There is something magical about summertime in Maine. The little seaside village that I call my hometown springs to life, and the event (or rather series of events) that kicks off the season is the Kennebunkport Festival. I just returned from a 6 day visit to my hometown, and I had a wonderful time attending the festival and spending time with my parents.
The biggest and best event of the week was the Spirit of Maine party, a celebration of all things Maine hosted by Maine Magazine.
We were greeted with a giant raw bar set up in a row boat. And handmade wooden canoes made at the Landing Boat School where filled with craft beer.
People worked the room shucking oysters. This was a really cool touch.
This year the party was all about the food, and there was plenty of it. High tables around the tent were stocked with the most amazing thick cut potato chips and blue cheese ranch dipping sauce. More food was passed and being handed out at stations. My favorite was the braised beef on a potato Parmesan cake (in the bottom right corner of the above photo).
I attend the party with my parents, and our friend Cheryll who was rocking a vintage jumpsuit. The party was an incredible fun welcome back to town.
On Saturday we attended the Grand Tapas, a party where guests get to try bites from a variety of local restaurants along with beer and wine.
We all agreed that the best thing we ate was the scallion pancake taco with marinated beef from Acadame at the Kennebunk Inn. I love scallion pancakes (and unfortunately they are very hard to find on menus in Chicago), and it is simply brilliant to use the pancake to make tacos. The beef was beautifully seasoned, and the slaw and chimichurri on top added layers of flavor.
Another thing we couldn’t stop talking about? The thick cut bacon sandwich with blueberry jam and arugula from The Landing Restaurant in Rockland. The bacon had a nice crispiness to it, and the sweet blueberry jam managed to compliment the bacon.
We ended our Grand Tapas culinary adventure with cupcakes from East End Cupcakes in Portland. The chocolate cupcake with salted caramel frosting was fantastic.
Then we walked over to Brews and Tunes at the Village Green. This is the most laid back, and family friendly, of all the Kennebunkport Festival events. We listened to bluesy rock music and sipped some beers.
Brews and Tunes was the perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon, and a great end to my time at the Kennebunkport Festival. If want to visit Maine, I strongly recommend taking a trip to attend the Kennebunkport Festival. There are so many wonderful activities celebrating the food, art, and culture that make Maine unique.