The Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association is proud to host and help sponsor the Festival. The Blue Hill Maritime Heritage Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 5, 2023. We are planning a fun summer day by the bay, with a lot of maritime and historical related activities: boats, and boat building demonstrations, art on the lawn, sea shanties, seafood and more. If you'd like to participate, sponsor or volunteer let us know. Come join us for that fun summer day by the bay.

If you have a business or belong to an organization that would like to participate please fill out and submit: Exhibitor Contract(PDF) The Town of Blue Hill considers anyone not in a building to be a mobile vendor and therefore requires a permit if selling merchandise on town property. We will forward a permit application once your Exhibitor Contract is accepted.

Festival Content: Content should relate to Blue Hill Peninsula’s maritime heritage, Blue Hill Bay and it’s ecology.

There is no admission fee for the Festival. Donations to help fund the Festival will be accepted and appreciated. Contact Info@BHMHF.org if you're interested in making a tax deductible contribute to help support the Festival.

The Festival will be held in Blue Hill's historic village, centered on the scenic waterfront. Various activities will be occurring throughout the day, such as boat building demonstrations, oar carving, traditional boats on display, kiosks of organizations supporting or involved with the bay. On the water there will be more boats, demonstrations, many offering rides.. Musicians will be adding to the maritime atmosphere with sea shanties and fiddle tunes.

At the Town Wharf, under the big tent there will be water available, donated by Mt Desert Spring Water. The Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association will be there with Hewes & Co. Marine Division explaining their CNC business, Wilson Museum with their rope making machine and very popular kiddie pool, and Maine Maritime Academy will also be under the tent. On the wharf, Chase Small Craft, Brooks Boat Design, George Stevens Academy, Davis Small Craft will also be joining us this year. Maine Island Trail Association and Island Heritage Trust will also be on the wharf.

Emerson Park, adjacent to the Town Wharf, will be packed full of exhibitors including Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries. MCCF will have Captain Weeds "Ask Leroy" this year to answer your questions on how lobsters get from the bottom of the bay to your plate. Oceanswide is next with their Traps to Treasures project dealing the estimated million of "ghost" traps in Maine waters. Penobscot Marine Museum will be returning bringing their popular photo booth. Also the Downeast Institute will be back with their touch tank of local marine life.

There will be a lot happening at the Holt House and adjacent Carriage House this year. The Blue Hill Historical Society will have ship captain's artifacts on display along with other items depicting Blue Hill's history. Two bands, the Brooklin Town Band and Leftovers will be playing on the lawn. Acadia Greeting will have a tent with local artists displaying their marine inspired art. As will LD Studios displaying pottery with a nautical theme. Captain Lee (Windrose Productions) will have nautical books and CD's

Across the street from the Holt House, Charlie the shark will be directing folks to the Shaw Institute. They will have touch tanks, displays and docents explaining their environmental work and offering a microscopic look into the waters of our bay.

The Blue Hill Fire Department will be open during the Festival and they will have their fire fighting equipment on display.

Check out our participant page for the most current information.

Boats The 2023 list of boats will be updated closer to the Festival date. Below are the boats from 2022.
On display (D) available for rides (R) sail (S)

St Ayles Skiff - Blue Hill Community Rowing, R
North Haven Peapod TSCA, R
Hylan Beach Pea Peapod TSCA, D, R
17' Cape Split Peapod TSCA, D
Caledonia Yawl - Hewes & Co., D
Savo 750 TSCA, R
Nutshell Pram, TSCA, R
Shellback Dingy, TSCA, R
Stelmok 15' solo canoe, TSCA, R
Deblois Street Sailing and Rowing Dory, TSCA, R, S
Compass Skiff 10, CSC, D, R
Echo Bay Dory Skiff, CSC, D, R
Points East Pram, CSC, D, R
Jewel, TSCA, D
Chesapeake Light Craft Chester yawl, TSCA, D
2 Drakes 17, TSCA, one D , one R
Beachcomber Alpha Dory 21' TSCA, D, R

Music - We have an great line up of musicians scheduled to play at the "The Window of the Sea Wind" sculpture by Hitoshi Tanaka in Emerson Park.

Songs of Ships and Sailors concert featuring Castlebay and Handsome Molly will be held at Blue Hill's newest beer garden (soon to be open) on Friday, August 4th at 7pm. Details to follow.

Food
Stone Fox Farm Creamery - Homemade ice cream
The Harbor House Seafood Shack - Seafood chowder, lobster/crab rolls

Speaker Series - Blue Hill Historical Society in conjunction with the Maritime Heritage Festival will present a series of talks at the Blue Hill Public Library. All talks will start at 7pm. More details to follow

Volunteers needed: Help! As in volunteers to help with the set up, direct traffic, and all the other myriad chores involved with planning and conducting a festival.

If you, your business or organization, would be able to provide volunteers please contact us at Info@BHMHF.org.

George Stevens Academy at the Festival