Pentagoet Inn

Castine Maine Seeks Town Slogan

A challenge has been issued!  The Economic Development Committee of Castine has asked for our help in creating a five-word pitch or slogan for our town of Castine. The slogan will be used for marketing, advertising and promotional materials. 

We are calling upon all ye wordsmiths, ex-carnival barkers, PT Barnum pitchmen, bored marketing executives, unemployed fine print insurance authors and idle confidence men who love and cherish Castine. We need your help. We are seeking your finest, most expedient “Madison Avenue” exaggeration that captures and distills the essence of the Castine experience. 

Camden uses “where mountains meet the sea”, Greenville touts “something for everyone” and Old Orchard boasts “it’s a shore thing”. Bucksport claims their “rich in heritage” while Bangor hails “the queen city of the east” and Maine stands by “the way life should be”.

 

The Pentagoet Inn is offering a dinner for two with all the fixings. Entries should be e-mailed to stay@pentagoet.com with the Subject line: Castine Slogan. The deadline is February 1.

Castine, Maine featured in "1,000 Places to See Before You Die"

This year's edition of "1,000 Places to see Before You Die" features the Pentagoet Inn's home town of Castine, Maine.  Visit this historic town on the coast of Maine with a stay at the Pentagoet Inn. 

"Light Up Castine" December 17th Castine, Maine

Saturday, December 17th is full of holiday activities in Castine, Maine.  Santa will be at the old Castine Variety from 12-2pm for picture taking and refreshments. Next door at the Compass Rose Book Store, world renown author and climatologist Paul Mayewski will be signing his new book "Journey into Climate" from 12-2pm.  Bring your gifts to Sara Saras and join the wrapping party on Saturday from 4-7pm. 

The Pentagoet Inn Gift Shop, Castine, Maine, will be open Saturday from 10-2pm for all your last minute shopping needs.  Stop by for holiday refreshments.  Holiday cookies, brownies, coffee cakes, granola, gift packages and unique stocking stuffers are available from the Bird Song Gift Shop.  Mail order gifts are still available.

The Tarratine Gallery will be open Saturday featuring 35 local artists and craft people in their outstanding holiday show. 

Dolphin Books and Prints in Castine, Maine will be open on Saturday with a selection of rare finds.

Holiday Benefit Shopping Party, Castine, Maine

For the second year in a row, the Pentagoet Inn, Castine, Maine will be hosting a "Holiday Benefit Shopping Party".  From 4-6 pm,  Tuesday, December 20th, the Pentagoet Inn will have holiday cookies, pastries, gift packages and more available for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to the Emmaus Center in Ellsworth, Maine.  Stop in and enjoy some wine and cheese and pick up some last minute gifts all while supporting the Emmaus Center.

The Pentagoet Inn gift shop will also be open during the "Light Up Castine" activities on Saturday, December 17th from 10-2 pm.  Online ordering is also still available at www.pentagoet.com/gifts.  We'll ship your orders to your family and friends from the seaside village of Castine, Maine.

Light Up Castine, Maine

Castine, Maine will be celebrating the holiday season with three weeks of festivities.  "Light Up Castine" kicks off with the lighting of the town trees and a concert by the town band on December 2nd.  The annual Holly Berry Fair takes place on Saturday December 3rd at the Trinitarian Congregational Church and  Castine businesses will be open offering holiday specials and refreshments throughout the day. 

Santa will be visiting Castine, Maine for three Saturdays starting December 3rd.  Photos with Santa will be available from 12-2pm at the Castine Variety.

The Tarratine Gallery will hold a wine and cheese reception from 4-6pm on December 3rd.  The gallery features work from local artists.  The Pentagoet Inn in Castine, Maine will be open from 10-2pm offering holiday baked goods, mail order presents and collectibles from the gift shop, "Bird Song".  Stop in to see what's new for the holidays!

Castine, Maine jewelry artist featured at Grand Gallery

Renown Castine, Maine jewelry artist Lyn Mayewski will be exhibiting her work at the Grand Gallery in Ellsworth starting Sunday, November 6th with an opening reception from 3-5pm.  The exhibit is open through November at the Ellsworth Grand Theater at 165 Main Street, Ellsworth, Maine. 

Downeast Maine Apple Week

The apple trees along the country roads on the Blbue hill peninsula are laden with ripe fruit.  In celebration of the harvest the Downeast Food Heritage Collaborative is holding a festival at the Woodlawn Museum in Ellsworth, Maine.  Did you know that in 1850 there 10,000 varieties of apples in cultivation in downeast Maine?  The Pentagoet Inn features local apples with warm gingerbread in our dining room, open every night except Sunday. 

Festival running October 7th -9th.  For more information see the Woodlawn Museum website.

6th Annual Blue Hill Foliage Food & Wine Festival October 13th-16th

For the sixth time the businesses around the Peninsula are celebrating the Annual Blue Hill Foliage Food & Wine Festival.  Between Thursday and Saturday, a number of events will take place on the Peninsula, all connected to the theme of the Festival: "A Taste of the Peninsula".  This annual event is a great opportunity to visit Castine and the peninsula and enjoy the splendid fall colors.  Blue Hill is beautiful 20 minute country ride from Castine.

  Visit their website for more details.

Common Ground Fair September 23-25th Unity, Maine

The annual Common Ground Fair starts today, September 23rd in Unity, Maine.  Gates open at 9am with adult tickets $10 and kids 12 and under free. 

This country fair is a celebration of rural living organized by MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association.  There are donkey and mule shows, draft horse shows, sheep dog demonstrations and hundreds of vendors with a wide vairety of local home made products and produce. 

The fair offers opportunities to learn about energy efficiency, homesteading, health and healing, low impact forestry, composting and recycling, organic growing, folk art, agricultural products and much more.

Blue Hill Fair starts Thursday, September 1st

The Blue Hill Fair is a true "Down to Earth" Country Fair. Featured at the fair is a large livestock area, full of the usual farm animals, as well as the llamas and alpacas on display and a draft horse and oxen pulling competition. The Blue Hill Fair also features demonstration harness racing and the immensely popular sheep dog trials.

The exhibition halls feature a wide range of locally grown vegetables, fruits and flowers, as well as local Grange exhibits, an Arts and Crafts department, and 4-H displays.

This year the Blue Hill Fair is presenting The Bellamy Brothers, as its featured show on Labor Day. Opening the Fair's Midway Stage on Thursday evening will be local favorites "DejaBlue".  Friday night will feature Antique Tractor Pulling, and Saturday  includes two performances of the Tim Dyson FMX Motorcycle Stunt Team. Sunday evening, Rick Charette and the Bubble Gum Band provide an evening of family entertainment, followed by a Mammoth Fireworks Display.

The Blue Hill Fair features a full carnival and midway provided by Smokey's Greater Shows and is unique in the number of local groups that participate with all sorts of great food and games.  Please visit The Blue Hill Fair Website for full details.

Along Penobscot Bay in the 1690s: A Living History Encampment, Castine, Maine

Experience the sights, smells, and sounds of Penobscot Bay's storied past at the Wilson Museum on Saturday, August 27th and Sunday, August 28th.  Throughout the weekend, Ken Hamilton and a team of re-enactors will eat, sleep and live as though it's the 1690s, recreating a French and Native American encampment on the Museum's picturesque grounds overlooking Castine Harbor.  This type of gathering was common during King William's War when French and Native forces frequently coordinated at Pentagoet in Castine awaiting French supply ships.  This living history demonstration will include 17th century equipment, clothing reproductions and an informal discussion on the history and culture of the period.

Ken Hamilton has been speaking and performing at Powwows and schools for many years, and he has also appeared in documentaries on the History Channel.  He is well-versed in the field of Native American cultural studies, focusing on the Eastern Woodland Nations of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The program is free and open to the public.  During the weekend, the Wilson Museum will be open during its regularly scheduled hours of 2-5 p.m.

Music Week in Castine, Maine

This week in Castine, Maine is full of music.  We invite you to make an extended visit to Castine.  Stay here at the Pentagoet Inn and dine in the restaurant.  Visit our in-town gallery, shops and waterfront.  Check out the Historical Society and the Wilson Museum.  See the sites around town while taking the walking tour of our historical locations.

On Tuesday, August 23rd, Trio Cleonice featuring Ari Isaacman-Beck on violin, Gwen Krosnick on cello and Emely Phelps on piano will be presenting works from Haydn, Lister and Smetana.  The concert will take place at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church on the town common.  Suggested donation for the event is $10.

On Thursday, August 25th, Maeve Espy Feinberg will be playing a preview of her forthcoming concert in Salzburg accompanied by Alan Feinberg on piano.  Concert includes works by Beethoven, Barber and Ysaye.  This free event is sponsored by the Castine Arts Association and will take place at 7:30pm at the Trinitarian Congregational Parish, 68 Main Street.

Friday, August 26th at 5:45 pm is the final concert of the season for the Castine Town Band.  The concert takes place on the town common and is a casual program of patriotic and pop classic.  Donations accepted.

Trio Cleonice will perform a second concert on Saturday, August 27th at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church on the common.  This concert will include guest violinist Meredith Crawford and the works of Beethoven, Berger and Brahms.  Sponsored by the U.U. Church with a suggested donation of $10.

4 Seasons Farm hosts "Outstanding in the Field" dinner at Harborside, Maine

   It was a beautiful evening at the 4 Seasons Farm in Harborside, Maine for the Outstanding in the Field dinner Sunday, August 14th.  There were 150 of us at one long table enjoying a dinner prepared by Rich Hanson of Cleonice Restaurant in Ellsworth celebrating our local food.

The mission of Outstanding in the Field is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. 

Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 they have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.

Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table

Writers vs Artists Softball Game in Castine, Maine

On Sunday, August 14th at noon the 1st ever Blue Hill Peninsula Writers vs Artists Softball game will take place at the Castine baseball field at Historic Ft. George.  This event is for writers and artists/architects/musicians of all kinds.  No experience is necessary as this will be a fun event.  Women especially needed- 4 on the field at all times.  In case of bad weather, the game will be played one week later.  If you are an artist or writer please come join the fun!

Local, Organic Produce at the Castine Farmers' Market

Renata, Mark and Julia, owners of the Blue-Zee Farm, are one of the local food producers arriving every Thursday at the Castine Farmers' Market with freshly harvested vegetables and blueberries.  The patrons of the Pentagoet Inn and Restaurant  are the happy recipients, as the wonderful vegetables make their way to the inn's breakfast and dinner menus.

To compliment the variety of vegetables available at the farmers market, the Pentagoet Inn and Restaurant has, this year, opened a booth at the Castine Farmers' Market producing salad dressings, dips, tapanades, pestos, and savory baked goods.  Many of these products use ingredients from the local farmers. 

The Castine Farmers' Market is on the Castine Town Common every Thursday from 9-11:30am.  Hope to see you there!

 

Pentagoet Inn Afternoon High Tea, Castine, Maine

On Wednesday, August 17, the Pentagoet Inn and Restaurant will host an afternoon high tea from 2-4pm.  Well known for their garden tours and afternoon teas, this year's event will highlight edible flowers.  The tea will use edbile flowers from their local farms in their scones, tea sandwiches, cookies, tarts and teas with a description of the flowers and their uses. It promises to be beautiful as well as delicious.  Please call for a reservation.

Noel Paul Stookey performs in Blue Hill July 30th

Noel Paul Stookey will perform a solo concert at the Blue Hill Congregational Church on Main Street.   Apart from being a performer, Noel has never wavered in his belief that music can be a healing force for change. Expect to hear some new and moving pieces from Noel at this concert which will benefit the Tree of Life food pantry, as well as many community programs sponsored by Blue Hill Congregational Church. Tickets at the door are $15, students are free.  Seating starts at 7pm.

Castine to Camden Classic Yacht Race August 4th

Castine's Classic Yacht Race to Camden will take place August 4th.  This year's race will celebrate the early twentieth century designs of Nathanael G. Herreshoff. On August 3, a rendezvous of yachts built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. of Bristol, RI., will be on exhibition at the Castine town dock, including two 44-foot NY-30s, Alera and Cara Mia (designed in 1904); the 59-foot NY-40 Rugosa (designed in 1915); and the 72-foot NY-50 Spartan (designed in 1912).

Blue Hill Fine Craft Show July 23rd and 24th

The Blue Hill Fine Craft Show  is an invitational showcase of 45 of Maine's best craftsmen, many of whom have won national awards and show at the most prestigious venues in the country.

 

All paid admissions get a raffle ticket to be drawn at the end of the show for $189.00 lamp that will be shipped at no charge to the winner

 

 

Show location:

The Blue Hill Consolidated School 

60 High St.

Blue Hill, Me. 04614 

Saturday July 23,  10-5

Sunday July 24,  10-5

 

Admission:

$5.00 

children under 16 free 

 

Visit www.bluehillfinecraftshow.com for further details.

3rd Annual Deborah Pulliam Lecture, Wednesday, July 20th, Castine Maine

On Wednesday night, July 20th, Pulitzer Prize winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed will be the guest speaker at the Third Annual Deborah Pulliam Lecture.  Her major work, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.  The lecture will take place at 7:30 at Delano Auditorium on the campus of Maine Maritime Academy.  It is free and open to the public as part of the 2011 Castine Historical Society summer events. 

The ongoing display at the historical society, "History and Hearsay: Tales of Castine Homes"  features 13 Castine houses and their stories, the exhibit tells intriguing tales of famous visitors, infamous householders, and objects found in walls.

Celebrating Herreshoff - Castine Classic Yacht Race Symposium

This year's Castine Classic Yacht Race will celebrate the early twentieth century designs of Nathanael G. Herreshoff. On August 3, a rendezvous of yachts built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. of Bristol, RI., will be on exhibition at the Castine town dock, including two 44-foot NY-30s, Alera and Cara Mia (designed in 1904); the 59-foot NY-40 Rugosa (designed in 1915); and the 72-foot NY-50 Spartan (designed in 1912).

The Castine regatta is believed to be the first time in more than 75 years in which yachts representing all three of these New York Yacht Club classes have competed. Other Herreshoff yachts that will be on hand include the 47-foot Nellie (built in 1902); the 49-foot Bar Harbor 31 Desperate Lark (built in 1903); and the 58-foot P-Class Joyant (built in 1911). Nelli and Spartan were relaunched last year after multiyear restorations ---Nellie at Warren Pond Boatworks in South Berwick, Maine, and Spartan at McClave, Philbrick & Giblin in Mystic, CT.

The 20 nautical mile race, which feeds into the Camden-to-Brooklin race and the Eggemoggin Reach regatta, is expected to attract a strong fleet of Classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts. www.castineyachtclub.org.

 

Flash in the Pans Dance Party, Castine, Maine

The Flash in the Pans steel drum band will be performing on the Castine town dock Monday, July 11th from 7:30-9pm.  This fun street dance will benefit the Bagaduce Ambulance Corps.  In case of rain, the dance will be held in Maine Maritime Academy's boat house. 

Baron's Auction Preview Party at the Pentagoet Inn July 6th 4-6pm

Everyone is invited to the Pentagoet Inn Wednesday, July 6th from 4-6pm to the Baron's Auction Preview Party.  Some of the auction items will be available for preview at the inn during the preview party.  A cash bar and hor d'oeuvres will be available.  

  The Baron's Auction will take place on the Castine Town Common on Thursday evening from 4-7pm.  The proceeds of the auction and the cash bar will benefit the 7th and 8th graders of the Adams School here in Castine to visit their sister city, St. Castine, France in the spring of 2012.

2011 Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge June 25th and 26th

On June 25th and 26th the annual Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge will take place in the center of Maine's coast between Damariscotta and Castine.  During this two day, self-guided driving tour, participants will have the opportunity to climb the steps to the top of seven lighthouses normally not accessable to the public. The lighthouses available for touring include Dyce Head here in Castine, Fort Point in Stockton Springs, Grindle Point in Islesboro, Rockland Breakwater in Rockland, Owls Head Light in Owls Head, Marshall Point in Port Clyde and Pemaquid Point Light in Pemaquid  as well as the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland.

 

Directions to and from each site will be provided in a commemorative booklet available at each location, where participants will also receive a complimentary memento associated with that site. Challenge volunteers will staff each location from 9am to 6pm (unless otherwise noted) to greet and assist you.

The U.S Coast Guard, will also offer participants the opportunity to view an array of modern optics that serve in today’s lighthouses and other aids to navigation, on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.

 

The Unites States Lighthouse Society sells Lighthouse Passports on their website which provide pages for official lighthouse stamps, verifying that you've visited a particular lighthouse.  Each participating lighthouse has only one official stamp, custom designed by the USLHS.  The Pentagoet Inn is the official stamp location for Dyce Head Lighthouse here in Castine.  There are souvenirs available once you have completed a Passport booklet.  Please visit the USLHS site for full details on this program. 

Garden Club Federation of Maine Visits Castine

The St. Croix District of the Garden Club Federation of Maine will be holding their annual gardening retreat at Maine Maritime Academy here in Castine, Maine  June 21-23rd.  There will be tours of the beatutiful, blossoming gardens around Castine, including the Pentagoet Inn.  The Castine Garden Club will be hosting an afternoon tea at the Pentagoet Inn from noon to 4pm, June 21st, to welcome the Garden Club Federation of Maine.

The long winter and heavy snow has helped to create an abundance of fragrant and beautiful summer flowers this year.  The lilac blossoms are exceptional around the inn and provide a wonderful backdrop for a stroll through the garden.

Castine Maine Farmer's Market June 15th

This has to be the best Farmers Market we have seen. Come say hello, they have organic produce, meats, dairy, breads, crafts and prepared foods from around the world.  The Pentagoet Inn has a booth at the Castine Maine Farmer's Market this summer.  We will be preparing salad dressings, dips and marinades to compliment the variety of organic offerings currently available at the market.  Be sure to check out our home made olive oil crackers.

Castine Elm Tree Tour and Benefit Supper

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension will be offering a tour of Castine's historical trees, on Friday, June17th, from 10 am to noon beginning at the post office.  Jan Ames Santerre, Project Canopy coordinator with the Maine Forest Service, will lead the tour.

On Tuesday, June 28th at 5:30 pm, the Pentagoet will be hosting a benefit dinner for the historic Castine elm trees.  The dinner is by reservation only and all proceeds will go the the Elm Tree Preservation Fund.  This year's dinner is an evening inspired by Tapas and Spanish wines from Barcelona.

 

Pentagoet Inn opening for the season

The Pentagoet Inn is opening for the season this weekend. Our window boxes are planted, the gardens are in full bloom, and all the porch furniture is ready and waiting.  We're cooking up a storm preparing for the "Welcome to Summer" cocktail party Saturday, May 28th 5-8pm.  There will be complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.  We hope you'll join us.  Our restaurant will be opening next weekend.   

This is the opening weekend for many galleries and museums in and around Castine.

There is an opening reception at the Adam Gallery in Castine on Saturday, May 28th from 5-7pm and the Tarratine Gallery will have an opening reception on Sunday, May 29th 4-7pm.

In Blue Hill the Leighton Gallery reception exhibiting the work of Gayle Lewis will take place Sunday, May 29th 5:30-7:30pm.

The Wilson Museum here in Castine opens Friday, May 27th.  Weekend hours are 2-5pm and 10-5pm weekdays.

Congratulations to Maine Maritime Academy Graduates

Congratulations to all graduating Maine Maritime Academy students, especially our friend Mary Hutchins!

The 68th Maine Maritime Academy Commencement will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011, at 11 a.m., in Alexander Fieldhouse. 

Commencement activities will begin at 9 a.m. with the annual awards program in Delano Auditorium, Leavitt Hall. The college's class of 2011 includes 6 associate in science, 203 bachelor of science, and 14 master of science degree candidates. An additional 43 associate in science degree candidates from the college's educational program with Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, will participate in commencement exercises. The graduating class represents more than 130 Maine communities and 20 other states, as well as Kuwait and South Africa.

The annual training cruise on the State of Maine will depart May 3rd.

Maine Maritime Academy students, officers, and crew will visit Mediterranean ports this spring as part of the college's annual two-month training cruise to foreign and domestic ports-of-call. This year's training cruise itinerary includes Norfolk, Va., May 6- 9; Valetta, Malta, May 25- 28; Civitavecchia, Italy, May 31- June 3; Cobh, Ireland, June 12- June 15; Portland, Maine, June 25-26. The ship will host a family day sail on the return leg from Portland to Castine.

Under the command of Captain Leslie B. Eadie, III, of Brewer, Maine, the training ship, State of Maine, will begin sailing operations at 6:15 a.m., and will depart Castine harbor at approximately 7 a.m., on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The training cruise will commence in port on Friday, April 29, for pre-sailing preparation.

Castine Yacht Club                                   

Castine Classic Yacht Race

Thursday, August 4, 2011

 The Castine Yacht Club, in cooperation with the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, is sponsoring the twelfth annual Classic Yacht Race from Castine to Camden on Thursday, August 4, with the first start at about 1145 hours.  Last year's race attracted a magnificent fleet of Classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts. This 19.6nm race will be the first of three day races culminating in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta on August 6. The race is open to all monohull Classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts at least 28’ LOA with a valid CRF rating certificate. Each yacht must tow a proper dinghy; no toys, please.  Failure to do so will result in time penalty and disqualification from winning any prize.

This year’s Castine Classic event will celebrate the glorious early-20^th-century designs of Nathanael Herreshoff.  On Wednesday, August 3, notable examples of Herreshoff’s genius will be on exhibition at the Castine Town Dock, including 49’ Bar Harbor 31 Desperate Lark (built in 1903); 44’ NY-30 Cara Mia (built in 1905); 58’ P-Class Joyant (built in 1911); and recently restored 72’ NY-50 Spartan (launched in 1913).  At 1600 hrs these yachts will be honored at a symposium in Delano Hall, Maine Maritime Academy.  The symposium will illuminate the finer details of the restorations of Spartan and other Herreshoff yachts, all of which relied heavily on the drawings, photographs and files of the Herreshoff archives housed at the Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Kurt Hasselebalch, the Hart Nautical curator, will chair the discussion among a panel of restorers, owners and sailors of Herreshoff yachts.

§         Wednesday, August 3:           1600 hrs  –  Herreshoff Symposium at MMA
1800  hrs. – Reception at CYC

§         Thursday, August 4: 0830 hrs. –  Skippers Meeting at CYC at which sailing                                                                                 instructions will be provided
                                                1145 hrs. –  Race start (first class)

§         Friday, August 5:                   Camden Classic Yacht Race to Brooklin

§         Saturday, August 6:               Eggemoggin Reach Regatta

Registration

 To assist us in planning these events, please return the attached Registration Form as soon as possible.  To register for the Camden Classic Yacht Race to Brooklin and the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, please refer to www.erregatta.com. 

The preliminary Sailing Instructions for the Castine Classic Yacht Race are posted on www.castineyachtclub.org.   If you have any questions, please contact us.

David Bicks	Bill Light	Bob Scott
dbicks@dl.com	billlight63@alumni.virginia.edu	bscott@aerotropic.com
212-259-8040	207-326-8541	207-326-9444
207-326-8607	207-326-2072

 

Schooner Bowdoin's 90th birthday celebrated in Castine, Maine

When it's not on a trip to areas in Penobscot Bay and beyond the beautiful schooner Bowdoin spends its days here in Castine harbor.  Bowdoin has had a long and illustrious career, and currently serves as MMA's traditional sail-training flagship. The vessel began as an arctic research vessel under the command of Adm. Donald MacMillan, traveling several times above the Arctic Circle to collect scientific data. Today, the vessel regularly cruises Penobscot Bay and local waters providing a hands-on sail-training platform for the college.

Maine Maritime Academy here in Castine will be celebrating the 90th birthday of the Bowdoin during their annual Waterfront Expo, April 9th 2011.  The event will include a waterfront open house and facilities tour as well as the unveiling of the Bowdoin from its winter cover.

Upcoming Season for the Wooden Boat School, Brooklin Maine

The Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, Maine is one of the Blue Hill peninsula's treasures.  The school, in it's 31st year, offers courses in the arts of boatbuilding, woodworking, seamanship, and related crafts .  Whether you want to "Increase your understanding of boats and your ability to build, maintain, use and enjoy them to the fullest" or learn blacksmithing, kayaking, scrimshaw or marine photography,  Wooden Boat has courses available for everyone.  The school is now accepting reservations for the 2011 season.  Visit the Wooden Boat website for a full list of courses and descriptions.

Farnsworth Museum drawing exhibit

The "Mind to Hand: Drawings from the Farnsworth" exhibit will be available for view until April 3rd. 

The exhibition encompasses an array of drawings from the collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum-works collected from 1944 through 2003. The earliest works are a John Trumbull pencil portrait of his wife (1803), and Jonathan Fisher's 1794 A Plan for a Schoolhouse, drawn at Harvard where he studied before settling in Blue Hill, Maine. More recent works include drawings by Leonard Baskin, Neil Welliver, Isabel Bishop, Kate Nelligan and William Zorach, among others.

Please visit the Farnsworth website for information on this and other current exhibitions.  The Maine Drawing Project also provides more information on this exhibit and others around the state.

The Farnsworth Museum is located at 16 Museum Street, Rockland, Maine.

Benefit Holiday Shopping Party Castine, Maine

Benefit Shopping Party at the Pentagoet Inn Castine, Maine today Friday December 17, proceeds from the evening's sales going to Emmaus, the shelter in Ellsworth. Wine and cheese and live holiday music by jazz vocalist, Heather Jellison from 4-6.

Stop in for holiday cookies, tarts, Pentagoet coffee cake, gift packages and vintage gifts.

Christmas Carol Performance in Blue Hill

A one man show of
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol

Veteran actor Tim Pugliese makes the stage vibrate with his interpretation of Dickens’ classic tale.  In an impressive tour-de-force Pugliese moves about the stage as he recounts this classic story and plays all the parts—by himself.  You’ll find yourself looking at characters that aren’t really there, but you will see them in your mind, just as surely as Pugliese himself does.  This form of story-telling is fun for the whole family.

Shows are at the Blue Hill Town Hall Theater in beautiful downtown Blue Hill.

• Friday Dec. 17 - 7:00 PM
• Saturday Dec. 18 - 7:00 PM
• Sunday Dec. 19 - 3:00 PM

Tickets are $15 (regular) and $12 (senior/student). For more information visit the New Surry Theater website.

Big Food Weekend on the Blue Hill Peninsula

Celebrate the season on the scenic Blue Hill peninsula with a weekend of fine food, workshops, tours, tastings and much more.

Our pancake breakfast starts the weekend on Saturday morning at 8:30 with buttermilk pancakes, Maine blueberries, belgian waffles, bacon, apple compote, OJ, coffee and tea.  All proceeds will benefit the Castine Recreation Committee.

Events range from meals, to treasure hunts, to music, to nature walks and include purveyers and producers from all over the Blue Hill peninsula.

The Pentagoet Inn Maine bed and breakfast serves as a central location to stay while you visit the Blue Hill area and enjoy the fall foliage and the festival.

To see a complete list of events and times, please visit the Blue Hill Chamber of Commerce website for full details.

Pancake Breakfast to Benefit Castine Recreation Committee

On October 16th from 8:30-10:30, the Pentagoet Inn will be hosting a pancake breakfast to benefit the Castine Recreation Committee.  The proceeds will help to maintain the town sports field, continue to provide funds for the town Halloween activities, and support the efforts of Christmas celebrations on the town common with the annual tree lighting as well as many other activities.

We'll be serving pancakes, waffles, bacon, apple compote, orange juice, coffee and tea.  The price for the event is $5 for children under twelve and $10 for adults.  Please call ahead for a reservation.

Help support all the great projects the REC Committee works on year round for our community children.

Maine Fall Foliage set for Colorful Season

The fall season in Maine is well known for its spectacular foliage colors.  A drive anywhere in the state will provide trees draped with stunning shades of gold, red, yellow and orange.  Here in Castine and around the Blue Hill peninsula is no exception.  What better place to view the marvelous colors than right next to the ocean.  A hike up Blue Hill mountain just 20 minutes from our Maine bed and breakfast will surprise you with a sweeping horizon of fall colors leading right to the ocean.  The Blue Hill peninsula was named as one of the best places in New England for fall foliage by Yankee Magazine this month.

Common Ground Country Fair September 24-26th

The Common Ground Country Fair is celebration of rural living supporterd by the farmers and growers of MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardners Association).  The Fair allows fairgoers to make connections with a rapidly expanding base of organic farms in the state of Maine. Hundreds of vendors, exhibitors and demonstrators, more than 1,000 volunteers, and tens of thousands of fairgoers will gather to: share knowledge about sustainable living; eat delicious, organic, Maine-grown food; buy and sell beautiful Maine crafts and useful agricultural products; compete in various activities; dance; sing and have a great time.

Gates open at 9am each day.  Children 12 and under get in free.  Adult admission is $10.  On Friday all school groups enjoy free admission.  Visit the MOFGA website for further details.

 

 

Final Pentagoet Inn Garden Talk set for September 15th

Our final Garden Talk and Tea will take place Wednesday, September 15th. The talk is scheduled for 2:30-3:30 pm followed by tea at the Pentagoet Inn from 3:30-4:30. The talk will focus on a year-round garden with an emphasis on low-maintenance native plants and shrubs. The cost is $10 for tea and refreshments. The talk is free and will be presented by the inn's gardener Pamela Johnson, owner of Lamb's Quarters in Sedgwick. Rooms are available at our Maine bed and breakfast for this event. Please call for a reservation 326-8616.

Castine, Maine Farmer's Market Bursting with Produce

This is the best time of year to visit the Castine Farmer's Market.  The local and organic produce from our neighboring farms is abundant and there is much to see and buy. Our chef stops by every week to pick up ingredients for our Maine restaurant. The farmer's market has been a favorite place to visit for our Maine bed and breakfast house guests. Stop by the Castine Town Common on Court Street next to the library every Thursday from 9-11:30 am through September.

August Garden Tour and Afternoon Tea

The Pentagoet's next garden tour and afternoon tea will take place on August 18th starting with the tour from 2:30-3:30 pm followed by an afternoon tea at the inn from 3:30-4:30 pm.  The gardens are spectacular with all the great weather we've had this summer.  The cost is $10 for the tea.  The tour is free.  The garden tour will be presented by the inn's gardener Pamela Johnson, owner of Lamb's Quarters in Sedgwick.  Rooms are available at our Maine bed and breakfast for this event.  Please call for a reservation 326-8616.

Castine Maine - Castine Classic Yacht Celebration

 

TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION AT CASTINE CLASSIC YACHT CELEBRATION

Castine, Me. July 26, 2010—To launch its annual classic yacht celebration on Wednesday August 4^th, the Castine Yacht Club will host the public exhibition at the Castine Town Dock of the newly restored 136' steam yacht Cangarda.  Visitors will be welcome aboard from noon to 3:00PM

From 4:00 to 5:00PM the newly launched W-37 Race Horse and its distant progenitor Vela will be on exhibition at the Castine Yacht Club float.  Bob Stephens, principal naval architect at Stephens, Waring & White in Brooklin, Maine, and Donald Tofias, founder of W-Class Yacht Company LLC of Newport, Rhode Island, owner of the modern racer Race Horse, and Capt. Havillah Hawkins, designer and builder of the work horse Vela, will comment on some of the remarkable design similarities shared by these yachts. Subtle curves in the W-37 design allow a strong connection to traditional working- craft forms of the late 19^th century, according to Race Horse’s designers.   Vela sails in partnership with Windward Passage, a scholarship foundation which conducts five-day sail training cruises for Maine students.

Cangarda, originally built in 1901 at the Pusey and Jones Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware, is the last American constructed Edwardian steam powered yacht afloat today.  She sank at a dock in Boston in 1999 and has now undergone a complete five-year restoration at Rutherford’s Boat Shop in Richmond, California.  Cangarda recently completed a voyage from California through the Panama Canal to Islesboro, Maine, with Captain Steve Cobb, a Maine Maritime Academy graduate at the helm.  She serves as tender for Joyant, Bob McNeil’s 58’ Herreshoff sloop built in 1912, which will also be on exhibition. 

When not participating in classic racing events, Cangarda will be placed in museums on the East Coast of the United States. Elizabeth Meyer and Bob McNeil led the effort to save this maritime relic of unique historical importance, with the invaluable assistance of Captain Steve Cobb and Jeff Rutherford and his crew, among others.

The eleventh annual Castine Classic Yacht Race to Camden will set sail from the Castine harbor bell at 11:30:AM on Thursday, August 5^th.  This 18 mile race, which feeds into the Camden to Brooklin race and the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, is expected to attract a magnificent fleet of Classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts, according to David Bicks and Bob Scott, chairmen of these Castine events.  Race notice/entry form and sailing instructions are available on www.castineyachtclub.org.

Castine Maine - Celebrate Castine's Local Harvest Supper, Saturday July 17 The Hotel Pentagoet

 

The third annual “Celebrate Castine” festival will be held July 16-18, 2010. The Castine Merchants Association celebrates the vibrant and historic town of Castine, Maine with a weekend of special events, food, music and art. This year’s events will include: kayak tours of our unique deep water harbor, the surrounding islands, and Dyces Head Lighthouse, street fair featuring local food and crafts, big band dance on the town dock, croquet tournament, tours of the MMA training ship “State of Maine”, local food producers dinner and much more. Please check the website for dates and times of events. www.celebratecastine.com. And join us for our Local Harvest Supper in which we showcase our local food producers at the restaurant in the Pentagoet Inn Maine bed and breakfast.

Castine Maine - Celebrate Castine Festival

Castine Maine - The Annual Celebrate Castine Festival Presents Canine Capers 2010

Canine Capers – As part of the Celebrate Castine Festival the 2010 Castine Canine Capers will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday July 18 on the Castine Town Common. This year the field will be limited to 40 dogs and all must be pre-registered. Registration papers can be picked up at The Breeze on the town dock. The registration fee is 10$ and all proceeds will benefit the Castine Woman’s Club scholarship funds. A variety of awards will be given. For information please call 326-4637. This is a fun event, bring your camera or a quick sketch artist so you can cherish the memories! Stay at the Pentagoet Maine bed and breakfast and you are just a two block walk to all the Celebrate Castine Festival activities.

Castine Maine - Dr. Pepe Bismol, a World Renowned "Husband Whisperer" Presents a Better Husband Training Seminar in August

This is the last week to sign up for this powerful, one on one seminar with Dr. Pepe Bismol and his Better Husband Training Team. Are you the husband you dreamed you would be? Dr. Bismol can change that, call us at 1-800-845-1701 or check out our Maine bed and breakfast on the web. Our dream weavers and husband enhancers are standing by!  

Castine Maine - Castine Historical Society Presents Pulitzer Prize Winner David Hackett Fischer

On July 7 at 7:30 PM David Hackett Fischer whose book “Washington’s Crossing” won a Pulitzer Prize for History in 2005 will discuss his more recent book “Champlain’s Dream”, a biography of the French explorer and colonist. His lecture titled “ Champlain’s Dream: A New France in the New World” is sponsored by the Castine Historical Society www.castinehistoricalsociety.org and is free to the public. It starts at 7:30 and is a two block walk from the Pentagoet Maine bed and breakfast. We look forward to seeing you

Castine Maine - Welcome to the Pentagoet Inn July 4 Shakedown BBQ!

Lead by example, The Baron ate here and you should to! Welcome to the tenth annual Pentagoet Inn July 4 Shakedown BBQ. We have pulled pork sandwiches, rib eye kebobs, Penatgoet barbecue chicken, grilled Portobello burgers, jumbo crab cake sandwiches, corn on the cob, bean salad, corn bread, potato salad and cole slaw. There are homemade brownies, cookies and vanilla ice cream. Please call ahead as we get some busy 207-326-8616. Check out our Maine bed and breakfast on the web

Castine Maine - Gallery Party! July 3 From 5 to 7 PM

Gallery Party! This is the best party of the summer! I probably would have met my wife at such a party had it not been for a parole violation. Please join Josh and Susan Adam on Sat. July 3 from 5 to 7pm for art and refreshments and excellent bread from the Tinder Hearth Bakery in Brooksvillle which by the way the Adam Gallery is a dealer for this incredible wood fired bread. The party is at 140 Battle Avenue, Castine, Maine,  326-7123 or checkout their website at www.adamgalleryonline.com. If you are staying at the Pentagoet Maine bed and breakfast please be aware this party is mandatory or a significant surcharge will be applied to your bill and perhaps your neighbors if you annoy them.