concert by the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, plus acclaimed jazz guitarists Martin Taylor and Frank Vignola, marked the festival’s socially-distanced revival. This year, Jazz in June is back to multi-day, multi-event, and full-house status. Learn more at jazzinjunecamdenme.com. After, be sure to explore the Camden waterfront and visit the Camden Hills State Park.

Lupine Festival
Oquossoc
June 17, 2023

Head to the Outdoor Heritage Museum in Oquossoc (just outside Rangeley) for the annual Lupine Festival, a fun-filled day with arts and crafts vendors, Maine-made decor, vintage gems, and more surrounded by the beauty of blooming wild lupines. Explore charming downtown Rangeley after along the lakefront and visit neighboring Saddleback Mountain, where the new mountain bike park will be open for downhill rides. Learn more at outdoorheritagemuseum.org.

Maine Oyster Festival
Freeport
June 23-25, 2023

Visit Freeport for the second annual Maine Oyster Festival, and enjoy endless oyster-related foods and drinks, watch the shucking contents and other maritime-themed activities, take part in the local oyster farm tours, shop local vendors, and learn to shuck oysters in the various education classes offered throughout the event. Learn more at visitfreeport.com.

Strawberry Festival
South Berwick
June 24, 2023

The South Berwick Strawberry Festival is a nonprofit organization that puts on an arts and crafts festival the last Saturday in June each year. The entertainment-filled event attracts 20,000 visitors each year, and features hundreds of vendors and strawberry-themed goodies. Learn more at southberwickstrawberryfestival.org.

Windjammer Days
Boothbay Harbor
June 25-July 1, 2023

Photo Credit: Friends of Windjammer Days Facebook Page

This week of exciting events in Boothbay Harbor kicks off summer in the region and honors the local maritime history. Events include: Harbor Aglow with glowing ships in the harbor on the night of June 25, pirate-themed events and gatherings during the “Pirates of the Dark Rose” on June 27 and 28, the “Gathering of the Fleet” on June 28, hilarious cod fish races, lobster eating contests, fireworks, an artist’s alley, and more. Learn more at boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org.