Top 20 Maine Events for 2011

May 13-15: FRYEBURG,Northern New England Home, Garden & Flower Show. Everything you need to spruce up your home is available at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds: product demonstrations, merchandise from local craftsmen, and a “Smart Homeowner” seminar on eco-friendly tips. 207-935-2845; homegardenflowershow.com

May 27-30: TRESCOTT, Down East Spring Birding Festival. Catch the spring migration in the secluded tranquility of the Cobscook Bay area. Join a boat tour or guided hike, or strike off on your own. Plus presentations and kids’ activities at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. 207-733-2233; downeastbirdfest.org

June 12: PORTLAND,Old Port Festival. Portland welcomes summer with a kid-friendly street celebration. Try out the trapeze swing, rock-climbing wall, and bungee trampoline, or keep your feet firmly on the ground at one of the concert stages or while browsing local crafts. 207-772-6828; portlandmaine.com

June 16-19: LITCHFIELD,Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Music Festival. National acts and local legends take the stage at the Litchfield Fairgrounds for four days of banjos, fiddles, and fun. 207-873-6539; blisteredfingers.com

June 17-19: DEER ISLE & STONINGTON, Lupine Festival. One of New England’s most picturesque blooms enjoys a 10th-anniversary celebration here, with concerts, an art show and open studios, a craft fair and quilt show, garden and gallery tours, schooner excursions, a variety show, Cuban and cabaret music, a local-foods supper, kids’ activities, and more, across the island, north and south. 207-348-6124; deerisle.com

June 19-26: BAR HARBOR,Legacy of the Arts Festival. A celebration of Bar Harbor’s rich history of art, music, Native American culture, and more. This week of live music, art, and workshops ends with the annual art show on the village green. 800-345-4617, 207-288-5103; barharborinfo.com

June 21-22: BOOTHBAY HARBOR,Windjammer Days. Maine’s fleet sails in for a two-day festival. Enjoy the craft show, street parade, and fireworks, or just sit on the dock and watch the ships go by. 207-633-2353; boothbayharbor.com

June 21-JULY 3: BANGOR,Northern Writes: New Play Festival. The Penobscot Theatre hosts playwrights from around the country for a series of workshops, readings, and performances. Get a first look at the plays that will soon be the talk of the theater world. 207-942-3333; penobscottheatre.org

June 24-AUG. 5: BANGOR,Outdoor Movie Festival. Every Friday night River City Cinema transforms Pickering Square into a mobile movie theater. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy free classic films for the whole family. 207-358-9396; rivercitycinema.com

July 1-Aug. 14: LEWISTON,Bates Dance Festival. Whether you’ve got natural rhythm or two left feet, you’ll love this celebration featuring six weeks of performances and developmental workshops at various venues on the Bates College campus. Sit back and watch the work of nationally renowned choreographers, or get on stage and learn from them. 207-786-6381; batesdancefestival.org

July 8-10: LISBON FALLS, Moxie Festival. Love it or hate it, Moxie is a Maine original. Since 1884 this peculiar beverage has been beguiling the nation’s tastebuds. Join the people of Lisbon Falls downtown for three days of food, music, and events (including a parade, carnival, powwow, and fireworks) to celebrate the legacy of Maine’s official soft drink. 207-992-8997; moxiefestival.com

July 9-17: FORT FAIRFIELD,Maine Potato Blossom Festival. Who even knew potatoes had flowers? Fort Fairfield celebrates the summer season with a street dance, parade (on the 16th), car show, townwide yard sale, and, of course, a beauty pageant to crown the new Miss Potato Blossom. 207-472-3802; potatoblossom.org

July 15-17: YARMOUTH,Yarmouth Clam Festival. Experience the flavor of this community and its history: parade and carnival; food booths; shucking contest; road, bike, and canoe/kayak races; arts and crafts; trolley tours; touch tank; live music; fireworks; and lots more, at downtown locations. 207-846-3984; clamfestival.com

July 23: NEWRY, Tough Mountain Challenge. A footrace for the slightly insane: The 5k contest at Sunday River throws a slew of obstacles–including barbed wire, trenches, and a ring of fire–at its competitors. Beer and all-you-can-eat BBQ await survivors at the finish line. 207-824-3000; sundayriver.com

July 29-AUG. 7: BANGOR, Bangor State Fair. Come celebrate all things Maine at the Bass Park complex downtown. Along with livestock shows, midway games, and rides, you can expect to see rattlesnake and sea-lion shows and escape artist Michael Griffin. 207-947-5555; bangorstatefair.com

AUG. 3-7: ROCKLAND,Maine Lobster Festival. Maine’s most famous crustacean inspires one of its best small-town fairs here at Harbor Park. This year features music, a craft show, a lobster cook-off, and the always-popular lobster crate race: Whoever makes it farthest across 50 half-submerged traps without falling into the ocean wins! 800-562-2529, 207-691-7282; mainelobsterfestival.com

AUG. 11-15: MADAWASKA,Madawaska Acadian Festival. Celebrate Acadian heritage at the northern tip of Maine with events on both sides of the border. Hear the music, taste the food, and try your luck at the arm-wrestling or baby-crawling competition. acadianfestival.com

AUG. 12-14: UNION, Maine Antiques Festival. After 30 years, this may just be the largest event of its kind in Maine. With more than 200 dealers from across the country and Canada gathering at Union Fairgrounds, you can find anything from formal art to folk art and everything in between. 207-221-3108; maineantiquefest.com

AUG. 19-21: MACHIAS,Machias Wild Blueberry Festival. At Centre Street Congregational Church, celebrate the fruit that put this town on the map: blueberry-farm tours, concerts, pie-eating contest, and Saturday night’s annual “Blackfly Ball” at the grange hall, an event not to be missed. 207-255-6665; machiasblueberry.com

AUG. 25-28: PRESQUE ISLE,Crown of Maine Balloon Fest. For four days and nights at the Northern Maine Fairgrounds, hot-air balloons take to the sky over the beautiful landscape of Aroostook County. Come out and watch, or build up the nerve to try it yourself. 207-764-6561; crownofmaineballoonfest.org

Call ahead to confirm dates, schedules, and admission prices. To submit an event for possible publication, go to: YankeeMagazine.com/submitevent