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FESTIVALS & CELEBRATIONS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Bar Harbor offers numerous festivals enjoyed by both residents and tourists. Whether stepping back in time for a weekend of Vaudeville & Ragtime, listening to the tunes of world renowned classical musicians, or taking part in an old fashioned Fourth of July celebration, Bar Harbor's festivals are always fun and memorable. Events take place mostly in the warmer months, though there are some fall and winter activities, especially around the Holidays. There are sidewalk art festivals, celebrations that are geared toward fans of botany, and maritime festivals for yachting and boating enthusiasts. YEARLY FESTIVALS May 25-30 Warblers & Wildflowers Jun 13 Blessing of the Fleet & Seafarer's Memorial Day Jun 20-27 Legacy of the Arts Jul 03 Independence Day Celebration Jul 10 Native American Festival Jul 02-Aug 01 Bar Harbor Music Festival (38th Season) Jul 22-Aug 26 Arcady Music Festival (24th Season) Sep 19 Garlic & Smoked Foods Festival Oct 16-17 Mt. Desert Island Marathon Oct 31 Halloween Parade & Fall Festival Nov 25 Thanksgiving Celebration in the Park Dec 18 Downtown Christmas Parade Dec 20 Festival of Lights Dec 23 Parade of Yachts (Bar Island) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Museums on Mt. Desert Island offer visitors a unique opportunity to discover interesting facts about Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and the surrounding area. * The Abbe Museum www.abbemuseum.org focuses on the culture, history and archaeology of Native Americans in Maine, with displays of tribal artifacts and relics. Discover 10,000 years of Indian culture, history and art through changing exhibits, hands on programs and workshops. The museum is devoted to preserving and celebrating the heritage of all four Native tribes in Maine, Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot. The original museum is located at Sieur de Monts Springs in Acadia National Park on the route of Blackwoods and Sand Beach buses. A new, year-round facility recently opened on Mt. Desert Street near the Bar Harbor Village Green. * The George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History on the campus of the College of the Atlantic www.coa.edu investigates and interprets the natural world through a human ecological perspective. * The Bar Harbor Historical Society was founded in 1946, and their collection and exhibits include photographs, paintings and costumes from the "Golden Age." www.mdihistory.org/museum.html * The Maritime Museum recently moved to the Bar Harbor Port Authority building on Bar Island. Exhibits include paintings, photographs and models of ships. * The Oceanarium & Lobster Hatchery is home to the Maine Lobster Museum, Marsh Tout Lobster Hatchery and Seal Program, each with things to do, taste and touch, plus a gift shop. * Sieur de Monts Springs Nature Center features exhibits exploring Acadia National Park's natural history, a self-guided historical walk and the wild gardens of Acadia (an outdoor display of indigenous plants). * The Wendall Gilley Museum of Bird Carving is has a vast collection of work by this world-renowned carver of birds, as well as a detailed accounting of the artist's life. * Jackson Laboratory scientists offers tours of the non-profit institution, the world's largest mammalian genetic research facility. Serving the global scientific community as a key provider of genetic resources, it is a center for training present and future scientists. * MDI Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove offers free public tours of the a 100-year old, international research facility. * The Sound Schoolhouse Museum was built in 1892, and restored in 1991. It recreates the experience of a 19th century school for local students and hosts other educational programs and rotating exhibits. * Somesville Museum sits in the heart of the island's history. Built in 1981, it features displays of Mt. Desert Island community history, with rotating exhibits and children's activities. Gamewise, there are museums featuring collections of art, antique weapons, Japanese Culture & Artifacts and maritime history of Bar Harbor. Satai Botanical Gardens has a Larson Memorial, a wall carved with the names of those who perished in the disasterous earthquake which destroyed that city in September of 2010. * Teikoku Hakubutsukan is a permanent exhibition located on the 2nd floor of the Imperial Tower, and features displays of Japanese weapons and armor, clothing and a model of the Imperial Palace. * The Castle is an accurate reproduction of a medieval fortress, complete with moat, portcullis and battlements. Inside the Castle is an armory with displays of Medieval weapons, a Grand Hall and a research library with books and illuminated manuscripts on the Middle Ages and related subjects. Continued in Bar Harbor4 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= |