Machias Wild Blueberry Festival 2024 in Maine

Celebrate all things blueberry and have fun with family and friends

Dates: August 16–18, 2024

The annual Wild Blueberry Festival takes place every August in Machias, Maine, to celebrate the delicious berries for which the region is famous. Organized by the Centre Street Congregational Church, UCC, the festival is free of charge and features great food, live entertainment, contests, farm tours, and blueberries. A three-day weekend event attracts about 15,000 attendees.

Schedule of Events

The fun, family-friendly festival is known for its pie-eating and cooking contests, parade, 5-mile Blueberry Run and 1-mile Fun Run, and musical comedy. Music entertains visitors while highlighting the threat of rising sea levels to blueberry farms. Along with entertainment, the festival offers great shopping, with over 250 artisans and crafters selling various jams, jellies, candles, jewelry, hand-sewn items, pottery, glass designs, home decor, soap, sea salt, rugs, and quilts. Music entertainment includes performances by Pink Capos, Justin Foley, Pitch Black Ribbons, Stephen & Jim of From Away Downeast, Brian & Leonore of Joyful Noise, Cloud Wagon, The Lamp Lighters, and Professor Nichols' Les Etoiles. All events run from 9 am to 7 pm, with the festival ending on Sunday at 3 pm.

Festival Contests

The Blueberry Pie-Eating Contest is both exciting to participate in and entertaining to watch. Contestants are selected through a lottery at 10 am, with ten participants competing across four age categories: 7-10-year-olds, 11-14-year-olds, 15-18-year-olds, and adults. The contest kicks off at 11 am on Saturday. The Blueberry Festival also hosts a Children's Window Painting Contest and a T-shirt design contest where participants can showcase their creativity. The contest winner will receive a $100 cash prize, four free T-shirts, and the honor of featuring their design.

Location

The free Machias Wild Blueberry Festival is held between Bar Harbor and Bangor in the Downeast part of Maine. Besides the festival, you can have a lovely family vacation in the area. The surrounding area features a scenic coast, whale watching, lighthouses, eagle watching, plenty of hiking trails, and kayaking opportunities. It's also famous for its delicious lobster rolls.