Autocross, skateboard competitions, monster trucks, pipers piping, haunted history and more are on tap for visitors to the Bath-Brunswick Region this summer.

Once the warm weather arrives, the city streets of Bath and Brunswick bustle with visitors and locals looking to experience wine tastings, fairs, festivals and art walks. Live theater lovers will celebrate 60 years of Maine State Music Theater in Brunswick this season, and the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath just marked 40 years of fun and entertainment.

For those looking to see something completely different, autocross will come to Brunswick. An Autocross Driving Competition is planned at the Brunswick Executive Airport. This driving skills challenge is put on by Cumberland Motor Club and spectators are welcome to attend free of charge June 19.

Drivers of all skill levels are invited to register and then traverse the cone-lined route while being timed. Ride-alongs are free to adults wishing to be a passenger with a competitor.

Autocross, or AutoX, usually is held in a large vacant parking lot or unused airport tarmac. Drivers and passengers wear helmets. Some use their everyday vehicles, while other enthusiasts have specialty cars for these events. For more, visit cumberlandmotorclub.com.

Summer in the Bath-Brunswick area just wouldn’t be the same without the traditional fairs and festivals eagerly anticipated each year.

Bath Heritage Days will be held June 29 – July 4, this year. The six-day event is famous for its parade, billed as “Maine’s Largest Parade” by event organizers, along with the carnival and midway, food vendors, antique car show, live entertainment, fireworks and more.

This year’s festival includes a skateboard competition, fireman’s muster, chili and chowder fest, live music, amusement park rides, artisan’s marketplace, road race and fun run. For more, visit bathheritagedays.com.

Another summer staple is the 164th annual Topsham Fair on Aug. 7-12. This historic agricultural fair features 4-H events, livestock, harness racing, a horse show, sheep herding demo, pig scramble, ATV mud runs, monster truck show, steer and oxen pulls and midway. There is free harness racing Sunday and Monday, and discounts for seniors and military families.

While the schedule is still being set, past years have included a Miss Topsham Fair pageant, cutest baby contest, exhibition hall, back-seat driver’s contest, fry pan throwing, strength competition, car show, demolition derby, truck pulls, and more. For information visit topshamfair.net.

There are sure to be more than 12 pipers piping at the 40th annual Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival, to be held on the fairgrounds in Topsham on Aug. 18. The festival, put on by the St. Andrews Society of Maine, will feature Celtic musical guests Seven Nations, The Ivy Leaf, Sue Richards and Colin Grant-Adams, as well as the usual piping, drumming, food and fun. The honored clan for this year’s games is the Clan MacBean (MacBain). The Maine Highland Games run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit mainehighlandgames.org for more.

On Aug. 11, crowds will gather for the 105th annual Georgetown Working League Fair at the Georgetown Central School.

According to league members “The fair is one of the state’s oldest, briefest (lasting only four hours), and most popular community events.” The husbands of league members pitch in to help on fair day and are known as “The Working League Auxiliary.”

There is a handmade quilt raffle, homemade goods, seafood lunch, antiques and collectibles, arts and crafts, and much more. Funds raised by the non-profitorganization go to benefit the community. In the past, funds have gone to scholarships, the local school, fire department, community center, library and other civic and charitable organizations. It starts at 10 a.m.

Looking for some live theater? Sixty years of song will be celebrated this summer as Maine State Music Theatre hosts an Aug. 13 “Best of MSMT: 60th Anniversary Concert” at 2 p.m. at Bowdoin College. Six decades of performances will be celebrated, with cast members returning for a “star-studded tribute.” MSMT has been “bringing Broadway to Brunswick” for 60 years.

Other scheduled musical theatre performances at Maine State Music Theatre in Pickard Theatre are “Million Dollar Quartet,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Singing in the Rain,” “Nunsense,” and “Cinderella” and “Pinocchio” for younger audiences. For a full schedule and ticket information, visit msmt.org.

The Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath, which last year celebrated its 40th anniversary, offers up “MacBeth” this summer, along with contemporary dance and a summer concert series on the waterfront. Admission to the concerts is free. Tickets for other shows and the full schedule can be found at chocolatechurcharts.org.

If golf is on the summer to-do list, hackers can get their fill in Bath and Brunswick, as there are several golf courses to visit.

Golfers will tee off as part of the 6th annual Hacker’s Ball Golf Tournament at Brunswick Golf Club on June 15. The club has a full schedule of events all summer, and welcomes groups and leagues for special activities like twilight rounds and senior tours, member events, lessons and more.

On July 31 and Aug. 1, they will host the 2018 Maine Junior Championship.  Visit brunswickgolfclub.com for details about green fees, tee times, rentals, the pro shop, clubhouse, McAvoy’s on the Green restaurant and more.

Bath Golf Club also has a full slate of activities, including the 2018 Midcoast Amateur Championship, 2018 Spring Cup, Governor’s Cup, President’s Cup, The Red White and Blue Tournament on July 4, Maine State Golf Association Weekend Tournament, the Bath Cup, Y Benefit Golf Tournament and more. Visit bathgolfclub.com for details and a full calendar of events.

Maritime history and tradition is embedded in this region, and this summer is all about the restoration of the historic schooner Mary E. On June 8, Maine Maritime Museum will honor the owners, shipwrights and builders of the schooner with a gala and the “Mariner of the Year Award” for 2018. It includes an auction and dance party with live band Motor Booty Affair.

The Mary E is the museum’s ambassador, and is said to be the oldest Maine-built wooden fishing boat still afloat. After a year of restoration, it will be commissioned June 9.
Folks looking to get out on the water might consider a Seguin Island Lighthouse Cruise, which includes an excursion to the lighthouse on Fridays this summer. Other trips include trolley tours and cruises as part of the “By Land & Sea: The Bath Iron Works Story” series, weekdays in the afternoon.

History buffs also may enjoy the drama and excitement of a ghostly trolley and walking tour. Hosted by Red Cloak Haunted History Tours, these outings titled “Bath Cemetery Tour: Famed Captains and Shipbuilders” and held Thursday evenings.

At the Bath museum, ongoing displays feature artifacts, gear, figureheads, photographs and information about historic ships, storms, shipyards and the state’s seagoing heritage. Visit mainemaritimemuseum.org for details.

Summer is all about fresh food, and whether visitors dine out or cook it themselves, there is fresh fruit, produce, seafood and more to be found at a variety of farmers markets.
Downtown, just off Commercial Street, Bath Farmers Market is open 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays in Waterfront Park. Farmers offer their produce and baked goods under canopies next to the Kennebec River, with live music, plenty of parking and public restrooms.

Brunswick Farmers Market is open twice a week on the downtown mall, just below the gazebo, with bakers, farmers, craftsmen and artisans gathering from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Open rain or shine. For details visit mainefarmersmarkets.org.

And each summer Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. the Farmers’ Market at Crystal Spring Farm will be open, boasting 40 vendors. The 320-acre farm is owned by Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust.

Looking to dine out? Carhops still serve up burgers, onion rings and seafood baskets to customers at the classic Fat Boy Drive-In in Brunswick. Other favorite spots include Gelato Fiasco, Frosty’s Donuts and The Great Impasta, to name just a few. Sit on the deck for a burger or fish and chips at Sea Dog Brewing Co. in Topsham, or share a pizza or sub at The Cabin in Bath.

In nearby Woolwich, just across the bridge from Bath, the Taste of Maine is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In celebration, a monster (inflatable) crustacean dubbed “Larry the Lobster” is perched on the roof overlooking Pleasant Cove. Osprey are expected to soon return to their nest adjacent to the parking lot.

A day at the beach calls for a trip to Reid State Park in Georgetown or Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg. Both charge admission (cash), and parking is free but the lots fill up fast in the summer, so try to get there early. There are changing rooms and areas to picnic. For more, visit maine.gov.

On Aug. 18, the 12th annual Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival will occupy Maine Street and the Mall (town green). Artists will set up roughly 100 booths to display paintings, sculpture, photography and other media. There will be interactive demos, as well as live music and performances, children’s face painting, family arts and crafts, gourmet food and more. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine.

This summer sees the return of “2nd Friday Brunswick!” in conjunction with ArtWalk and extended shopping hours around Maine Street. It offers visual art, live music, dance and theatrical performances at various venues. It is held from 4 to 7 p.m. on the second Friday of each month.

For more about the Bath-Brunswick region, visit the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce website at midcoastmaine.com or brunswickdowntown.org.

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