A Little Bit About the 12th Annual Bucksport Bay Festival ~ July 2009
Originally, the event we now know as the Festival was a waterfront show hosted by the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The event became the Fort Knox Bay Festival in 1995, when the Chamber, and folks in the surrounding areas, wanted a reason to celebrate the restoration work that had been completed at Fort Knox. Since the opening of the stunningly unique Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, the re-christened Bucksport Bay Festival celebrates the twin engineering feats in our area, namely historic Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.

The Festival has always been a family oriented event! Activities range from an Antique and Classic Car Show to a 5K Family Fun Run, as well as the Hancock County United Bikers of Maine and their Motorcycle Show. There is a Kid’s Center filled with activities to keep youngsters of all ages occupied and amused, as well as a Pie Bake-Off Contest that offers up slices of goodness for sale after the judging. We have a parade that often lasts just over an hour in duration, as well as fireworks that conclude the events on Saturday night. There is a Teen Talent Night on Friday night, which is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser! Last August we requested that a Navy ship join us for the Festival, and we are optimistic that you will be able to help welcome it into port, and even take a tour on it later in the weekend. There are crafters, artisans, and all sorts of food vendors lining our waterfront and offering some of the most unique items to be found in this part of Maine. We like to say, “Arrive early, stay late....and come hungry!”

The Healthy Communities Expo will be returning, and this year we will be welcoming the Energy and Weatherization Expo! Be sure to check out the new features on our waterfront, which include the Bucksport Area Veterans Memorial, the waterwheel, footbridge over the mini-lake, and the fountain. Best of all, we offer continuous music and performances of every kind on two stages along our waterfront. From DixieLand Jazz, to acoustical arrangements, from bagpipers to accordion players, from rock to folk, and from bluegrass to country, and then some, we’ve got it! And the best part of it all, these are all talented singers and musicians from Maine! History buffs can peruse the displays at the Bucksport Historical Society, located in the old train depot, and the weekend would not be complete if you did not head on over to Fort Knox, using our courtesy bus, of course, to check out the 20th Maine Encampment and their re-creation of Civil War life. We are delighted to have the Lil’ Toot harbor tours back as part of the Festival, so why not try an “over and under” exploration of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge by going up in the observatory and then take a harbor tour below it?

The Festival officially opens with the Riverbend Players evening show at the Alamo on Thursday, July 23rd. The Festival then kicks into high gear on Friday evening, July 24th and early Saturday, July 25th. On Sunday the 26th, there will be other activities to enjoy, such as continuing tours aboard the Navy ship, and an encore presentation of the Riverbend Players show at the Alamo. This is just a sampling of the many events and activities that have come to define the Bucksport Bay Festival.

Please check back after June 15th for a complete schedule of events. You’ll never know what new and interesting events and adventures will be added to our Festival! Many individuals and organizations collaborate to make this Festival one that folks will truly enjoy, and we invite you to join us for one of the best family oriented weekends in our part of Maine.