Experience New England Fall Foliage: Article 2- Maine

As the summer winds down, we continue our series on autumn getaways by focusing on the northernmost New England state of Maine. Fall colors will begin to show their splendor here first - beginning in early September.  As we said in our first article, there is much more to New England in the fall than “leaf-peeping”.  More visitors flock to these states during the autumn months than at any other time of year and there are tons of activities for every age group and interest.  So let’s start with the great state of Maine and you can start now to plan your own fall getaway!

Let’s start with the state’s official fall foliage website, which will keep you up to date on the current foliage conditions.  The site will start posting conditions and updates beginning September 10th.  You’ll also be able to check out trends from the previous years to help you in your planning.

In September and October, there are an abundance of festivals and fairs planned every year.  For those of you that are “foodies” and want to sample the best of the local cuisine, there are plenty of events to choose from.  Here are some of the most popular food festivals.

• The Harvest Fest & Chowder Cook-off in Bethel (September)
• The ChiliFest in Wells (September)The Salmon Festival in Eastport (September)
• The Apple Festival in Rangeley Lakes (October)
•  Acadia’s Oktoberfest and International Food Festival on Mount Desert Island (October).

Support local artists as they show off their work at the Country Roads Artists & Artisans Tour in September or the Caribou Fall Arts & Crafts Festival  in October.  Another must-see in completing your Maine fall getaway, is the typical fall fair.  They are steeped in New England traditions.  The Cumberland Fair  in September and the Annual Fryeburg Fair  October, are in their 135th and 156th year, respectively! 

Perhaps our favorite way to experience a little bit of everything Maine has to offer is to plan a driving loop that will take us through both scenic highways as well as country roads; stopping in towns and villages along the way.  We’ll visit local farms, attend regional festivals and concerts and of course, do some shopping along the way!  Thankfully, we don’t have to start from scratch when we plan our itinerary and chart our course.  The Maine Office of Tourism does a wonderful job of making it easy for us.  Their website details 10 touring loops, each with a different focus and flavor to it.  Also on this site, are the details on all of the events we listed above and many, many more!

If you live in Maine or have traveled there in the fall, give us the “inside scoop” and tell us about your favorite spots! 

[tags]New England, Maine, fall foliage, autumn festivals, fall festivals, autumn activites, autumn festival, autumn leaves, autumn foliage[tags]

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• Experience New England’s Fall Foliage! Article #1-The Groundwork