Hundreds gather to celebrate maritime heritage
Blue Hill Maritime Heritage Festival features boats, food, music and art
The Loose Cannon Jug Band performs at the festival. Photo by John Boit
August 20, 2026
By Staff
Over 500 people attended the Blue Hill Maritime Heritage Festival on Aug. 15, with food vendors, live music and of course, lots of boats.
SEA BAG raffle. Photo courtesy of Steve Brookman
The festival, held at the town’s waterfront, had plenty of opportunities to try out different small craft, peruse local art offerings, and learn from local craftsman.
The day included local woodworking demonstrations, marine artifacts, story times about sailing adventures, and more.
Although there was a smaller turnout than in previous years, Steve Brookman, organizer of the festival, said “[people] were all engaged and pretty happy. Perfect weather and perfect time.”
A new component of this year’s festival was a SEA BAG raffle from Camden National Bank. The $245 bag was filled with donations from local sponsors and businesses. This year's festival also had a record 27 sponsors as well as a $2,000 Community Building Grant from the Maine Community Foundation.
“A lot of happy kids on the boats,” Brookman said. The coracles, small circular boats, were also a favorite, Brookman said.
To learn more abut the Blue Hill Maritime Heritage Festival, visit their website.
