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Your delegates may want to extend their stay in Maine with a variety of pre- and post-conference trips. Our service team can suggest daytrips or weeklong outings; from the mountains to the sea, there’s so much to discover and so many reasons to turn a business trip into a real vacation. Popular Pre / Post Conference Trips SOUTH & MID-COASTAL MAINE Charming towns and villages dot the coast both south and north of Portland. Enjoy forts and lighthouses, amusement parks and maritime museums, salt marshes and beaches. Kittery and Freeport are home to wonderful outlet shopping, and outdoor outfitter L.L. Bean, in Freeport, is a destination unto itself. BAR HARBOR & ACADIA NATIONAL PARK Maine’s only national park is located less than four hours north of Portland, near the resort town of Bar Harbor. The Park Loop Road, hiking trails and carriage paths offer spectacular views and a variety of activities. As you head north, visit the quaint villages of Boothbay Harbor, Rockport and Camden, boasting terrific art galleries, shops and windjammer cruises. MOUNTAINS & LAKES REGION Rustic cabins, camping, swimming and boating in the clear waters of Maine’s lakes…if you love to be active outdoors, this is the region for you! Enjoy mountain biking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, cross-country or downhill skiing, and the wildlife of these unspoiled landscapes. THEMED TRIPS There’s something for everyone in Maine! Art lovers can follow the Maine Art Museum Trail and immerse themselves in works of art from ancient to contemporary. If lighthouses set you aglow, you can seek out the more than 60 beacons that illuminate the craggy coast. The Maine Birding Trail, is a valuable resource for avid birders who want to see Maine’s feathered friends. Moose watching, whale watching and other wildlife tours are also available in various regions throughout the state.

FESTIVALS & ANNUAL EVENTS (Continued from page 12) AUGUST 15–17 / Italian Street Bazaar in Portland. Ethnic celebration featuring band music, children’s games & Italian food. 15–17 / MS Regatta Harborfest on Casco Bay. Sailboat race, tug boat display, music & food on Portland’s waterfront. 22–24 / American Folk Festival in Bangor. Music, song & dance from across the country & the world, 21–27 / Cumberland Fair Large agricultural fair with crafts. 27–28 / Freeport Fall Festival. Over100 artists will exhibit at this annual event. OCTOBER 22–25 / Harvest on the Harbor in Portland. Food & Wine Festival celebrating Maine culinary arts. NOVEMBER 1 / Maine Brewers Festival in Portland. Sample products from the majority of Maine’s microbreweries NOV 28-DEC 21 / Light Up Your Holidays in Portland. Downtown is alive & merry with joy-filled celebration on its streets. 5–7 / Sparkle Weekend in Freeport. Parade, carol singing & horse-drawn carriage rides. 4–7 & 12–14 / Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport . Annual celebration with tree lighting, candlelight ceremony, caroling, & crafts fairs. held on the Bangor waterfront. 23 / WCSH-6 Sidewalk Arts Festival in Portland. 350 booths featuring artists from all over the country. SEPTEMBER with music & food. DECEMBER

Photos on right: top left – Sunday River; top right – David McLain; bottom – Thomas Mitchell

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