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SEASONS .

FESTIVALS & ANNUAL EVENTS (Continued from page 12) AUGUST 13–14 / Italian Street Bazaar in Portland. Ethnic celebration featuring band music, children’s games & Italian food. 19–21 / MS Regatta Harborfest on Casco Bay. Sailboat race, tug boat display, music & food on Portland’s waterfront. 20 / WCSH-6 Sidewalk Arts Festival in Portland. 350 booths featuring artists from all over the country. 26–28 / American Folk Festival in Bangor. Music, song & dance from across the country & the world, held on the Bangor waterfront. SEPTEMBER 18–24 / Cumberland Fair Large agricultural fair with crafts. OCTOBER 1–2 / Freeport Fall Festival. Over100 artists will exhibit at this annual event. 19–23 / Harvest on the Harbor in Portland. Food & Wine Festival celebrating Maine’s culinary arts. NOVEMBER NOV 25–DEC 23 / Polar Express in Portland. Ride the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad to the North Pole. NOV 25–DEC 20 / Light Up Your Holidays in Portland. Downtown is alive & merry with joy-filled celebration on its streets. DECEMBER 2–4 / Sparkle Weekend in Freeport. Parade, carol singing & horse-drawn carriage rides. 2–11 / Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport . Annual celebration with tree lighting, candlelight ceremony, caroling & crafts fairs.

New England is blessed to have four seasons that each brings its own distinct pleasures. The clear, crisp days of autumn give way to winter’s frosty elegance while spring’s thaw is accompanied by new growth and brilliant floral hues. Summer is chock-a-block full of activities and also a time to unwind by the lake or on the beach, cooled by a salty sea breeze. Welcome to Maine. Your delegates will want to take advantage of the seasonal flavors on tap when they’re here. Curling up by a winter’s fire, rafting during a spring high-water release, picking apples, sailing on the bay—there’s always something special to do to make the most of the time you’ve chosen to meet in Maine. everything from Maine performers and artisans, to the bounty of autumn’s harvest, to the delights of winter. If the family is along, there’s plenty to keep children actively entertained: baseball, hockey and basketball games, a children’s museum and planetarium, ice-skating and rollerblading, parks and wildlife. Maine is a safe and comfortable destination where delegates often combine a family vacation with business travel. If you are looking to mix pleasure with business, hold your next meeting in Maine. You may run out of time, but never things to do. Maine was chosen by a group of 55 agricultural farmers and ranchers in Texas for its innovative approach to agriculture. We were impressed with their spirit of community and found the residents to be friendly, out-going, and eager to share their heritage. And everywhere we stayed and ate was amazing—the restaurants treated the group like royalty. From attendee evaluations of the week, Maine hit a home run with this group!” — Patti Locke, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Throughout the summer, the skies fill with the sounds of outdoor concerts. A host of annual festivals celebrate

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Photos on right: clockwise from top left: Corey Templeton (3); Chris Lawrence

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