My sleepy hometown isn’t sleepy anymore. The Kennebunkport Festival is an annual event produced by Maine Magazine, and a memorable one at that. The biggest event of the week long festival is POP The Kennebunks which took place last night. Hosted by Cellardoor Winery, this party is held in an elaborately decorated tent beside Kennebunk Harbor. It was an incredibly fun night of food, wine, and dancing.
Each year POP The Kennebunks has a different theme. This year the theme was Morocco and the massive sail cloth tent was transformed. Flying carpets hung from the ceiling and the food stations and bars were each set up like market stands. Tables were set up through the middle of the tent, and were decorated with lanterns and patterned cloth. Benches were covered with pillows for lounging.
There was an abundant amount to Moroccan themed food, prepared by Kitchen Chicks including: hummus, couscous, eggplant dishes, and lamb, swordfish, and vegetable kebabs. There was also an impressive dessert table; I loved the baklava. Every station had a different selection of food. The food was superb, and I loved walking around to all of the stations trying everything.
The entertainment at the party was fabulous. The evening began with traditional Moroccan music, and a performance from a dance troupe. Then a live band took over. The band had been flown in from Austin and they kept everyone dancing all night.
The drink selection included speciality cocktails, like the Casablanca which had champagne, orange blossom, and pomegranate juice. Of course lots of Cellardoor Wine was poured.
The event was simply magical. Maine is gorgeous this time of year, and The Kennebunkport Festival is the perfect foodie vacation. If you prefer to visit Maine in the fall, Cellardoor Winery hosts a festival called VinFest at their winery in Rockport, ME. This year Salt-N-Pepa and Chaka Khan (fun fact: she sang the Reading Rainbow theme song) are performing.
Every party has an after party hosted at a local bar, restaurant, or hotel. The after party for POP The Kennebunks was at Stripers, which sits just on the other side of the Kennebunk Harbor. The Kennebunks are such a friendly place that it only seemed natural to let a couple of ladies visiting from Texas catch a ride with us. At Stripers, we were greeted with even more food and live music. My mom loved the mini servings of fish and chips. While we snacked and sipped on a final round of drinks, my parents showed me the exact table where my father proposed to my mother.
My parents and I had the best time. POP The Kennebunks is an event that the locals look forward to, and that people travel from all over the country to attend, and after attending POP The Kennebunks I understand why. I love how the Kennebunk and Kennebunkport restaurants and hotels embrace the Kennebunkport Festival by hosting events. I am already excited to come back next year.
Thank you to the Kennebunkport Festival for giving me press passes to attend POP The Kennebunks. I also want to extend a big thank you to What RU Wearing for selecting my outfits for the trip.