Maine’s 2025 September Update

August 28, 2025

Maine Lobster Week

This year marks the 5th annual Maine Lobster Week, running September 21-28, 2025. The Maine Lobster Week website has a list of participating restaurants throughout the state, with lobster-themed dinners, lobster rolls, and lobster specials available at most locations. This year marks the first Lobster Roll Remix, a benefit for the Maine Lobstermen’s Relief Fund, which will bring together an exceptional lineup of local chefs, each presenting their twist on the classic Maine lobster roll. More than a dozen chefs will participate including Chefs Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti of Chaval with French and Spanish-inspired lobster rolls; Chefs Wilson Rothschild and Al Zoni of Terlingua/Ocotillo with Texas-inspired creations; and Chef Nonglack Thanephonesy of Dok Mali, offering Thai street-food-inspired rolls. The evening will begin with a welcome cocktail, along with beer from Allagash Brewing and Rupee Beer. It will take place on National Lobster Day, September 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC). A portion of proceeds from the Lobster Roll Remix will benefit The Maine Lobstermen’s Relief Fund, which provides financial assistance to lobstermen and their families during times of hardship. Visit Maine Lobster Week for more details.

Maine Art Museum Trail

One of Maine’s best autumn adventures is setting forth on The Maine Art Museum Trail, a network of the finest museums in the state. The 350-mile route stops at nine museums holding more than 80,000 works of art. It’s a leisurely trip at your own pace, and you can make a point of visiting all the museums or perhaps just a few favorites. The museums include The Portland Museum of Art, the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Colby College Museum of Art, the Bates College Museum of Art, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the University of Maine Museum of Art, the Zillman Museum of Art, the Abbe Museum, the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, and the Monhegan Museum of Art and History. The collections are vast and far-reaching, ranging from the work of the Wabanaki people to European masters. Of particular interest is the opportunity to see the work of Maine-born artists and artists from elsewhere drawn to the richness of the Maine art scene. They include such painters as Marsden Hartley, Neil Welliver, Lee Krasner, Frederic Edwin Church, Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Judith Rothschild, and Marguerite Zorach, not to mention N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth. Visit The Maine Art Museum Trail for details.

Maine Gear Library Network Will Expand Equitable Outdoor Access

The Maine Gear Library Network (MGLN), a first-of-its-kind statewide alliance of gear libraries, has officially launched, providing affordable access to high-quality outdoor equipment. From bikes and kayaks to tents and camp stoves, the network is a community-driven gear lending program committed to equitable access to outdoor recreation for residents and visitors alike. The Maine Gear Library Network currently includes Maine GearShare in Brunswick, Old Town-Orono Gear Library in Old Town, Kindling Collective in Portland, Katahdin Gear Library in Millinocket, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and Skowhegan Outdoors in Skowhegan.

Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest & Regatta

Maine has many fall festivals, but none as quirky or as much fun as the Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest & Regatta. It returns from October 10-13 on the Indigenous Peoples’ Holiday Weekend. There are pumpkin weigh-offs – last year’s winner came in at an astonishing 2,365.5 pounds – artists transforming pumpkins into works of art, a parade, a pumpkin dessert contest, a pumpkin soapbox style race, and a pie-eating contest. There is also pumpkin boat building, which leads to Sunday, when these pumpkin watercraft are launched and raced in a costumed regatta on the Damariscotta River. Monday brings a pumpkin drop to end the festivities.

Fall Hiking in Maine

September in Maine is all about sunny days and cool nights, and it is arguably Maine’s best month for hiking, just before the foliage changes. While Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park attract seasoned hikers, Maine has more than a thousand trails, preserves, and public forests that are worth seeking out. They can be easily found on the Maine Trail Finder website, which ranks them by difficulty, location, and special features, from waterfalls to pet-friendly trails. Maine’s Public Reserved Lands contains over half a million acres of protected wilderness, including Cutler Coast Public Lands and the 36,000-acre Bigelow Preserve in western Maine. Go to Visit Maine for more ideas.