July News – James Beard, New Lodging & Visitor Center

July 1, 2026

Dana Street Named “Outstanding Restaurateur” at the 2026 James Beard Awards

Dana Street, the owner of Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and Street and Co., recently won the award for “Outstanding Restaurateur” at the 2026 James Beard Awards. Street’s restaurants have been at the forefront of the culinary movement that transformed Portland into the amazing food city it is today.  The mission of the James Beard Awards is “to recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system,” and a full list of Maine’s James Beard awardees and nominees can be found on the Portland Food Map.

Rachel Carson Center for People & Nature Opens

A new visitor center for the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge has opened in Kennebunk. The Rachel Carson Center for People & Nature is located in the former estate of philanthropist Elmina Sewall, and the 12,000-square-foot facility offers information about Maine’s salt marsh ecosystems and the coast’s endangered and threatened species. Rachel Carson (1907-1964) was a marine biologist, conservationist, and writer, whose 1962 book, Silent Spring, is credited with starting the modern environmental movement. The Center will function as an educational resource for visitors and as a central office for staff and volunteers who manage the 11 refuge properties that are spread across more than 6,000 acres, from Kittery to Cape Elizabeth, and visited by more than 300,000 people annually.

Blair Hill Inn Debuts Six New Cabins

Blair Hill Inn is a 10-room hotel overlooking Moosehead Lake in Greenville, a luxury Northwoods getaway and the state’s only Relais & Chateaux property. They have just opened six new cabins that offer more privacy and space while maintaining the same great views and service. Each cabin features two King bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a gas fireplace, and air conditioning. The Inn has a fine-dining restaurant serving seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine. Days can be spent hiking Mount Kineo, spotting moose, or exploring the lake, while evenings promise candlelit dinners and sunset views.

The Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival and the Smithsonian

The Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas returns from July 11-12, 2026, hosted on the campus of College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. This multi-day summer festival centers on Wabanaki and Native thought leadership through panels, performances, and a Northeastern Native arts market. This year, Dawnland is collaborating with The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage’s 2026 Of the People: Smithsonian Festival of Festivals, featuring select panel conversations and performance programming while remaining fully grounded in Wabanaki voices, perspectives, and shared authority.

Bioluminescence Kayak Tours in Castine

You don’t need to travel to the Caribbean to witness bioluminescence. Castine Harbor is Maine’s own Bioluminescent Bay, with a unique ecosystem that creates the perfect environment for glow-in-the-dark phytoplankton to thrive and multiply. Castine Kayak offers a chance to witness this magic: a night paddle through a “Floating Planetarium” that showcases the constellations of the night sky and the bioluminescent stars in the water. They provide kayaks, lifejackets, paddles, and lights. Guests set off before nightfall with a Registered/Licensed Maine Sea Kayak Guide for paddling instruction before launching in Castine’s Bioluminescent Bay.

Schoodic National Scenic Byway

Maine is fortunate to have seven National Scenic Byways throughout the state. One of the most beloved is the Schoodic National Scenic Byway, a 29-mile drive along some of the most spectacular coastline in Maine. It begins in the town of Hancock, outside of Ellsworth, and travels east through Gouldsboro to Winter Harbor, where the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park lies. The Byway terminates in Prospect Harbor, site of the last American sardine canning factory. It’s the ultimate Maine road trip, highlighting working harbors, rocky shores, and small fishing villages. Wind your way among local art galleries and scenic pull-offs for a trip enjoyed at your own pace.