Two festivals cook up crowd-pleasing fun, Tasty seafood to be savored

One of the benefits of living on the coast of Maine is access to fresh fish and seafood -- and one of the best ways to enjoy it is during Eastport's annual Salmon and Seafood Festival. This year's two day event features delicious, hand-crafted meals showcasing the region's best dishes, accompanied by street vendors, live music, a complimentary boat ride and activities for all ages.
Seafood Saturday takes place on September 3 and offers an excellent opportunity to indulge in shellfish-based dishes as well as a host of fun activities. Saturday's fare includes crab rolls prepared by the senior center and the women of Christ Episcopal Church, which will be sold under the big tent by the fisherman statue. The crab rolls start selling at 11 a.m. -- and, according to festival chairperson Jeanne Peacock, they're always gone by 1 p.m., so plan to get yours early.
Along with the crab rolls, attendees can expect the return of clam chowder to this year's event. Though local restaurants have been unable to supply the quantity needed for the event in recent years, Bar Harbor Foods is providing 200 clam chowders laden with cream and butter to ensure an enhanced seafood experience. "It's going to be a lovely chowder," Peacock says.
Downtown Water Street will be fully closed between Boynton Street and Bank Square to give ample room for vendors selling handmade or Maine-produced items. A total of 17 craft vendors have signed up, all of whom will sell their goods between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on both days.
Local craft beer and wine will be available for consumption during the meal on both days, and six regional musicians will offer a selection of relaxing, jazz-themed music throughout the event.
New to the festival this year is a live auction by the Border Historical Society, which will see new and old goods available beginning at 10 a.m. in front of Quoddy Crafts. For another dive into local history, head to the Grand Army of the Republic building on 6 Green Street between 1 to 3 p.m. to see the unveiling of the mural restoration, undertaken by the Tides Institute & Museum of Art.
Saturday is rife with opportunities for children, beginning at 10 a.m. with the George S. Harris Memorial Fishing Derby. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. stop by Peavey Memorial Library to experience Downeast Institute's Traveling Touch Tank of Marine Animals. At 12:30 p.m. a puppet show --Denise McCurdy's "Teeny, Tiny Mermaid, Tails of Passamaquoddy Bay" -- will begin at Sutherland Amphitheater as a free showing. Children of all ages will come away from the festival a bit more colorful thanks to the aquatic-theme face painting at the library starting at 1:30 p.m.
On Salmon Sunday, the event's famous salmon barbecue will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring salmon straight from Cooke Aquaculture's pens. The fillet of salmon will be grilled over charcoal and served with rosemary roasted potatoes and Raye's Mustard's Winter Garden sauce to perfectly accent the fresh fish. "You can't get any fresher seafood than you can in Eastport," Peacock says. "The salmon is right out of the water."
After enjoying the feast, participants are invited to go on a free tour via boat of Cooke Aquaculture's pens. This approximately hour-long tour will include an informational session given by a Cooke employee.
Peacock says the festival, now in its 34th year, has been through a series of iterations. "It started out as a small event on the fishermen's pier. It got huge -- thousands of people would come." Today, it's "still a nice event" that brings repeat visitors from Bangor and from down the coast, along with committed local residents who don't want to miss the exceptional meal paired with the scenic surroundings.
To see more of the scheduled events, visit www.eastportchamber.net/salmon.