Fourth of July Happenings on MDI
July 3 and July 5 events, too!
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Wealth Management.
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—We’ve compiled some information on events and celebrations for July 3, July 4, and July 5. Some tips from the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department are at the end of the article, too.
We hope you have a lovely, safe, and wonderful weekend full of celebration.
For more details, check out our things to do article, but here’s a short list.
JULY THIRD EVENTS
4 p.m. - BAR HARBOR MUSIC FESTIVAL!
Oceanview Tea Concert
Legendary guitarist Oren Fader performs music inspired by the folk music of North and South America with flutist Allison Kiger. Program includes Mountain Songs by Robert Beaser, Monhegan Suite by John Kuziak, L’Histoire du Tango by Astor Piazzolla and more.
6:30 p.m. - AUTHOR TALK: HEARTWOOD BY AMITY GAIGE!
The reading and talk with Carrie Jones of the Bar Harbor Story will be from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m at the Jesup.
5 p.m. - PINTS FOR A PURPOSE WITH DIVER ED
Join Friends of Acadia at Terramor each Thursday for a free weekly speaker series. This Thursday, hear some fun fish tales from Eddie Monat (aka "Diver Ed"), a commercial dive and scuba instructor, former Bar Harbor harbormaster, and Smithsonian marine ecologist. $1 from every beer sold benefits Friends of Acadia.
7 p.m. - TOP GUN MAVERICK
JULY FOURTH EVENTS
9 p.m. - SOUTHWEST HARBOR FIREWORKS
Join your friends in Southwest Harbor to celebrate the 4th of July! Fireworks will be shot from a barge in the middle of the harbor. (Rain date Sunday, July 6). It’s led by the Acadia Chamber of Commerce.
They start at approximately 9 p.m. and are launched from the Acadia Fuel Barge.
4 p.m. - ISLESFORD COOKOUT
BAR HARBOR EVENTS
9 a.m. - MDI HOSPITAL JULY 4TH AUXILIARY JEWELRY SALE
AFTER THE PARADE—ATLANTIC BREWING MIDTOWN’S FIRST ANNUAL SUMMERTIME CLASSIC!
2 p.m. - SASSAFRAS CRAB BOIL
Bring a picnic blanket and grab snacks from us or sit down and dive into some local Jonah Crabs.
Games- Soccer, Croquet, Cornhole + food start at 2 -7 PM
Live music from Boyscout Band 5–6:45 PM
Food available until they run out — reserve your crabs to secure your cracking adventure!
6:30 p.m. - TOP GUN MAVERICK
10 p.m. - FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE PARTY!
BAR HARBOR EVENTS FROM THE CHAMBER
The list below is directly from the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce and you can see it at its site here.
7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Pancake Breakfast
Produced by the Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary ClubThe Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary Club will hold its traditional Pancake Breakfast at the Bar Harbor Athletic Field on Park Street. Blueberry or plain pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, sausage, orange juice, milk, water, tea, and coffee. A fun morning feast for the whole family, and a great way to fuel up for the day ahead! All proceeds from the event support Rotary projects and local nonprofits.
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Craft Fair/Marketplace
Produced by the Island Arts AssociationThe Island Arts Association will hold a Craft Fair/Marketplace at the YMCA, 21 Park Street, featuring a wonderful selection of Maine crafts, including jewelry, quilts, photographs, pottery, and porcelain dolls. Please join us for this joint fundraiser for the YMCA and the YWCA. Please call the YWCA at 207-288-5008 for additional information.
10:00 a.m. Independence Day Parade
Produced by the Bar Harbor Chamber of CommerceThe community shows off its patriotism and good humor as the parade winds through downtown Bar Harbor from Main Street to Cottage Street to Eden Street to Mt. Desert Street to Ledgelawn Avenue. Click here to download a map of the parade route. Sponsored by the First National Bank.
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Seafood Festival
Produced by the Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary ClubThe Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary Club will be offering delicious lunch options to keep you fueled up for the remainder of the day! Bring the whole family to the Bar Harbor Athletic Field on Park Street to enjoy Maine lobster rolls and crab rolls, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, watermelon, chips, water, and sodas. All proceeds from the event support Rotary projects and local nonprofits.
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Family-fun Activities at the Ball Field
Produced by the Summer Festival of the Arts
Summer Festival of the Arts will be hosting family fun activities as a fundraiser at the Bar Harbor ball field from 11-2 on the fourth of July. $5 per activity station.
-Facepainting,
-Snow Cones with organic flavorings,
-Hair Tinsel
-SFOA fun zone with ring toss, hula hoops, hopscotch, ladder ball and more…
1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Entertainment at the Town Pier
Produced by the Bar Harbor Chamber of CommerceJoin us for free entertainment down at the Town Pier.
From 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., experience The Great Maine Lumberjack Show as they celebrate 30 years in business. The thrilling live demonstration will include underhand chopping, cross-cut sawing, modified chainsawing, and axe throwing. Test out your own axe-throwing skills with a $5 donation to help support Acadia Youth Sports.
Following The Great Maine Lumberjack Show, stick around to dance along with live music from The Lucky Stars. Sponsored by the Bar Harbor Hospitality Group.
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Bar Harbor Town Band
Produced by the Bar Harbor Town BandA Bar Harbor institution, the Bar Harbor Town Band will perform at the Village Green.
9:15 p.m. (approx.) Fireworks Over Frenchman Bay
Produced by the Bar Harbor Chamber of CommerceEnjoy the spectacular display on the waterfront, downtown Bar Harbor. Sponsored by the Bar Harbor Regency, Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company, Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina, Stewman's Lobster Pound, and the Town of Bar Harbor.
JULY FIFTH!
The celebrations continue July 5….
7 p.m. — After Hours at The Travelin’ Lobster!
Enjoy karaoke, tasty bar bites, and plenty of local fun to make your holiday weekend unforgettable. Bring your crew, sing your favorite songs, and enjoy a festive night in true Maine style!
Please note: For this event, we’ll be serving a limited menu featuring bar bites only—lobster will not be available.
7 p.m.
1569 State Highway 102, Bar Harbor
10:30 a.m. - DRAGON APPRECIATION DAY!
8 p.m. - THE MOTHER HIPS AT THE CRITERION
The Mother Hips will perform Saturday, July 5 at 8:00 p.m. at Criterion Theatre on Cottage Street.
San Francisco, CA: The Mother Hips are back with a new album, When We Disappear, a compelling new studio album set for release January 27, 2023 on Blue Rose. Based in Northern California, the Hips headed to New Mexico, spending time at Ghost Ranch before settling in at Jono Manson's Kitchen Sink studio in Sante Fe in late 2021 for the sessions. Self-produced, When We Disappear features nine new tracks co-written by co-founders Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono — a collection of lit-psych rock songs Inspired by psychology and literature — as well as a raw, garagey cover of Buffy St. Marie’s 1964 addiction song “Codine.”
Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the Bay Area’s most beloved live outfits,” The Mother Hips' headline and festival performances have became the stuff of legend, finding them sharing stages with everyone from Johnny Cash and Wilco to Lucinda Williams and The Black Crowes. Rolling Stone called the band “divinely inspired,” while Pitchfork praised their “rootsy mix of 70’s rock and power pop,” and The New Yorker lauded their ability to “sing it sweet and play it dirty.”
MORE INFORMATION VIA THE BAR HARBOR/MOUNT DESERT POLICE DEPARTMENT
BAR HARBOR POLICE PARKING GUIDE
Please note, the guide suggests parking at the athletic field off Park Street. This is generally impossible because of the events on the field.
FOR THE FIREWORKS
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Peekytoe Provisions.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
For a gallery of photos from past years
Unless otherwise specified, all photos Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar/Bar Harbor Story.
This was updated at 2:41 p.m. to include Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce maps.
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