Southernty’s n York Cou
Sentinel The Weekly
ws Good Ne
ECRWSS PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID Seacoast Media Group Portsmouth, NH POSTAL CUSTOMER
Your Community Newspaper Serving: ARUNDEL, BERWICK, CAPE NEDDICK, ELIOT, KENNEBUNK, KENNEBUNKPORT, KITTERY, KITTERY POINT, MOODY, NORTH BERWICK, OGUNQUIT, SOUTH BERWICK, WELLS, YORK & YORK HARBOR
Friday, July 25, 2025 Volume 21 • Issue No. 30
Annual York Days Festival Returns YORK This year’s York Days festival will run from Friday, August 1, to Sunday, August 3, and will feature many of the traditional events guests have come to know and love over the years. Leading up to the weekend, starting on Friday, July 25, every night will feature the summer lighting of the Nubble Lighthouse, illuminating the structure as it is during the winter holidays. A spectacular view from Sohier Park features the keeper’s house and tower entirely outlined in white lights. The lighting allows visitors who are not able to be there in the fall and winter to see what the Nubble looks like during the holidays. For park details and updates, visit www. nubblelight.org. 2025 York Days key events include:
Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3 York Days Craft Fair
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the York Beach Ball Field at Short Sands. A not-to-
by July 31. For questions and information, contact Nick Darby at ndarby@yorkmaine.org.
Sunday, August 3 Fireworks
9 p..m. at Short Sands Beach. Sponsored by the York Beach Fire Department to celebrate the end of York Days.
For more information on York Days and an updated list of events, , visit www.yorkparkbe-missed event featuring over 50 local vendors and crafters showcasing their creations. Entry is free, with food and drinks available for purchase. Kids can enjoy giant lawn games, a bouncy house, and other entertainment. Portable restrooms will be on-site.
Saturday, August 2 Wellness Fest for All Ages
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at York High School; in partnership with A Welcome Haven and Rise Wellness Collective. Visitors experience the tranquility of yoga, the peace of meditation, and test their limits with an invigorating cold plunge. This event is free and welcomes all participants looking to find bal-
ance, seek inner calm, or push their boundaries.
Sunday, August 3 Annual York Days 5K
8 a.m. at York High School. The Annual York Days 5k Road Race is the fourth race in the Seacoast Road Race Series and benefits youth programming throughout York. This year, funds raised from the race will provide essential mats and uniforms for York Youth Cheer. Participants may pick up their race shirt and bib on race day starting at 7:00 a.m. There will also be an early bib pick-up opportunity on August 2. There will be no raceday registration; all registrations must have been be completed
36th Annual Open Farm Day STATEWIDE M a i ne’s 3 6 t h a n nu a l Open Farm Day will take place Sunday, July 27, with some farms also open on Saturday, July 26. Started by Maine farmers and supporters in 1989, this premier agritourism event has been a way
Local Average Tide Chart Date High Low am pm
Sat 26 12:36 1:15 Sun 27 1:25 2:00 Mon 28 2:11 2:43 Tue 29 2:56 3:26 Wed 30 3:42 4:08 Thu 31 4:29 4:52 Fri 1 5:19 5:39 Sat 2 6:11 6:29
am pm
6:54 7:03 7:39 7:51 8:23 8:39 9:05 9:28 9:49 10:18 10:33 11:09 11:19 12:03 12:08
Sun Rise Sun Set Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu 31 Fri 1 Sat 2
5:25 8:12 5:26 8:11 5:27 8:10 5:28 8:09 5:29 8:08 5:30 8:07 5:31 8:05 5:32 8:04
Arts & Entertainment
Library News
27
People & Business 21-25
7-13
Dining
29
Classifieds Finance & Career
Home & Business
to raise awareness about farms and their importance to Maine. It is an opportunity to connect visitors to Maine farms so they may learn and see firsthand the care and effort required to produce quality Maine farm products and ingredients. Each site is different and offers visitors a chance to meet farmers and learn more about the role of farms across Maine. Open Farm Day is a statewide event sponsored by Real Maine and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (MDACF). According to the department, “We celebrate Maine agriculture yearround, and Open Farm Day is an extra special day to visit a farm and discover more ways to enjoy farm products . . . [and] allows visitors to explore host farms throughout the state.” Farmers are excited to welcome guests, who can experience working farms that raise animals, fruits, vegetables, or other crops. This year, host farms include Finkelpod Farm in Arun-
4
Calendar
26
21-25
sandrec.org/special-events or call 207-363-1040.
Obituaries Pets
Puzzles
Sports & Outdoors
13-15
12 5
26
28
PAGES
del, Lavender Hill Farm in Berwick, Sturgeon Creek Farm in Eliot, Blackrock Farm in Kennebunkport, Nooney Farm in Kittery, and Crooked Brook Farm in Wells, along with nearly 90 others in all 16 Maine counties. While the event officially takes place on the fourth Sunday of every July, rain or shine, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., individual farms may choose to be open Saturday as well and/ or during varying hours. The MDCAF recommends that visitors check local listings before they head out. For more information and a complete list of participating farms, visit www.realmaine. com/openfarmday.
Health & Fitness
A section concerning your health . . .
19, 20
Celebrating Wild Blueberry Weekend STATEWIDE When summer hits its peak in Maine, the wild blueberry barrens come alive– lush, buzzing with activity, and brimming with berries. This is more than a harvest; it is a celebration of land, heritage, and the communities that make Maine, Maine. In celebration, Wild Blueberry Weekend is returning Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, for its fifth year of “bountiful, berryful fun.” Created by the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine (WBCM), this statewide event brings residents and visitors directly onto working wild blueberry farms throughout Maine – many of them family-run for generations – to connect with the people and places behind the official state berry. “Wild Blueberry Weekend is about celebrating what makes Maine special,” said Eric Venturini, executive director of WBCM. “It’s a joyful, handson way for folks to support local farms, explore the beauty of our unique, rugged landscape, and taste the wild difference for themselves.” According to the commission, the story of the wild blueberry spans thousands of years, beginning with the Wabanaki Nations who were the first to care for the barrens and develop the traditional land management practices still in use today. That heritage lives on current growers, who combine time-honored practices with modern stewardship to sustain this remarkable crop. By visiting during Wild Blueberry
Weekend, guests support these growers directly, strengthening Maine’s local food system and celebrating a uniquely wild harvest found nowhere else. This year, dozens of farms across the state will open their gates, offering scenic tours, raking demonstrations, pints of freshly picked berries, handmade goods, and the chance to meet the faces behind the food. Attendees can enjoy pancake breakfasts, sips of the season, cooking demonstrations from some of Maine’s most celebrated chefs, and family-friendly, hands-on opportunities to explore the barrens and dive into the fruitful history of Maine. The celebration also goes beyond the farm gate: restaurants, breweries, distilleries, and shops all across Maine will serve up limited-time wild blueberry creations that highlight the fruit’s bold flavor and nutritional punch. The WBMC invites guests to join the celebration this August, walk the barrens, support Maine’s farmers, and “taste the wild.” For more information and a complete list of participants and events, visit www.wildblueberryweekend.com.
tech talk Tour Growing Our
Real Estate
Section This Week!
30-32
Our Technology Page
6