Cover

VISIT PORTLAND / 49

Greater

Portland’s

Do-Not-Miss

Top 10 Winter List

PORTLAND BEER WEEK / NOV 4-10

Lots of events to immerse yourself in our extensive craft brewing scene.

HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING / NOV 23

Start the holiday season with entertainment and merriment in Portland’s Monument Square.

MERRY MADNESS / DEC 6

With your official wine glass, head into Portland’s streets for a festive night of shopping.

MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS /DEC 14-15, 21-23

Portland Symphony Orchestra’s popular holiday show at Merrill Auditorium.

SPARKLE + NORTHERN LIGHTS

Freeport’s festivals of classic holiday fun keep town merry throughout December.

WINTERFEST / JAN, ‘19

South Portland’s and Scarborough’s family fun days with ice skating, wagon rides, contests, and more.

GARDENS AGLOW / NOV 15 - DEC 31

The largest light show in Maine transforms the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay

into a fairyland.

FEB FEST / ALL FEB, ‘19

A moveable feast of art and culture throughout Freeport.

FLAVORS OF FREEPORT / FEB 15-17, ‘19

Local culinary adventure featuring tastings, demonstrations, competitions, dinners.

RESTAURANT WEEK / MAR 1-11, ‘19

Celebrate the best in Maine dining with specially-priced, multi-course menus.

The Greater Portland region supports

an active nightlife including a vibrant

theatre and performing arts scene that

brings national headliners to state-of-the-art

venues. World-class museums offer escapes

into fine art, science, and history on par with

other major urban areas and minor league

professional basketball, ice hockey, and

arena football present tomorrow’s all-stars

at family-friendly affordability.

If you’re not sure where to start, get

things rolling with a tour. All year long

you can get a custom introduction to the

region, taste your way through town on

several foodie tours, have Maine Brew Bus

drive you to drink (locally) at many of the

area’s craft breweries, or indulge in

educational tours from anything from food

and wine to history—or both.

And dinner reservations are the easiest

thing to make during a season with far

less visitors. Undoubtedly Portland has

a high number of restaurants per capita

and they’re almost all open through the

quiet season, making this a fabulous time

to eat your way through town. Maine

Restaurant Week, in early March, is

dedicated to having food enthusiasts

try them all! Eateries at all price points

around the state offer specially priced

multi-course menus for what is actually

closer to a two-week span.

So don’t let winter get you down—just

show up and we’ll show you how to turn the

Quiet Season into a rollicking good time!

PHOTOS, FROM CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY PINELAND FARMS; VISIT FREEPORT; MICHAEL LEONARD