Submitted by BBIrishSavage t3_z6l4tu in Maine
It’s our second Christmas living in Maine and I’d love some feedback on the best holiday activities/sights/traditions (we’ve got a 7 year old). We’ve done gardens aglow, polar express, LL Bean, we’ve got the symphony coming up. What are your go to’s? (we also did Santa’s village a few weeks ago☺️)Thank you for any ideas!
When I was 7 I went tipping for wreath bows and made enough money to buy my sister a toy and candy to share on Christmas, then we made hot spiced apple cider and the girls sang while the boys tried not to fall asleep smelling the cider.
When snow falls try reaching out to your local snowmobile club they usually host winter events, and 1/2 the fun is helping set up the event and watching all the people enjoy the outdoors.
Snowmobile drag racing, ice fishing, horse drawn sled rides, this is the season for bingo, finding a yule log and bringing it home.
If you put peanut butter on a pine cone and cover it in seeds and then tie them to tree branches they are a great makeshift bird and squirrel feeders.
Do them again. It's a tradition.
Oh definitely, we have tickets to all of them again!
Christmas by the sea in Ogunquit I believe that things for children
York Festival of Lights :)
A run by the Nubble is fun, but I like to just take various roads and look for lights. You can find displays in really random places. A trip to Camden could be fun as well; do some shopping during daylight, wait until the star on Mt Battie is lit (they still do that, right?), grab some dinner and head home.
It sounds like Prelude in Kennebunkport and Christmas by the Sea in Ogunquit would be the kind of thing you would enjoy.
The botanical garden has a great light show in Boothbay, and I believe you can get tickets for free through the Portland Library (and maybe others)
Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport. Definitely busy/crowded but it’s over two weekends now and they have a lot of kid/family friendly activities like Santa coming in on a lobster boat and a tree lighting ceremony. It’s great! Schedule of events should be online
I’m helping at seashore trolley museums for the prelude trolley rides hehe
I forgot about that one. We went towards the end last year but missed a lot of the fun stuff. Thanks for the reminder!
The Maine State Ballet's Nutcracker is always fun and they have some amazing dancers. Little kids enjoy it since there are lots of little kids in it.
Headlamp hikes, or headlamp optional hikes when there is a full moon. Pick your location carefully and watch the weather.
If you are far enough away from larger cities, no moon, and give yourself a few minutes at a stopping spot to get night adapted vision the stars are spectacular.
My go-to thing is to visit downtown Portland at night, maybe do some Christmas shopping, see all the pretty lights and displays set up by the arts students… last year there was a Christmas “tree” made out of lobster traps and decorated with buoys and lights
Christmas prelude in Kennebunkport, I just learned of the Makers market at Thompson Point.
There is Christmas prelude in kennybunk and Christmas prelude trolley rides at the seashore trolley museum while it’s no polar express still a fun little activity.
Bangor tree lighting
freeski919 t1_iy1yqe5 wrote
You just listed all of our go-to activities.