Summer is here and schools are out. We are going to try  and keep a list of FREE, family friendly, events that are going on in the Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island area, which will be published weekly on the WDEA website. Here is a list of free events that are occurring July 1st - 7th and include 4th of July information

Bar Harbor - 4-7PM. Free Community Meal with entertainment. Prepared by Open Table MDI. Served at Bar Harbor Congregational Church on Mount Desert Street.

Southwest Harbor - 5:30- 7PM. Southwest Harbor Public Library - Coyote... America's Songdog with Geri Vistein. Come and discover who this important and resilient carnivore is, in a way you never have before. The presentation is inclusive touching upon anthropology, archaeology, prehistoric and modern history, Native American life, poetry, wildlife science and ecology and much more. Geri Vistein is a Conservation Biologist whose focus in carnivores and their vital role in maintaining the biodiversity on our planet.

Wednesday July 3rd
Southwest Harbor - 10- 10:45 AM Southwest Harbor Public Library - Toddler Storytime. Designed for children 3 -5 but all are welcome. Join the Children's Library staff in songs, simple sign language and interactive short stories.

Castine - The Wilson Museum - The Downeast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association is pleased to sponsor the dedication of the Wilson Museum's new Antique Boat Exhibit and Boat Shop on July 3, 2019 beginning mid-morning. This will be a great opportunity to see a wide variety of small boats and chat with their knowledgeable and enthusiastic owners.

At 11 a.m. Penobscot Marine Museum Curator, Ben Fuller, will give a talk entitled On Matinicus It's a Double-Ender about small peapods.

The aromas from the outdoor bake oven will entice attendees across the street at noon to sample Museum-made bean-hole beans, pulled pork, blueberry buckle, as well as a variety of smoked fish (mackerel, alewives, or smelt) from the Downeast Salmon Federation's smoker.

At 2 p.m. take part in the Exhibit and Boat Shop ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony followed by Tom Jackson, Senior Editor for WoodenBoat, giving a talk entitled Modern Small Craft: Building on Tradition about the current use of traditional small craft. Then, to top it off, there will be a showing of the WoodenBoat video The 2015 Small Reach Regatta provided by Small Reach Regatta.

Ellsworth - 12-1 PM Ellsworth Public Library The Joy$ of Thrift. Join others who are looking for ways to save money, stretch the budget and share frugal ideas. Please feel free to bring your lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided.

Ellsworth- 3-7PM First Congregational Church - Welcome Table. All community members are invited to a free meal in the dining hall. Enter the Church Street door located diagonally across from the Ellsworth Police Station. 2 Church Street, Ellsworth

Ellsworth - 7PM . Ellsworth Town Band -  The first concert of the 2019 Summer Season. Bring a folding chair and some bug spray. Held at Union River Harbor Park

Bar Harbor- 7-8 PM - Jesup Memorial Library - Book Launch: Vaughn Hardacker "My Brother's Keeper" From Vaughn C Hardacker, acclaimed author of Sniper and The Fisherman and twice finalist for the Maine Literary Awards, comes the action-packed follow-up to Black Orchard which Publisher's Weekly called "hard-hitting."

Thursday July 4th Happy 4th of July!
The Following Events take place in Bar Harbor
6AM Blueberry Pancake Breakfast
Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary Club, Bar Harbor Athletic Field, Park Street. Blueberry or plain pancakes, sausage, juice, milk, 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 local nonprofits. Purchase your tickets in advance.

7:30 AM - 2:30 PM Bar Harbor Nonprofit Showcase
Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary Club, Bar Harbor Athletic Field, Park Street. Multiple Maine nonprofits sell goods, raffle items, and provide information on their nonprofit organization.

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Craft Fair/Marketplace
The 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.
10AM Independence Day Parade
One of the biggest 4th of July Parades takes place in Bar Harbor. Lasting a little over a hour, this year's theme is "Star Spangled Salute - A Celebration of Family, Fun & Freedom"

The parade steps off at 10 AM down by the Athletic fields and travels down Main Street and onto Cottage Street before heading to Mount Desert Street and down Ledgelawn Avenue. The parade typically lasts about a hour with all the floats and participants.

The Bar Harbor Police Department will close all roads that intersect with the parade route around 9:45 AM. Vehicles will not be able to drive or cross the route until the parade finishes, unless participating in the parade.

11AM Seafood Festival
Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary Club, Bar Harbor Athletic Field, Park Street. Enjoy lobster, mussels, corn, lobster rolls, hot dogs, hamburgers, and more at the area’s largest seafood festival! All proceeds from the event support local nonprofits. Purchase your tickets in advance.

After the Parade, MDI YMCA Annual Lobster Races!
Bar Harbor Athletic Field, Park Street. Watch local businesses put their lobsters to the test in a high-speed crustacean contest where guts and determination will reign supreme. Proceeds benefit the MDI YMCA Scholarship Program. For more information 207-288-3511 or exec@mdiymca.org.

12Noon-3:30 PM Music at the Town Pier.
Come place your blanket and enjoy the sunshine! Play a little frisbee! Watch the ocean and listen to me as I broadcast live on our sister station I-95 WWMJ with the best in classic rock!

3:30 PM - 9:00 PM Live Music @ Harborside Concert Series
Free concert series in Agamont Park leading up to the fireworks. With family-friendly tunes for dancing and listening as you wander by the harbor or stake out your seat for the fireworks! Produced by the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

7:30-8:30 PM Bar Harbor Town Band
Free concert on the Bar Harbor Village Green, Main & Mt. Desert Streets. For over 100 years the Town Band, comprised of amateur musicians from around the region, has entertained thousands of locals and visitors.

9:15 PM (approx.) Fireworks Over Frenchman Bay
Enjoy the spectacular display on the waterfront, downtown Bar Harbor.

Southwest Harbor - 9PM Fireworks - The fireworks will be  shot from the Acadia Fuel barge which will be placed in the middle of Southwest Harbor providing unobstructed views from Manset to the Coast Guard base. (Rain date: July 6th)

Friday July 5th

Southwest Harbor - 10-11AM Southwest Harbor Public Library - Baby Storytime. Susan Michalski and Amanda Crafts welcome babies with songs, rhymes and short stories. Baby Storytime is designed especially for babies under 2 years but older siblings are invited.

Ellsworth 6-7:30 PM Waterfront Concert- Harbor Park 413 Water Street The Trisha Mason Band. The Trisha Mason Band is a home grown Ellsworth, Maine ensemble that draws its strength from the snowy forests, the rockbound coasts of downeast. Trisha has forged her song-craft, delicately tuneful and staunchly demotic, in the crucible of the fan-driven hometown music scene here in the small town capital of Hancock County.

Bar Harbor - 7-8PM Author Talk and Book Signing: Jordanna Max Brodsky "The Wolf and the Whale" . "The Wolf and the Whale" is a powerful tale of magic, discovery and adventure featuring an unforgettable narrator ready to confront the gods themselves.

Saturday July 6th

Bar Harbor - 9-10AM Jesup Memorial Library - Write On! Writer's Group. Writer's Group for all levels and genres. Come prepared to read your work and critique the work of your fellow writers.
Ellsworth - 9-9:45 AM  Ellsworth Public Library - Baby Story and Play (Designed for infants up to 3. Join Miss Cheryl for a story and sing some favorite songs followed by informal playtime. A great opportunity for parents to connect and the kids to play.

Southwest Harbor - 9:30 - 12:30PM Southwest Harbor Public Library. Every Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30 get help with basic computer tasks such as setting up an email account, transferring photos, attaching photos to emails, completing online forms, scanning documents, creating and using documents in Word, Excel, Access, Google Drive etc. Laptop users are encouraged to bring their own computer. Registration is recommended.

Ellsworth - 10-12 Noon, Ellsworth Public Library - Knitting Group. Come work on your project and socialize with the group. Fiber arts of all types and levels are welcome. Meeting in the Knitting Nook (3rd Floor). Knitters,spinners and crocheters of all levels are welcome.

Ongoing
Ellsworth - Knowlton Park's Splash Pad is the place to cool off in Ellsworth!

The restroom facilities are open from 8AM to 9 PM. The changing rooms at Knowlton Park are open as well. Water in the Splash Pad will operate between 10AM and 8PM, everyday, unless the temperature falls below 65, which it will then automatically shut off until the temperature rises again.

Looking for somewhere that's kid friendly and FREE in Bar Harbor to cool off? The place to go is the Glen Mary Wading Pool! The Pool has a maximum depth of 2 feet and is open daily from 10AM to 8 PM. There is no lifeguard on duty, and children under 10 need to be accompanied by someone 14 and over. Pets are not allowed in the fenced in area. Food and beverage is allowed but not in the water. There are changing facilities

The Glen Mary Wading Pool is located at 11 Waldren Road. The easiest way to get there is to go on Park Street and go past the YMCA and cross Ledgelawn Avenue. At the end of the road turn right onto Glen Mary Road. At the end of the road turn left onto Waldren Road.

Handy Phone Numbers
Ellsworth Public Library - 207-667-6363
Southwest Harbor Public Library - 207-244-7065
Northeast Harbor Public Library - 207-276-3333
Jesup Memorial Library - 207-288-4245