Celebrate the of the beginning of the winter holiday season with this video of the Parade of Lights at the Rockland Festival of Lights, November 30, 2024. The parade ran from the Rockland ferry terminal up Main Street to the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree. The parade featured numerous lighted floats and vehicles, with musical and moving parts! Great start to the holiday season!

The Day Three events include Vintage Boats on Seven Tree Pond, special Sestercentennial cake and cupcakes, closing ceremony including the closing and burying of the 2024 Time Capsule. Also included are interviews with the Sestercentennial Committee Chairs – Argy Nestor and Tracy Weed, who expressed suggestions for the next celebration 50 years from now.

The second day of Union’ s celebration of 250 years includes interviews, a big parade, craft exhibits, a beard contest, and some unicyclists. It was another fun-filled day!

Day one begins with an interview with a 93 year old Union resident, followed by the opening of the 1974 Bicentennial Time Capsule, and various children events and musical groups Enter the Haggis.

Watch this video of the coronation of the 2024 Maine Wild Blueberry Queen Rose Fishman and the Maine Wild Blueberry Crown Princess Cassidy Novika.

Watch this video of the 2024 Maine Lobster Festival “Big Parade”, held Saturday, August 3, 2024 in Rockland, Maine. The parade featured Grand Marshall Rockland firefighter and policeman Lewis Metcalf, representatives from the US Coast Guard, from the Navy Vessel USS Gunston Hall, from the Air Force, Neptune and the 2024 Lobster Festival Delegate Adelaide Hendricks, numerous other dignitaries, 6 bands, antique vehicles, many commercial floats reflection the parade theme of “Through the Years”, “Rocky” the giant lobster, and much, much more.

Watch this video of the Dedication of Plaques being added to the Midcoast Maine Veterans Memorial Wall at the Winslow-Holbrook-Merritt American Legion Post Number One in Rockland, Maine. The ceremony was led by Dave Soulin and featured patriotic music by Bay Winds North directed by Marlene Hall. A large crowd attended to recognize the men and women whose plaques were dedicated that day in recognition of their service to our country.

Watch these highlights of the 2024 Union Fair, Part 2 . This episode includes the bike raffle, free Blueberry Pie Day, the Axe Women of Maine demonstration, kid’s pie eating contest, and the pig scramble. The final 2 episodes will feature the coronation of the Maine Wild Blueberry Queen and the Demolition Derby.

Watch these highlights of the 2024 Union Fair. Part I includes youth steer pulling, youth livestock showing, judging of Whoopie Pies and Maine Wild Blueberry Pies, the Axe Women of Maine demonstration, a tour of the Exhibition Hall featuring exquisite quilts, grange exhibits and a veterans exhibit, interviews with fair exhibiters, fair personnel, and the new Queen B’s Bakery providing all kinds of blueberry treats .

Watch this video of the 2024 Fourth of July Parade from Thomaston, Maine. The Grand Marshall was Sigrid Keyes , who has been a crossing guard and traffic cop in Thomaston for 50 years! Also honored in the parade were Mr. & Ms Thomaston – Joey Bell and Jillian Barnard – local high school graduates. The theme of the parade was “American Idols : A Tribute to Hometown Heroes and Celebrities”. As usual, the parade was full of floats, bands , and beautiful cars.

Watch this video for a preview of the 2024 Union Fair and the Maine Wild Blueberry Festival, to be held this year from July 7 through July 14. Interviews with Rick Butler, head of publicity , Ryan Soule, acting president of Union Fair, and Casey Brown the 2023 Maine Wild Blueberry Queen will highlight the new format and schedule for this year. This program also includes a tour of the creative pumpkin decorations throughout the town of Damariscotta for their Pumpkin Festival last fall.

The Second Annual Rockport Donut Festival was a big success! Watch this video for Festival highlights and interviews. Among the events covered here are the Donut Dash 5 K Fun Run, The Donut Festival Parade, Live Music by the Bay Winds North Breakers directed by Marlene Hall, Homemade Donut Contest (winner = “The North End” – featured picture above), Food Trucks, and interviews with Town Manager Jon Duke, Harbor Master Abbie Leonard, Rockport Fire Chief Jason Peasley, Committee Member Megan Griffin, Homemade Donut Contest Competitor Maynard Stanley, and local historian & geneaologist Carole Starr. If you missed the 2024 Festival, be sure to attend the event in 2025 located on beautiful Rockport Harbor.

Watch this Part 2 of the 2023 Union Fair Demolition Derby. Part 2 includes the following Heats – 4 Wheel Drive Cars, Pick Up Trucks & Vans, 6 Cylinder Cars, and the Final Feature in which the overall winner is determined.

Watch this program on Part 1 of the 2023 Union Fair Demolition Derby, preceded by the Youth Demolition Derby. The 2023 adult Demolition Derby drew a large crowd of enthusiastic spectators and big field of determined competitors on a beautiful summer night in late July. Before the adult Demolition Derby began, a Youth Demolition Derby was held, featuring kids with small battery-powered cars attempting to pop balloons attached to the front and rear of each other’s cars.

Watch this video of the complete 2023 Maine Lobster Festival Parade, featuring Co-Grand Marshals , long time volunteers and Directors Bob Oxton and Sharon Lombardo. The 2023 Parade Theme was “The Spirit of 76”, for the 76 years of the Lobster Festival which has been made possible by the 1000 volunteers who work timelessly every year to make this community event as success. This year’s parade features bands, commercial floats, representatives of the US Coast Guard and the US Navy, and much , much more!

Watch the 2023 Coronation of the Maine Wild Blueberry Queen at Union Fair. The ceremony includes music, speeches, and introductions of many other representatives of festivals and pageants in Maine. Congratulations to the new Wild Blueberry Queen, Crown Princess, Miss Congeniality and all the contestants.

Watch this video of some Opening Day Highlights at the Union Fair 2023. Included are Opening Day Ceremonies with Union Fair President Matt Elwell, a tour of the livestock barns and interviews with some of the livestock handlers, the Youth Showmanship Class with Belties, and the judging of the Berry Pie Cooking Contest. Lots more was going on at the Union Fair so these are just some of the highlights. Come see the Fair for yourself next time!

Watch this Preview of what’s going on at Union fair this year, 2023. Charlie interviews Brittany Anthony, Blueberry Queen Coordinator, Rick Elwell, President of the Union Fair Committee, and Rick Butler, Head of Public Relations. Remember, the dates for the Union Fair changed last year. The Fair is held a month earlier than in past years; now at the end of July instead of the end of August.

Experience the fun of the First Annual Rockport Donut Festival held at Harbor Park on Beautiful Rockport Harbor in Maine on June 2 & 3, 2023.
The Festival included donut decorating, a variety of food trucks, a concert on the harbor Friday night, a 5 K run Saturday morning, a Donut Festival Parade, a Homemade Donut Contest, history of the origin of the donut, a catered Saturday evening dinner, and lots and lots of donuts! Be sure to attend next year!

Watch this Midcoast Maine Favorite Event – the Thomaston Fourth of July Parade and Celebration. The parade was led by the American Legion Color Guard and the 2023 Grand Marshall Bob Watts. The theme of the parade this year, “Freedom & Fireworks”, was carried out by the many floats, bands, automotive entries, kids on bikes, and community participants. Be sure to watch the end of this program for an interview with a representative of the Boothbay V.E.T.S. , Inc, an organization that is providing temporary, transitional housing for homeless vets in Maine.

In this 2023 episode of Going Places with Charlie & Penny, we visit a top tourist destination in St. Maarten – Topper’s Rhum Distillery Tour. Learn all about rum distilling and bottling and all the various specialty rhums ( French spelling) that Topper makes. In upcoming episodes, we will have more from the friendly island, St. Maarten.

Watch this video of the Maine Lobster Festival Parade, celebrating the 75th year of the Festival. The Grand Marshalls of the parade this year were the 2022 State Championship Teams from three local high schools – Oceanside’s Girls Basketball Team, Camden Hills’ Girls Swim team, and Medomak Valley’s Cheering Team. Also recognized was the 2020 Parade Grand Marshal – Rockland’s “Maine Lobster Lady” – 102 Year Old Virginia Oliver, escorted by a vehicle from the Owls Head Transportation Museum. The 2020 Parade was cancelled due to COVID, so Virginia Oliver finally had her chance this year to ride in the parade. The retiring King Neptune, portrayed for many years by Brian Messing, had his last ride on the Sea Goddess float, which he had personally redesigned and redecorated for this year’s parade. For many years Brian has portrayed the pirate Blackbeard and more recently King Neptune, walking the Festival Grounds and delighting the festival attendees. We thank him and the many other volunteers who make the Lobster Festival a success every year.

Watch this program on the Maine Wild Blueberry Pie Baking Contest. Matt Elwell, President of the Union Fair, chats with Charlie Crockett about the new events incorporated into Union Fair, and the pie judges are interviewed, discussing their backgrounds in baking and what they look for in a good blueberry pie.

Watch this program of the Maine Seafood Cooking Contest held at the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine in August 2022. The five chefs this year were selected from over 100 applicants who submitted seafood recipes to the committee and were chosen to prepare and present their creations to 3 judges. We flow each contestant’s process as he or she creates the dish and presents it to the judges. The contestants came from as far away as Florida and as close Matinicus Island off the coast of Maine. The recipes are available online on the Lobster Festival website.

Watch this program of the Maine Wild Blueberry Muffin Cooking Contest, held at the Union Fair in Union, Maine, in late July 2022. This was one of many cooking contest at the Union Fair, including Blueberry Pies, Whoopie Pies, Strawberry Pies, Favorite Cookie, and Jerky recipies.