Belfast Maine... a Great Town to Visit... a Great Place to Live!
Discover the delights of Belfast ME: movie theater... art galleries... Friday Nights ... the festivals... the food... the potlucks... the co-op ... the fun!

Belfast Maine has been voted the coolest budget travel destination and a great place to live. Click on the video clip for a glimpse at some of the reasons why!

The Pick of Belfast Area Entertainment

Colonial Theatre "Authentic Downtown Movie Palace". Three Screens. Elephant on the Roof.

Annual New Year's by the Bay Celebration Family-friendly. Chem-Free, Featuring over a couple of dozen top notch performers and activities for one low ticket price. Many of the town's eateries are open late... offering great food at reasonable prices during the evening. The highlight of the evening is the Annual Midnight Bonfire by the Bay.... with complimentary hot chocolate at the Weathervane restaurant. Definitely a great way to ring in the New Year!

Belfast Masker's Theater Almost year round... staging a minimum of 7 productions. They offer special $7 tickets for preview shows. Workshops and children's program.

Belfast Area Free and Cheap Activities

Waterfall Arts Open Mike Night "... meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the Month at 7:00pm in our cozy Fallout Shelter Cafe. Bring your instruments and play or just come listen. Potluck snacks - bring something to share. Free. All Welcome! Contact John Dillenbeck at 323-0743 ..."

Waterfall Arts Open Jazz Jam "... the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm until around 8:30 in our comfortable Fallout Shelter Cafe. Come play or just listen. Bring some food to share! All welcome. Call Jason Dean for more information 338-4874..."

Friday Nights in Belfast: First Fridays, Friday Night Art Walks, Friday Night Film Festival

Celebrate the Arts in Belfast every Friday in July and August from 5 pm to 8 p.m. "... An opportunity to visit over 13 galleries and studios. A social scene to visit and see and be seen. Enjoy refreshments at hosting galleries and be entertained by the sidewalk performances of area musicians, dancers and performers as you stroll from gallery to gallery..."

Belfast Flying Shoes "... on the First Friday of every month at the Frank D. Hazeltine American Legion Post 43. Features Community Dance at 6:30, Potluck at 7:30 and Contra Dance at 8:00.

Belfast Maine Boating and Sailing Activities

Wanderbird Expedition Cruises Eco-tours to Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador

Belfast Maine Activity Calendars

Penobscot Marine Museum Calendar of Activities A showing of early 20th century postcards is just one of many activities you can enjoy or participate in.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast Calendar AA, Over-Eaters, Buddhist Meditation, Lifespan Education, Peace and Justice Group of Waldo County, and others

Village Soup for Waldo County News, events, classified, auctions, etc.

Belfast Clubs and Organizations

Belfast Bicycle Club sponsors Spring through Fall bike rides four days a week and the annual 4th of July Belfast Criterium.

Belfast Garden Club Open Garden Days, Civic Beautification

Belfast Maine Volunteer Opportunties

Belfast Masker's Community Theater "... "Enriching," "rewarding," "exciting," "educational," and "fun" are just a few of the words that describe the Maskers' volunteer experience. In addition to working with top-rate actors and directors, volunteering can offer you hands-on experience in a variety of theatrical endeavors including set design, make-up, costuming, lighting design, and sound. While the Maskers certainly welcomes those with theater backgrounds, you DO NOT need any experience - just desire, energy, enthusiasm and a collaborative spirit! We will welcome you and train you. Age is not a concern. You can help once a year or on many productions in the same or different capacities... " You can also participate in Auditions "... typically held on Saturdays at 10 a.m. New faces are always welcomed and encouraged to participate ...." Maskers Waterfront Theater, 43 Front Street

Common Ground Country Fair Volunteer Opportunities. "... A very warm and heartfelt thank you to the more than 1,000 volunteers who  helped us run the 2008 Common Ground Country Fair. We always rely on the boundless energy and dedication of our volunteers. The Fair simply would not happen without our volunteers!..." "MOFGA continues to develop its year-round volunteer program to help run the organization's many programs. If you are interested in volunteering for any of MOFGA's programs other than the Fair..."

Penobscot Marine Museum Many ways to volunteer.

Special Places to Shop in Belfast Maine

Belfast Co-op "...with over 2,500 member/owners, the Belfast Co-op is Maine's oldest and largest food co-op... café that seats forty people.... Our wine section draws people from as far away as fifty miles drive. We carry an extensive list of local, national and international beers...."

Belfast Farmers Market Wonderful vegetables and cheeses fresh from local farms. Prepared food, jams, jellies, preserves. Entertainment. Year round (Winters in the greenhouse of Aubuchon Hardware on Route 1). (View the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets website for other farmers markets.)

Fiddler's Green Farm "... a family organic business combining the energy, love, and hard work of two Maine families in Belfast, Maine. Our families bring your family delicious ORGANIC cereals and pancake & baking mixes; flours & grains; nuts, seeds & dried fruit; coffees & teas and MUCH MORE!.." Shop Online Only

Yo Mamma's Home Wild eclectic decor items like rugs, lamps... plus stationery, smell good cleaning supplies and services. 7 days a week at 96 Main Street

Where to Dine in Belfast Maine

Chase's Daily Restaurant According to Frommers:

"... A vegetarian restaurant that doesn't make a point of being too politically correct, this place maintains a good balance between hearty food and sophisticated menu items. It's operated by a local farm family who grow much of the produce cooked here. Breakfast ranges from simple oatmeal to breakfast burritos and fruit smoothies; lunch segues nicely into a menu of soups, sandwiches, and salads, with an emphasis on Asian, Latin American, and European themes. Coffee drinks are high quality: Chase's serves fair-trade roasted beans from New York's fine Porto Rico coffeehouse. And the baked goods, produced in house, are wonderful as well. The room is inviting and light-filled; note the tongue-and-groove wooden floorboards and pressed-tin ceiling. There's also a farm stand in half of the space...."

Darby's "... built in 1865 and has operated continuously as a bar or restaurant for 140 years.... The walls, tin ceiling and antique bar are original. We serve international country cuisine...." Two doors down from the Colonial movie theater

Three Tides 3 Pinchy Lane Outdoor seating. Harborside fireplace. Tasty bar tapas menu

Where to Buy Fresh Wild Maine Lobster in Belfast ME

The Maine coast is an ideal habitat for the world's finest lobsters, offering cold clean water, a rocky coast and an abundant diet of crabs, mussels, sea urchins, clams and other ocean delicacies..

Young's Lobster Pound "... is a bustling harborside building, open from one end straight through to the other. The first floor houses tanks with a capacity of 30,000 lobsters, a take-out counter and, most likely, folks lining up to get fresh lobsters, clams and more. Buy some live lobsters to go, or have them cook some up for you right on the spot; no extra charge. Seating is available outdoors at dockside picnic tables, boasting a tranquil view of Penobscot Bay. If weather is poor, you can enjoy your meal on the second floor indoor dining area. Either way, it's the perfect spot to enjoy your shore dinner: 1 to 1 1/2 pound lobster, corn-on-the-cob or slaw, steamers, chowder or stew, and chips...." See Maine Lobster Council website for lobster cooking tips and recipes

Worshipping in Belfast Maine

Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast "... We meet every Sunday for services that are created and led by our minister, guest speakers, or members of the congregation. Religious education or child care is available every Sunday.
We are a relaxed, informal congregation. Our services on a wide variety of topics are presented in creative, inspiring, and spiritual ways with music being an important part of each service. A time for fellowship and refreshment follows every service..." 37 Miller Street

Online Classified Ads in the Belfast Maine Area

Village Soup Classifieds

Employment Opportunities in Belfast Area

Waldo County YMCA

Cinematographers and Movie and TV Production in Belfast Maine

Almost Live! Productions. View Mark Kuzio's travel documentary of New Delhi and Agra India and a snippet from the Mark and Tim Show on Community TV

TheLivingWeb.net eBay Auctions iPod Auctions iPhone Auctions HDTV Auctions Laptop Computer Auctions Digital Camera Auctions Toyota Prius Auctions Luxury Watch Auctions Gold Bullion Auctions Golf Equipment Auctions Home and Condo Auctions Wii Game Console

What the Press Has to Say About Belfast

Belfast According to Travel and Leisure

"... The harbor town of Belfast is one of Maine's overlooked showpieces. Its sloping main street is lined with neo-Gothic and Neoclassical architecture; candy-cane barber poles and soda fountains still occupy the ornate storefronts. But don't take its primness as mere tourist fodder: Belfast is a vital working town, and Chase's Daily is its buzzing hub.

The Chase family—father Addison, mother Penny, and daughters Meg and Phoebe—owns a 500-acre farm in nearby Freedom. That's right, Freedom. Six years ago they took over Belfast's 1888 Odd Fellows Hall, whose ground level is a plank-floored, tin-ceilinged warehouse space. It now resembles a SoHo gallery; funky artwork hangs on the brick walls. A 49-seat restaurant occupies the front half. Out back is a retail market selling produce from the Chases' farm. Shafts of sunlight stream through the tall windows, illuminating bins of vegetables like some ray-of-God tableau: scarlet and fuchsia turnip greens, yellow and purple baby carrots. I challenge you to locate a more tantalizing assortment of produce, outside of a Dutch still life. (This was where we found the aforementioned killer tomatoes.)

The all-day restaurant and bakery fills up with an eclectic crowd: farmers, Feldenkrais practitioners, meter maids on coffee breaks. Three of the waitresses when we visited were ruddy-cheeked farm girls; the other had a Bettie Page tattoo. We came for breakfast (omelettes with roasted sweet onions, sautéed Swiss chard, and fontina) and, not believing our luck, returned two hours later for lunch (a frothy, chilled soup of potato, leek, and fennel, sprinkled with zesty chives—all of it from the Chases' farm). Only after we left did we realize that everything on the menu was vegetarian..."

According to the Maine Office of Tourism

"... One visit and you’ll discover why the Belfast Area is the true heart of the Mid-coast. Belfast is a small city, the shire town and one of the 26 towns that along with Northport, Searsport, Stockton springs and Winterport comprise Waldo County. Come visit us and you’ll discover for yourself why USA TODAY hailed Belfast as one of the “top ten culturally cool towns in the country.” Those of us who have visited before or are lucky enough to live in the Belfast Area, like to think “we have it all.” We enjoy miles of two-lane rural roads with scenic vistas, beachcombing along undeveloped waterfronts, farmers markets, unusual shops, antique and flea markets, a variety of art galleries and artisan’s studios, kayaking, rowing, sail boat rides, hiking and biking trails, theater, one of the finest marine museums of the east coast, the Penobscot Marine Museum and a diverse selection of dining opportunities starting with lobster and ending with the best ice cream in Maine! Also within driving distance is the state of the art Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory!..."

What the Locals Have to Say
about Belfast Maine

Belfast According to Paul

"... Belfast is like a hippie artist community... The cinema with the elephant on the roof. The history. The summertime concerts when they block off a different street and have a different band play. The bay. The fact that you can be just who you want to be and everyone seems to accept it.... it's like the 1960's have sort of stopped here, and all the better elements stayed. I don't know how to describe it, it's like health food store meets commune meets artist colony meets summer theater, the crossroads of the old and the new..." CLICK HERE for more of Paul's take on Belfast... it's restaurants, best B&B, and more.

Belfast Area Art Galleries

Belfast Galleries are open late Friday evenings during the summer and the Christmas shopping season... many featuring musical entertainment and refreshments.

Aarhus Gallery 50 Main St.

Engraven Images 111 High Street Woodcuts, Japanese Woodblock Prints

First Light Gallery, 92 Main St.

High Street Studio & Gallery 202 Waldo Avenue

Indigo Gallery, 94 Main St.

Parent Gallery 92 Main St

Phoenix Row

Waterfall Arts Belfast, 256 High St.

Working Art Gallery, 65 Main St.

Click here for other galleries in Waldo and Lincoln Counties... including Carver Gallery (Rockport), Center for Maine Contemporary Art (Rockport)

Belfast Maine Area Art Organizations

Art Coast Maine ".... comprises over 80 art organizations & artists located in Maine's spectacular midcoast region. Our mission is to further promote our region as a major arts destination...."

Belfast Maine Artists and Performers

Jennifer Armstrong ".. singer and storyteller with a lifetime of involvement in the folk arts. With Scottish bagpipe, fiddle, sit-down square dancing, Celtic, Appalachian and personal tales, Jennifer Armstrong's performances delight and enthrall audiences of all ages..."

Marcie Jan Bronstein Photo based art

David Estey Drawings Paintings Prints

Debby Flood Horses, Dogs, Children, Seascapes
See Debby's blog

Annadeene K. Fowler

Linden Frederick American Landscape, Dawn and Dusk Themes

A. C. Kulik Hand cut, Hand printed Limited Edition Woodcuts

Jan Owen Art Calligraphic Art and Artists Books

James W. Stickland Monumental outdoor sculptures, interior sculptures, paintings

Susan Tobey White "... a painter and sculptor whose canvases of vibrant dancers and whimsical doll sculptures, quite simply, inspire smiles and laughter...."

See

Annual Belfast Area Festivals

Arts in the Park "... one of most respected fine arts and crafts festivals in Midcoast Maine. The variety of artwork and crafts is outstanding, and continuous live music and the smells of freshly grilled food add to the festival atmosphere. The venue can't be improved upon - set on the water's edge downtown on Belfast's harbor with tugboats, sailboats, and dinghies moored a few feet away..."

Belfast Poetry Festival

Comic Arts Laugh Festival "... live, physical, television, classic and new film, spoken, web videos, academic, visual, debate, discussion, literary, and more. ... celebrates all things of humor, good cheer, and of comedic origins. Films, jugglers, poets, storytellers, musicians, comedians, dancers, performance art, hypnotists, improv, magicians, stand up, mime, slap stick, Maine and not so Maine, ventriloquists, puppeteers, stilt walkers, and even trained monkeys..." Welcomes proposals and suggestions from everyone... "... filmmakers, visual artists: graphic novels, illustrators, painters, etc. Sound artists. Whatever..." You can participate by the individual show... or by a 'whole event' pass. Some shows are very inexpensive... or even free.

Common Ground Country Fair, Unity ME "...Downeast Magazine calls Common Ground "Maine's most authentic country fair, uniting, as it does, old-time folkways with progressive ideas about living the good life on a fragile planet.

Maine Celtic Celebration "... Belfast, ME and the surrounding area was founded and built by the Celtic people of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Cornwall and Brittany. John Miller named Belfast after his hometown after he won a flip of the coin.,,, The mission of the Maine Celtic Celebration is to renew the rich Celtic history, culture and hospitality found along the coast of Maine. We are a group of volunteers drawn from the community. The 3-day celebration is planned as a “donation only” event. No admission to the shows or workshops will be charged and visitors are free to donate what they feel the event is worth. Even though this is a celebration of Celtic culture, we encourage and welcome all people to attend..." 3 days in Mid-July

Union Fair and Blueberry Festival Held mid August in Union ME.

Other Fairs and Festivals in Maine's Midcoast

Museums and Libraries in the Belfast Area

Belfast Free Library

Penobscot Marine Museum 5 Church Street in Searsport

The Belfast Historical Society and Museum "... is dedicated to the collection, conservation, preservation and interpretation of artifacts relevant to Belfast history. Visitors to the Museum will enjoy vintage photographs, maps, postcard collections and interpretive displays. An extensive archives and library are available for research..."

Education and Educational Activities in Belfast Maine

High Street Studio Art Classes

The Senior College at the University of Maine, Hutchinson Center "... provides a diverse curriculum of programs, classes and special events for those 50 years and older, along with their spouses or partners.You will enjoy subjects ranging from the intellectually challenging to the purely enjoyable...."

Waterfall Arts Center "... encourages individual participation in the creative process through its art classes for all abilities. We strongly believe that the making of art contributes to a greater awareness of the world and of the connections between humans and their environment. All classes are led by professional artists with significant teaching experience...."

Things to Do and See in Belfast Area

Penobscot Narrows Observatory and Fort Knox Prospect ME

Waldo Country WMCA 157 Lincolnville Avenue "... a state of the art facility which includes a fitness / wellness area, indoor walk track, community room, multipurpose gymnasium and childcare...."

Where to Stay in the Belfast Area

The Alden House
63 Church Street

Belfast Harbor Inn
91 Searsport Avenue on Route 1&3 north of bridge

Belhaven Inn
14 John Street

Comfort Inn Ocean's Edge
159 Searsport Avenue Route 1 & 3 north of bridge

Frost House
8 Northport Avenue

Harbor View House of 1807
213 High Street

Londonderry Inn
133 Belmont Avenue

Penobscot Bay Inn
192 Northport Avenue

The Jewelled Turret Inn
40 Pearl Street

The White House B&B
1 Church Street

UU Belfast Bed and Breakfast Program "... Enjoy Midcoast Maine & Penobscot Bay, an area known for its beautiful harbors and lakes, exceptional art, crafts, music, dance, theater, antiques, biking, hiking, farmers markets, and small-town New England charm. Save money and increase ambiance by staying with members of the Belfast UU Church...."

Wealthy Poor House B & B
70 Church Street