Maine fairs | OPI Blog

Having Fun with Watercolors - An Oceanside Watercolor Workshop with Mary Ann Challa

SAVE THE DATES - August 22, 23, 24 & 25, 2016

The Ocean Point Inn is pleased to be offering you a chance to join artist Mary Ann Challa for a workshop in watercolors at the end of August. What more beautiful area to paint at than picturesque Ocean Point, Maine??

Having fun with Watercolor is a workshop in a relaxed atmosphere designed for both the beginning artist and those with prior experience painting. Mary Ann is an enthusiastic instructor with a loose free style of painting who will help each student find joy in their work. Guidelines for critiquing your work will be offered to assist you with verbalizing what your painting needs for improvement while encouraging each student to embrace and enjoy their work as they develop their own style of painting. A typical day includes a morning presentation of new ideas, painting along with the instructor, working individually in the afternoon with instructor availability and daily closure/comment time. We will take advantage of the beautiful Maine landscape and paint outdoors when weather permits while remaining close to the Ocean Point Inn.

Mary Ann Challa is a Grand Rapids, Michigan, artist who has been visiting and painting in Maine for several years. She is a retired Art Educator and “Artist in Residence” at Goodwille Environmental School in Ada, Michigan. Mary Ann graduated

from Aquinas College where she has been an art instructor with OLLI, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, for the past fifteen years. Her goal as a watercolor instructor is to awaken in her students “the feeling of free-spiritedness,” which comes from the interaction between the artist, the paper and the paint.

The total package includes:

*Welcome Meet and Greet with Wine and Cheese

*4 nights at the Ocean Point Inn in the Farmhouse Motel

*3 Box Lunches

*Hot Buffet Breakfast for 4 days

*Lobster Dinner on Thursday Night

*3 days of Art Workshops

All this is available for $775 each. People sharing a room would pay $575 each. If you wish to upgrade to an oceanfront room or cottage that can be arranged at an extra charge.

Please go to www.oceanpointinn.com for a tour of the property and information on the area. The number of participants will be limited so please call 207-633-4200 to reserve early. You cannot book on line for this special package. Bring your spouse or a friend. There are many wonderful activities to keep them busy in the Boothbay Harbor Region.

A supply list and Registration form will be sent to you once you have made your 50% deposit.

We look forward to having you join us on this little slice of heaven called Ocean Point, Maine!

Crafting in Maine

Crafting has always been an important part of my life and I know it is for many of the guests at Ocean Point Inn. It is fun to talk with guests about the crafts they like to do. The Maine crafts I will mention here are all an easy drive from Ocean Point Inn, a fun craft day trip.

September 23, 24 and 25, 2016, Ocean Point Inn will be hosting the “Oceanside Bead Retreat” with bead artist, Sherry Serafin. The group will work on beading projects for three days in our spectacular seaside setting. The projects are simply amazing.

Locally in mid-coast Maine we have the Aboca Bead Shop at 157 Maine Street in Damariscotta, an easy drive from Ocean Point, to see this unique and fantastic bead collection. Stop by and put together a unique piece of jewelry from their great Maine bead selection.

For those who enjoy quilting, sewing and home decorating we have some fabulous shops in the area. My favorite is OnBoard Fabric in Edgecomb. Molly Hutchins, the owner, is a delightfully creative woman with a great eye for color. Her shop is a must see but her website will give you a nice preview. She also hand crafts Maine bags, pillows, placemats, aprons, and much more. The fabrics I used in redecorating Ocean Point Inn living room, dining room and the library are from OnBoard, we love to buy and support local crafts people and Maine artisans.

Another great fabric store is Alewives Fabric in Nobleboro, near Damariscotta – a short drive from Ocean Point Inn. They have amazing fabric for quilting and they are arranged on the shelves by color and shade beautifully. The ladies who work here are very helpful and also offer great workshops. Check to see if they will have any workshops while you are in Maine staying at Ocean Point. They also carry hand woven yarn now for you knitting friends.

Maine Quilts 2016 is a Maine craft event that is hosted on by the Pine Tree Quilters Guild, taking place July 29-31. 2016 Augusta Civic Center. This quilt event is an enormous display of fantastic fabric art including Maine shops selling quilting supplies and offering quilt workshops in a variety of techniques. These Maine quilt workshops fill up quickly so early reservations are a necessity. Late July is also prime time at Ocean Point, so reserve your space and your quilting seminar now- its going o be such fun for crafters and quilters,.

Knitting is back in vogue and new Maine yarn shops have popped up over the past decade. The following shops, near Ocean Point, have excellent selections and will not disappoint you.

Halcyon Yarn at 12 School Street, Bath, Maine

Heavenly Socks Yarn at 82 Maine Street in Belfast, Maine.

Over the Rainbow Yarn at 18 School Street in Rockland, Maine

The Cashmere Goat at 20 Bayview Street in Camden, Maine.

Bartlett Yarns, Inc. in Harmony, Maine, is famous for the wool yarn they make.

String Theory in Blue Hill, Maine, does hand dyed yarns.

Grace Robinson at 208 US Route 1 in Freeport, Maine, has a large stock and needlepoitn materials.

The Maine Fiber Frolic will take place June 4-5, 2016 on the Windsor fairgrounds in Windsor, Maine. There are many yarn vendors, great demonstrations and workshops. I have taken workshops at this event and enjoyed them very much. Felters, spinners and weavers will enjoy it too.

If counted cross stitch or needlepoint are your thing, you will enjoy Stitcher’s Corner in Wiscasset, Maine. Call 877-882-4141 for directions and times.

Fabric Art is a favorite craft of mine and some excellent work can be seen at the Red Studio at 13 Maine Street in Topsham, Maine. 207-721-0675

I hope you will be inspired by some of these Maine craft, quilt and bead shops on your next vacation at the Ocean Point Inn. Stop by the Front Desk and let me know which you visited.

Columbus Day Weekend Festivities

The last weekend of Ocean Point Inn’s 2015 season is just about here and promises to be full of exciting things to do. It is one of the most beautiful times of the year in Boothbay Harbor Maine.

H2015Results Our Maine foliage is turning brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. Against the deep blue sky and ocean, the vistas are simply spectacular. Driving the River Road yesterday from Boothbay to Damariscotta, there seemed to be a photo-op around every bend in the road! The road was lined with purple wild asters in full bloom and milk weed pods were bursting open shooting hundreds of seeds into the air floating away using their miniature parachutes. Chipmunks raced across the road with cheeks full of acorns for their winter stash.

The 48th Annual Fall Foliage Festival takes place at the Railway Museum on Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11. 9-6 on Saturday and 10-4 on Sunday. You will be treated to a top notch Craft Show with loads of different vendors, demonstrations by artists, rides on the narrow gauge steam train, 60 antique cars, restored buildings, live music, a wide range of delicious local food, a pumpkin carving contest and a children’s corner. There is something for all ages at this event which is not to be missed.

Fifteen minutes away in the town of Damariscotta there is another spectacular fall event, the Pumpkinfest. Local people have been growing humungous pumpkins all summer for this event. The new champion for 2015 is Edwin Pierpont whose pumpkin weighed in at 1,725.5 pounds!!!!

The enormous pumpkins are brought into town and dropped in front of participating stores. Then
extremely creative people turn them into amazing creations. Be sure to bring your camera. On Monday, October 12, there is the Pumpkinfest Regatta which is one of my favorite events. People actually create boats out of the giant pumpkins and ride in them! Build a pumpkin vehicle and race in the Pumpkin Derby on Sunday, October 11. The Pumpkin Drop is also on Sunday, October 11. The Pumpkinfest Parade is on Saturday, October 10.

Lots of food made with pumpkin will be for sale along the main street. There is a pumpkin pancake breakfast on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Live Music and Entertainment take place all weekend at the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest.

Off the Beaten Path

When you first come to Maine, you visit all the well known points of interest, lighthouses, lobster shacks. If you are looking for a new adventure, check out some of these places more off the beaten path but not far from Ocean Point Inn and Boothbay.

Whaleback Shell Midden

Do you know what a midden is? It is an old dump for domestic waste. In this case, it is an enormous heap of oyster shells left by the Abenaki people who lived along the Damariscotta Rive before the colonists arrived. The shells date back over 1300 years. Originally the Whaleback Shell Midden was over 30 feet deep. From 1886-1891 many of the shells were processed into chicken feed to help harden the egg shells.

Coming from the south on US Route 1, turn left at Belvedere Road and go 0.1 of a mile to a stop sign. Turn right and follow US Route 1 Business/Main Street another 0.5 mile. The parking lot and trail head are on the right. The trail is a half mile loop past an apple orchard along the east bank of the Damariscotta River.

The Glidden Midden on the Newcastle side of the river is the largest shell midden in Maine and on the U.S. east coast north of Georgia.

Liberty Graphics

Liberty Graphics features wonderful designs from the natural world. The Maine printed T-shirts and long sleeved T’s for men, women and children are all printed with earth friendly water base ink. The Liberty Village Outlet Store at 58 Maine Street in Liberty is open daily 9-5 from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. They sell these great shirts at discount prices. Everyone loves a bargain and it is a scenic ride to boot!

Elmer’s Barn

Do you like to search for unexpected treasures and antiques? Elmer’s Barn in Coopers Mills along Route 17 may be of interest. It is a junk and antique mecca. If you love to dig through piles of “stuff” looking for the elusive find, Elmer’s Barn will be right up your alley. One could easily spend a day there looking on the outside and on the three floors of the barn. Elmer is a real Maine character. Have a chat with him!

The Moxie Museum

Ask any “Mainer” about Moxie and they will either say it is great or they hate it. It is a regionally produced soft drink that some say tastes like medicine. I had an uncle who liked Moxie so much that it was served at his Memorial Service! Take a trip to the Moxie Museum in Lisbon Falls. You can even try Moxie ice cream while you are there!

The World’s Largest Rotating Globe

You have probably driven past this globe on your way to Ocean Point if you live south of here. But, did you see it? The DeLorme Headquarters on Interstate 295, just beyond Freeport, in Yarmouth houses this amazing globe called “Eartha.” It takes about 18 minutes for Eartha to complete her cycle. Open 9:30 - 6 daily and fascinating to all ages. The shop is a great source of maps, travel guides and educational gifts for children and adults.

See other great day trips from Ocean Point Inn.

Fair Time in Maine

It is the season for Maine State, County and Town Fairs that are full of interesting events and foods. All ages will find lots to enjoy. Animal pulling, harness racing, flower shows, demolition derbies, livestock exhibits, produce competitions, midway rides, entertainment, crafts, milking competitions, food booths, pony rides, truck pulls, pig scrambles, and MUCH MUCH MORE!!!

A highlight to Maine fairs are the food vendors offering all the traditional fair food like fried dough, sausage sandwiches, bloomin’ onions, cotton candy, candied apples and corn dogs. Put the diet aside for the day and have a gastronomical excursion. Fairs are often for multiple days. Google a specific fair and find events and times for a given day. Many of the fairs are an easy day trip from Ocean Point Inn.

The following fairs are coming up. Enjoy!!

August 13 - 22 Skowhegan State Fair in Skowhegan, Maine

August 17 - 18 Maine Farm Days in Clinton, Maine

August 22 - 29 Union Fair in Union, Maine

August 27 - 30 Acton Fair in Acton, Maine

August 30 - September 7 Windsor Fair in Windsor, Maine

September 4 - 7 Harmony Free Fair in Harmony, Maine

September 20 - 26 Farmington Fair in Farmington, Maine

September 25 - 27 Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine

October 4 - 11 Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine