2016 Visitor's Guide

Off-Season CITY ’SCAPES Warm beaches and fall foliage are nice, but Greater Portland also wears the “quiet season” well with a shimmering urban landscape that warms the soul. Don’t let Portland’s small size deter you—urbanites will find the region’s off-season replete with fine dining, culture, sports, and an abundance of arts and entertainment. The most cultured cityphile will be amazed at all that’s going on, and even more pleased upon discovering the metro area’s ease and value compared with larger downtowns. Imagine escaping for a weekend to Maine’s cultural hotspot. You dine at a James Beard award-winning restaurant, take in a touring Broadway show, followed by a late-night cocktail, then are shuttled to your luxury hotel in Portland’s historic downtown. You wake to a day of museums, culinary tours, and shopping with the symphony, opera, ballet, or headline concert for a nightcap. Perhaps you linger over a relaxed brunch, then cheer on a professional baseball or basketball team at a home game. Or hop a ferry and see lighthouses and forts on your way to an island for lunch, then catch the train to shop all night in Freeport. With our small-scale accessibility, visitors from other cities will be surprised at how much more they can see and do over the course of a weekend in Greater Portland than if they experienced similar activities in their own cities…then elated to discover spending far less! Yes, even with the additional gas, train, or plane fare, Portland is a winter bargain escape. So imagine exhaling, relaxing, living well, and having fun with less aggravation and cost than if you’d stayed home. Portland isn’t just for summer anymore!

Photos, clockwise from top left: Portland Regency Hotel, Corey Templeton, courtesy Portland Symphony Orchestra, Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld, Portland Regency Hotel & Spa, courtesy Maine Red Claws

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