AUTUMN AT OCEAN POINT, 2021 - Steve Demeranville
It’s fall in the Boothbay Harbor - Wiscasset regions once again. Time for warm days and cool nights; light jackets and bonfire lit evenings. Time for slowing down after a glorious, albeit super hot, muggy, fast-paced summer.
There’s much to do before and after the leaves change into their autumnal colors, before Indigenous People’s Day weekend ... and that eerie time of year when it’s not unusual to cross paths with a vampire, witch, superhero (or villian); maybe even a ghost or werewolf, or two ...
Boat trips continue through Columbus Day; some, like harbor and lighthouse tours, run a bit longer. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is still open; all of the Boothbay Region Land Trust properties, too. Shops, art galleries, restaurants and breweries (we have two: Footbridge and Boothbay Brewing Company); and music from the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor always spills out into the street. It’s more of a laid back time of year. And most of us are happy for it. You will be, too.
You’re in Midcoast Maine, on the Boothbay peninsula, where even the seabirds know there’s nowhere better!
Boothbay Railway Village Museum - 586 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay - 633-4727
T he fall celebration and family favorite featuring classic New England festivities such as hayrides, pumpkin decorating, games on the Village Green, and train rides at 11 a.m., noon, and 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Kids under 5 are free!
WW&F Railway Museum - 97 Cross Road, Alna ~ 207-882-4193
T ake the train and a short hayride to SeaLyon Farm where you can pick your own pumpkin, grab a bite to eat, ride a horse-drawn wagon, and partake in all the fun festivities. Departure Times: 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2, & 3 p.m. Duration: 2.5 hours.
Boothbay Railway Village Museum - 586 Wiscasset Road/Route 27, Boothbay
Saturday, Oct. 8: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Sunday, Oct. 9: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
V endor booths with everything from jewelry to ceramics; honey, clothing, and more! Live music! Hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and desserts ... a whole lotta fun!
Friday, Oct. 28 - 6 p.m.
T he evening and its stories are most appropriate for an adult audience - not young children. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Bring a main dish, side dish, or salad to share and the serving utensils needed. Please do not bring bread or rolls.
Boothbay Railway Village Museum - 586 Wiscasset Road/Route 27, Boothbay
Saturday, Oct. 29: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Rain date Sunday, Oct. 30
Put on your best costume and grab your trick-or-treat bag and head over to the Railway for Halloween fun including carnival games, train rides and trick-or-treating!
Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway - 97 Cross Road, Alna
Sunday, Oct. 30 - Two trips only: 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. 2.5 hours
A safe trick-or-treat alternative for kids of all ages! Take the train (ride in costume, if you dare), and a short hayride to SeaLyon Farm where all youngsters will receive a trick-or-treat bag filled with surprises. Then, you can pick your own pumpkin, grab a bite to eat, ride a horse-drawn wagon, and partake in all the fun festivities.
G ot costumes? Parking at Wiscasset Elementary School (83 Federal St.). Parade of Halloween characters/costumes begins at the school. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Parade to Trunk or Treat location. FMI: https://wiscassetme.myrec.com
Saturday, Nov. 5: Bath & Damariscotta * Saturday, Nov. 12: Wiscasset * Saturday, Nov. 19: Boothbay/Boothbay Harbor
S hop in your PJs - that’s right; just roll out of bed, make some coffee and hit the road in your best robe and slippers. Some shoppers have even left home in cold cream and rollers! Businesses offer fantastic discounts and sales. Door prizes! Some restaurants serve brunch ...
G ardens Aglow returns to its original walking format this year after offering the stirring, spellbinding holiday lighting extravaganza as a drive-thru in 2020 and 2021. Hundreds of thousands of lights transform the gardens into a magical land by night. Tickets and more info at https://www.mainegardens.org
T he parade of fire trucks, representing departments on the Boothbay peninsula and Midcoast Maine, starts from the Boothbay Common (Route 27, Boothbay) at 4 p.m. and will loop down through town before returning back to the Common. Keep your eyes peeled for Santa and Mrs. Claus (we’ve got an inkling they’ll be on a Boothbay fire truck). Vote for your favorite decorated truck by texting 207-350-5922 between 4 and 6 p.m. FMI contact Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce at 207-633-2353.
D epart from Sheepscot Station. Before boarding the train, enjoy hot chocolate, cider, snacks and exhibits. At Alna Center Station, warm yourself around the bonfire and enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh or wagon ride before visiting with the man in red! Caroling on the train!
T he Boat Parade begins at 6:45 p.m. with the boats entering from the west, traveling clockwise around the inner harbor. The fireworks begin at 7:30 p.m.
S anta, Mrs. Claus and their merry band of elves, with moose, lobster and Christmas Tree arrive by boat to the Town Dock in Boothbay Harbor on Commercial Street. Kids visit with the Clauses and share their Christmas wish lists with them ... and fireworks later on!
Three weekends! Dec. 3 & 4; 10 & 11; 17 & 18
A t Boothbay Railway Village - Train every 45 minutes starting at 10:45 a.m. - last train at 4 p.m. Visit with Santa and the Elves! Hot chocolate and holiday sweets.
B oothbay & Boothbay Harbor businesses offer discounts and door prizes during this traditional last holiday shopping event. So grab that gift list and get to town! Check listing of participants in the Dec. 9 edition of the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper.
Opera House at Boothbay Harbor - 86 Townsend Ave.
Open each day from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. - Free!
C onfectionery building by imaginative architects! Fairy houses, Christmas tree farms, local landmarks, skating ponds, candy factories, villages, snow scenes ... All skill levels, all ages can enter! Prizes for Most Spectacular, Best Holiday Spirit, Most Hilarious, Best Landscaping, Best Youth Design, and many more!
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor - 86 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor
C elebrating 128 years in 2022! With fine acoustics, historic charm, a great old bar room upstairs and a commitment to reasonably priced tickets, the Opera House is a gathering place for the local community and visitors alike. The Opera House is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit committed to the arts, the restoration of the historic building and the community.
Coming up this fall: Hot Club of Cowtown, The Hootenanny, Altan, Lilli Lewis; Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Small Glories, Sons of Serendip ... Visit the calendar via one of the links in this listing.
Main campus: Oak Point Farm - 60 Samoset Road - Boothbay Harbor - 633-4818
B RLT offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails open to the public, year-round, free of charge. Properties include woodlands, wetlands, salt marshes, islands, seabird and wading bird habitat, feeding areas for migratory birds and butterflies, historical and archaeological sites, and working waterfront.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - 105 Botanical Garden Drive, Boothbay
G o all-in on an experience that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s magical, mysterious, and mammoth recycled-wood troll sculptures will help you discover new ways to lose—and find—yourself in our forests.
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