The Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association (TSCA) is proud to host and help sponsor the Festival. The Blue Hill Maritime Heritage Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 9, 2025. 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)
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 information below is from the 5th annual Festival in 2024. This site will be updated with info about the 6th annual Festival in 2025.
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, wood carving, traditional boats on display, kiosks of organizations supporting or involved with the bay. On the water there will be more boats, many offering rides. Musicians will be adding to the maritime atmosphere with sea shanties and fiddle tunes.
Festival activities start on Water Street. At the Blue Hill Historical Society's Holt House there will be ship captain's artifacts on display along with other items depicting Blue Hill's history. This year there will be a collection of small, antique inboard marine engines on display. At 11:30 the Leftovers, East Blue Hill's premiere semi-unprofessional musical ensemble will be performing on the Holt House lawn.
At the Pendleton House next door from 11am to 2 pm there will be a Blue Hill Waterfront Visioning session. With the Fire House moving to a new location what would you like waterfront to become? Share and listen to others as the future of the waterfront is discussed.
Across the street from the Holt House, Charlie the shark will be directing folks to the Shaw Institute. They will have their new touch tank, displays and docents explaining their environmental work and offering a microscopic look into the waters of our bay.
In front of Bears n' Me gift shop Captain Lee and Windrose Productions will have nautical books and DVD's.
SeaLoft is across the street featuring women's apparel, home goods, and Blue Hill/Maine inspired gifts for all.
Art on the Lawn-Next to SeaLoft tents with local artists will have some nautically inspired art to show and for sale. There will be some painting plein air.
The Festival Entrance and welcome tables are next to SeaLoft. There is no fee but donations will gladly be accepted and appreciated. Festival and TSCA volunteers will have information about the Festival. They will have Festival and TSCA shirts and hats for sale.
Emerson Park, behind the welcome tables, will be packed with exhibitors. Penobscot Marine Museum will be returning bringing their popular photo booth. Reed Hayden will be demonstrating his wood carving skills. Also the Downeast Institute will be back with their touch tank of local marine life. Far and Away Maine nautically inspired gifts will be joining us this year.
At the Town Wharf, The Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association will have boats on display and in the water, many offering rides. Hewes & Co. Marine Division will be explaining their CNC business, Wilson Museum with their rope making machine and very popular toy boats and pool, and Maine Maritime Academy will be under the big tent. On the wharf Chase Small Craft, Brooks Boat Design, George Stevens Academy, and Cottrell Boatbuilding will have some beautiful boats on display along with boat building demonstrations.
The Fire House will have an open house during the Festival with a fire truck on display.
Check out our participant page for the most current information.
Boats Partial list, check back for updates. On display (D) available for rides (R) sail (S)
St Ayles Skiff - Blue Hill Community Rowing, R
North Haven Peapod TSCA, R
Nutshell Pram, TSCA, R
Shellback, TSCA, R
Wyman 13 rowboat, 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
Michalak Oracle 16' Rowboat, TSCA, R
Drake 17, TSCA, D
Harry Bryan Thistle Fin Boat, TSCA, Peddle
CLC Annapolis Wherry, TSCA, D
Caledonia Yawl 19, TSCA, D 
Music - We have an great line up of musicians scheduled to play at "The Window of the Sea Wind" sculpture by Hitoshi Tanaka in Emerson Park.
10:00 AM - Waterbound
11:00 AM - April Grant
11:30 AM Leftovers (on the Holt House lawn)
12 PM - Handsome Molly
1 PM - Stephen Sanfilippo
2 PM - Castlebay
3 PM - Calico
Food
Stone Fox Farm Creamery - Homemade ice cream
Blaze - Pizza
Johnson's Shellfish - Lobster & crab rolls, shrimp & halibut kabobs, more...
In town options: Main Street is a very short walk away.
Hill's
Homemade Market & Cafe 40 Main Street- Click here to see Hill's Festival Specials!
Blue Hill Wine Shop 138 Main Street
Blaze 66 Main Street - Beer garden, full menu
The Fish Net 162 Main Street - Lobster rolls, clams, fish sandwiches
Devils Half Acre Beer Garden 41 Mill Street - Beer, snacks, small meals
There will be water available donated by Mt Desert Spring Water
Speaker Series - The Maritime Heritage Festival, along with the Wilson Museum and Blue Hill Historical Society will present talks at the Blue Hill Public Library and at Bagaduce Music.
Monday, July 29, 6PM - "Defence, Revolutionary War Privateer," Howard Room, Blue Hill Public Library:
David Wyman will give a presentation on the discovery and archaeological research that he was part of after the Defence was discovered in nearby Stockton Harbor in 1972. A 5' scale model of the Defence that is being built at the Wilson Museum will be on display. David has drawn the plans and is directing the construction of the model based on the information that discovered during the underwater archaeology evacuation of the Defence that has yielded an insight into previously unknown ship construction techniques of that era.
David Wyman, PE, Marine Surveyor and Naval Architect is a former professor at Maine Maritime Academy. His catalog of boat designs varies from 2 man submarines for the Navy to the Virginia, Maine's First Ship, recently launched in Bath.
CANCELED August 1, 7PM - “Mr. Madison’s War in Maine - Sea Battles and the British Occupation During the War of 1812," Bagaduce Music Performance Hall: Charles Lagerbom's talk will address the aftermath of President Jefferson’s 1807 Embargo on New England’s economy through Britain’s control of the Eastern coast of Maine during the War of 1812. The maritime history of the area was critical to the state's future. Naval battles and subsequent British occupation first in Portland and later in the areas surrounding the Penobscot Bay region – notably in Castine, Bangor and further afield in Eastport- all helped propel residents of the District of Maine to later separate from Massachusetts.
Charles Lagerbom is a Belfast history teacher and author of multiple books and articles on Maine’s past. Additionally, he is a notable speaker, addressing various topics in Maine’s maritime history, from Antarctica and underwater exploration to evidence drawn from indigenous people and early colonial coastal forts to the fate of the USS Maine.
2024 T Shirts, are once again full color this year, free for our volunteers and sponsors.
They will be available for purchase at our entry table during the Festival for $20.
Exhibitors can purchase for $15.

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