COVID-19 UPDATE: maine bicentennial commission postpones commemorative events to 2021. read more about it here.
NOTE THAT COMMUNITY GRANTS CONTINUE TO BE AWARDED AS PLANNED, PROVIDING MUCH-NEEDED FUNDING FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS PREPARING BICENTENNIAL-RELATED EVENTS.
maine200 signature events
The Maine Bicentennial Commission is sponsoring five major events to celebrate Maine200:
STATEHOOD
DAY
march 14, 2021
augusta
The public is invited to join us for an afternoon of speeches, music, poems, birthday cake and much more.
State of Maine Bicentennial Parade
may 15, 2021
auburn/lewiston
An historic parade celebrating Maine's veterans, youth, and culture, with floats, bands and more from across Maine. Presented by Poland Spring.
SAILING SHIPS FESTIVAL
summer 2021
up & DOWN the coast
Visits from a variety of sailing vessels from around the world, at multiple ports along the Maine coast, with associated festivals and activities. Presented by Bangor Savings Bank.
innovation
expo
november 20, 2021
portland
A hands-on experience, viewing awe-inspiring demonstrations of new technologies and more. Presented by Central Maine Power.
time capsule sealing
fall, 2021
tbd
A collection of items installed on the State Capitol grounds for future generations to discover. More details coming soon!
events calendar
COVID-19 UPDATE: MOST BICENTENNIAL EVENTS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH–MAY, 2020 HAVE BEEN POSTPONED, AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED ONCE THE COURSE OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IS BETTER KNOWN.
NOTE THAT COMMUNITY GRANTS CONTINUE TO BE AWARDED AS PLANNED, PROVIDING MUCH-NEEDED FUNDING FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS PREPARING BICENTENNIAL-RELATED EVENTS.
PLEASE CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.
Submissions must be open and accessible to the public, relevant to the bicentennial commemoration, and include a title, brief description, and image. Events listed on this calendar are not necessarily endorsed by the Maine Bicentennial Commission. Get more information on applying for a Maine200 endorsement of your event.
Events Calendar
Rufus Porter’s Curious World: Art and Invention in America, 1815–1860
Mar 1, 2020
Time:
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine
Art Exhibit: “Bangor 1820: Maine’s Bicentennial—past, present, future”
Mar 1, 2020
Time:
All Day
Bangor Public Library
145 Harlow Street
Bangor, ME 04401
145 Harlow Street
Bangor, ME 04401
To celebrate Maine’s Bicentennial, the Bangor Public Library is reviving an idea used by the Bangor-Brewer Tuberculosis and Health Association during the last few decades of the 20th century. This organization commissioned an artist to create a work that could be turned into a bookmark.
A Walk Through Time in Portland - Celebrating 200 Years!
Mar 1, 2020 to Dec 31, 2020
Time:
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
250 Commercial Street at Maine's Pantry
Maine in the Movies: Signs of Life
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
7:00 PM
Opera House Arts
1 School St, Stonington, ME 04681
1 School St, Stonington, ME 04681
Annual Spring Dinner Dance: To Celebrate Maine's Bicentennial
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
5:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saco Community Center, 75 Franklin Street, Saco, Maine 04072
Maine Bicentennial Baked Bean Supper
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
5:00 AM to 7:00 AM
142 Main Street, Downtown Ellsworth, ME 04605
2020 Bicentennial Pictorial Postmark at Presque Isle Post Office
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Presque Isle Post Office, 23 2nd Street, Presque Isle, Maine
Paint Your Story: Art Journaling Workshop
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Bangor Public Library
Bicentennial Birthday Bash in Rockland-- CANCELED
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Farnsworth Art Museum, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and the Strand Theatre in Rockland
This event has been canceled. Thank you for bearing with us during this time.
"Happy Birthday, Maine!" by Lynn Plourde
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Bangor Public Library
145 Harlow Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
145 Harlow Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Maine in the Movies: The Iron Giant
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
11:00 AM
Temple Cinema
20 Market Square, Houlton, ME 04730
20 Market Square, Houlton, ME 04730
Bertha Smouse's Gift to Maine
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Waldoboro Public Library on Main St. (across from the Waldoboro Post Office)
Bicentennial Tea
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM
Little Meetinghouse • 719 Roosevelt Trail
Join your neighbors for tea and conversation about our shared history at the Bicentennial Tea on Saturday, March 14th, 2020 from 1-3pm at the Little Meetinghouse in North Windham.
The Proprietors of Kennebec Valley: Were They Good Guys or Bad Guys?
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM
Asa Gile Hall, 8 Old Kents Hill Road, Readfield.
Erosion and Trail Design at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
Community Bicentennial Baked Bean Supper-- POSTPONED
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Bath Freight Shed, 27 Commercial Street, Bath, Maine
This event has been postponed until further notice. New date TBD.
MAINE BICENTENNIAL COMMUNITY SUPPER
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
United Methodist Church, Route 236, Eliot
Bicentennial Community Supper
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
St. Augustine Church Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Augusta
Community Public Supper
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
5:00 PM
Soule - Shuman VFW Hall on Mills Street in Waldoboro
MaineMadeMusic presents Dirigo Rocks!-- CANCELED
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
7:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Camden Opera House, 29 Elm St./Route 1
This event has been canceled. Thank you for bearing with us during this time.
Public Potluck Supper on Maine Bicentennial Weekend
Mar 14, 2020
Time:
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Alfond Dining Commons, Kents Hill School, Main Street (route 17), Readfield. Parking at Alfond Athletic Center, Kents Hill School, Main Street.
Star lighting on Statehood Day
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
9:00 PM to 9:05 PM
Historic Fire Station, 11 Church Street, Presque Isle
Maine in the Movies: Empire Falls
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
1:00 AM
Railroad Square Cinema
17 Railroad Square, Waterville, ME 04901
17 Railroad Square, Waterville, ME 04901
"Happy Birthday Maine" dinner and program
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
12:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Sorrento Sullivan Recreation Center 1776 US Highway 1 Sullivan
Postponed: Kickoff Celebration in Norway on Statehood Day
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
12:30 PM
Norway Town Office
CELEBRATE! Eat, Drink, & Be Mainery!
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
I-95 & US Rt. 1, Mile Marker 3.5
Kittery, Maine 03904
Kittery, Maine 03904
POSTPONED, NEW DATE TBA: Celebrate Maine's 200th Anniversary of Statehood at the State Visitor Information Centers
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
State Visitor Information Centers: Kittery, Yarmouth, Fryeburg, Hampden North, Houlton, and Calais
POSTPONED: Maine's Bicentennial and Lyman's 240/242nd Birthday
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Community Library 10 John St. Lyman, Maine
Maine in the Movies: Captain January
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM
Strand Theatre
345 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841
345 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841
The Unbroken Thread: 200 Years of Spinning and Weaving in Maine
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Camden Public Library
55 Main Street
Camden, ME 04843
55 Main Street
Camden, ME 04843
Winter Birds at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
Maine's 200: Music of Early Maine
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
St. Patrick's Church, Newcastle
This is the DaPonte String Quartet’s tribute to Maine’s Bicentennial. We are joined by guest artist Eric LaPerna, percussion for a program that highlights significant events along Maine’s pre-statehood timeline (from the 16th to the early 19th centuries), with selected music to share some of the cultural influences.
Maine in the Movies: Charlotte's Web (2006)
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM
Opera House Arts
1 School St, Stonington, ME 04681
1 School St, Stonington, ME 04681
Maine in the Movies: Peyton Place
Mar 15, 2020
Time:
3:00 PM
Strand Theatre
345 Main St., Rockland, ME 04841
345 Main St., Rockland, ME 04841
The Maine Bicentennial Ham Radio Special Event
Mar 16, 2020 to Mar 22, 2020
Time:
5:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Statewide, the original 9 counties, Portland, Freeport, and Boston, MA.
Maine Bicentennial Celebration in Eliot
Mar 16, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Eliot Elementary School gym. 1298 State Road, Eliot
A Bicentennial Celebration: The Remarkable Predecessors of the Saint Joseph's College Campus and their Roles in Maine’s Journey to Statehood
Mar 16, 2020
Time:
3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Saint Joseph's College, 278 Whites Bridge Road, Standish, ME
History of Dr. Samuel Currier family and Readfield Community Library
Mar 18, 2020
Time:
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Readfield Community Library, 1151 Main Street, Readfield, ME
HOME Convention
Mar 19, 2020 to Mar 21, 2020
Time:
8:00 AM
Samoset Resort, Rockport
We are looking forward to our 2020 celebration, and hope that you will be a part. The schedule includes many practical and interactive programs and workshop sessions, plus inspiring general sessions and family entertainment. Start planning now to attend the Lead the Way HOME 2020 Convention!
OPENING POSTPONED: Notre Pain Quotidien: Franco-American Entrepreneurs Sustaining Community Exhibit
Mar 19, 2020 to Sep 6, 2020
Time:
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
University of Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College
51 Westminster St., Lewiston, ME 04240
51 Westminster St., Lewiston, ME 04240
Maine's 200: Music of Early Maine
Mar 19, 2020
Time:
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Maine Jewish Museum, Portland
This is the DaPonte String Quartet’s tribute to Maine’s Bicentennial. We are joined by guest artist Eric LaPerna, percussion for a program that highlights significant events along Maine’s pre-statehood timeline (from the 16th to the early 19th centuries), with selected music to share some of the cultural influences.
Community Bicentennial Supper
Mar 20, 2020
Time:
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
St. Rose Parish Hall
1 Church St.
Jay, ME 04239
1 Church St.
Jay, ME 04239
Winter Family Fun Day at Lily Bay State Park-- CANCELED
Mar 21, 2020
Time:
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Lily Bay State Park
State Park Road, Beaver Cove.
9 miles north of Greenville on east shore of Moosehead Lake. From Routes 15/6 in the center of Greenville, head north 9 miles on the Lily Bay Road that follows Moosehead Lake's east shore to State Park Road (on left).
State Park Road, Beaver Cove.
9 miles north of Greenville on east shore of Moosehead Lake. From Routes 15/6 in the center of Greenville, head north 9 miles on the Lily Bay Road that follows Moosehead Lake's east shore to State Park Road (on left).
This event has been canceled until further notice. To get updates, please visit the website provided, or text DACF BPL NEWS to 468311. Thank you
Maine's 200: Music of Early Maine
Mar 21, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Rockport Opera House, Rockport
This is the DaPonte String Quartet’s tribute to Maine’s Bicentennial. We are joined by guest artist Eric LaPerna, percussion for a program that highlights significant events along Maine’s pre-statehood timeline (from the 16th to the early 19th centuries), with selected music to share some of the cultural influences.
Happy Birthday Maine! Book Celebration
Mar 21, 2020
Time:
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
South Portland Public Library
482 Broadway
South Portland, ME 04106
482 Broadway
South Portland, ME 04106
Thinking About the Bicentennial in 2020
Mar 22, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Underwood Memorial Library
Casco Bay Walk at Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park-- CANCELED
Mar 22, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
This event has been canceled until further notice. To get updates, please visit the website provided, or text DACF BPL NEWS to 468311. Thank you
2020 Maine Science Festival Headliner
Mar 22, 2020
Time:
3:00 PM
Collins Center for the Arts, Orono
Maine Science Festival's first ever all-Maine headliner event: a Bangor Symphony Orchestra concert program exploring one of the state's most treasured assets: the ocean.
The Beans of Readfield, Maine
Mar 26, 2020
Time:
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Maranacook Community High School, Millard Harrison Drive, Readfield
Lecture- Voting Down the Rose: Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine's Fight for Woman Suffrage
Mar 26, 2020
Time:
7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Berwick Academy, Arts Center
31 Academy Street
South Berwick, Maine 03908
31 Academy Street
South Berwick, Maine 03908
Maine Statehood And The Bicentennial: Liam Riordan-- POSTPONED
Mar 27, 2020
Time:
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
McArthur Library, 270 Main Street, Biddeford, Maine
This event has been postponed, new date TBD.
20 x 20: Marking 200 Years of Maine History
Mar 28, 2020 to Oct 25, 2020
Time:
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Portland Museum of Art, Portland ME
20x20: Marking 200 Years of Maine History represents the PMA’s contribution to this anniversary by presenting twenty stories of Maine’s past, present, and future for 200 years of statehood.
Erosion and Trail Design at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park-- CANCELED
Mar 28, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
This event has been canceled until further notice. To get updates, please visit the website provided, or text DACF BPL NEWS to 468311. Thank you.
Maine's 200: Music of Early Maine
Mar 29, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Belfast Free Library, Belfast
This is the DaPonte String Quartet’s tribute to Maine’s Bicentennial. We are joined by guest artist Eric LaPerna, percussion for a program that highlights significant events along Maine’s pre-statehood timeline (from the 16th to the early 19th centuries), with selected music to share some of the cultural influences.
Signs of Spring at Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park-- CANCELED
Mar 29, 2020
Time:
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, Maine 04032
This event has been canceled until further notice. To get updates, please visit the website provided, or text DACF BPL NEWS to 468311. Thank you.
