Things to do in Bath, Maine this weekend, June 3rd-5th, 2022
This weekend is all about the launching of the ship, Virginia. A ten-year long volunteer effort in Bath culminates Saturday when two cranes will gently place the wooden ship into the Kennebec - the river where its namesake was built and launched 415 years ago. (More below).
Friday Afternoon/Night Set the stage for tomorrow’s big events by joining us for our 4pm Walking Tour of Downtown Bath. Afterward, for dinner, grab a seat at the bar, or the bar area at J.R. Maxwell’s (just noticing they are one of the sponsors for Virginia’s launch, so deserve our support in return!) for always top notch classic steak and seafood dishes. Do your people watching right there - at the bar, or on Front Street through the huge windows of this historic (former hotel) building. Continue the fun with some live music in an 1840s Gothic church, aka Bath’s premiere live performance venue, The Chocolate Church Performing Arts Center, so named for its chocolate-y brown paint color. A feast for the senses, tonight’s act, Enter the Haggis, is a Celtic Rock band and tons of fun.
Saturday Celebrating the launch of Virginia, Maine’s First Ship at the Freight Shed, on Commercial Street, is where it’s at, all afternoon. (After hitting the Bath Farmer’s Market - which is in the morning in the same location as the afternoon’s festivities.) Kicking off with a 12 noon cannon salute, from 12-3:30 there is a Maritime Art and History Festival. (And yes there will be food vendors and sea shanties and a Shipbuilders Pub!) The launch ceremony is 3:30-4:30 and will be livestreamed if you can’t make it or want to avoid crowds. More info on the incredible line up - including a Wabanaki birch bark canoe - here.
Saturday Night If you are still hungry after snacking on Virginia themed ice cream and chocolate, you might head to Kennebec Tavern, the only truly riverside restaurant in Bath. In fact, their clever motto is “Kick Back on the Kennebec.” With stunning views of said river, you can imagine Bath in the 1850s when this spot would have been the site of dozens of ships coming and going, or just idling, waiting for the tide or wind to shift. Try the parsnip chip appetizer! And, while you are idling, go ahead and order another glass of Cakebread Chardonnay.
Sunday How about a morning walk out to a lighthouse? Just across the bridge(s) in Arrowsic, is Squirrel Point Lighthouse and Trail. Embark Maine walking tour participants learn a bit about how this spot on the Kennebec got its name, back in 1717, when the ship of Royal Governor Samuel Shute (of Massachusetts colony) went aground here. You guessed it, his ship was named The Squirrel.
Sunday Afternoon We are running our Historic Neighborhood Walking Tour this Sunday at 5pm, a special time. It’s a lovely walk (with lots of fun stories) around the Washington Street historic district of homes of ship captains and shipbuilders - Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Gothic, Colonial Revival…come walk with us and we will send you off with a great dinner recommendation!
Be sure to check out last week’s “Things to do” in Bath for more tips, including breakfast spots, and our advice on THE BEST place to find out what is open, what’s on special, etc. when in Bath or actually anywhere in Maine (Hint: it begins with Face and ends with book.) Thank you to Main Street Bath for this post’s photo!
