June is when the local psyche goes from “sleepy town” to “summer fun!” By mid-June, all the local shops and restaurants are open, the local farms are really starting to produce, and you can feel the excitement as we see more regular visitors to our area. Before the kids get out of school for summer vacation, it’s still very similar to May around here – but that all changes when we get to see the excitement for summer and the wonder of the Maine coast through a child’s eyes!
June brings lots of fun and exciting offerings to the table, from great food and drink, to festivals that mark the beginning of summer, to seeing local artists creating in plein air, it’s like our area takes a deep breath and smiles.
I don’t know what it is about June, but it just feels like the perfect time to start sampling the local beer – maybe it’s because it’s picnic season? Maine has hundreds of small breweries (we’re right at the top of the list of local breweries per capita in the US,) many of whom participate in the Maine Beer Trail! Visit any of our local breweries to get your free passport and start exploring! The most well-known beer to come out of Maine is Allagash White, a Belgian-style ale – it’s a popular compliment to fried seafood!
Speaking of seafood, June is when seafood really starts to taste like summer (yes, there really are seasonal nuances – all are delicious!) The summer is when seafood tastes the sweetest, and is very abundant. I’m particularly fond of mussels in June, especially when they’re steamed in lemon, herbs, garlic, and wine or beer!
As for those fun festivals: there are many! Most towns on the midcoast celebrate some sort of Heritage Days starting in June – we dedicate these days to our maritime heritage, so expect to see tall ships, maybe some pirates, and (especially as we get close to Independence Day) lots of patriotism! Boothbay has perhaps the largest and longest celebration, called Windjammer Days, in the last week of June. The Camden International Film Festival also often falls into June, as does the start of the Maine Lobster Festival!
One more thing that Maine is known for, and June is especially good for: ice cream! Maine has a surprisingly large dairy herd, and when you combine that with the sweet little strawberries and blueberries we’re so well known for, you get some really tasty ice cream! I’m partial to the blueberry and strawberry myself, but Moose Tracks, Double Chocolate Almond, and of course plain old Vanilla (because nothing goes better on pie or crumble) are also favorites of our team!