Snow Pond Center for the Arts - Summer Concert Series

Exploring Skowhegan: A Place to Watch
Skowhegan, Maine is a rural community nestled
in a bend of the Kennebec River, just a mere 30
minutes north of the Snow Pond Center for the
Arts. Skowhegan is a former mill town, which is in
the midst of a renaissance and is rapidly becoming
a destination for foodies, arts lovers and outdoor
recreationalists. There are ample indoor and outdoor
activities and in the summertime, the Skowhegan area
becomes a hub for summer festivals and fairs, making
it a can’t-miss destination. It’s the perfect getaway for
a weeklong exploration or a weekend away. The name
‘Skowhegan’ literally means ‘A Place to Watch’, and
like a self-fulfilling prophecy, the region has become
exactly that.
Depending on who you ask, you may come up
with two dozen answers to the question, ‘What’s the
best thing to do in Skowhegan’? One answer is to get
immersed in the arts scene, led by Lakewood Theater
in Madison (www.lakewoodtheater.org) the oldest
summer theater in the country that produces a nine
show season over 18 weeks. Another destination is
the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds which has activities
every weekend from horse & dog agility shows, to the
Artisan Bread Fair (Aug. 1), or the Skowhegan State
Fair (Aug. 13-22).
Gifford’s Ice Cream was started in Skowhegan,
and their ice cream stand on Route 201 turns 35 this
year. You won’t want to miss the New Balance factory
store, or their large tent sale happening August 12-24.
If museums are your thing, you could spend
hours exploring the Skowhegan History House and
the Margaret Chase Smith Museum in Skowhegan, or
the L.C. Bates Museum on the campus of Good Will-
Hinckley, in Hinckley.
Outdoor excursions await the adventurer as
Skowhegan is home to several top notch walking
trails, and is the gateway to northern Maine with
whitewater rafting and mountain hikes just 30-
60 minutes away. Also Lakewood Golf Course is
challenging for any golfers in the family.
For music lovers there are several local
restaurants and pubs that have live entertainment,
and the Sunday night concerts in Coburn Park in
Skowhegan are a ritual for many in July and August.
Finally, wash all of your activities down at some great
restaurants like the Heritage House Restaurant, the
Old Mill Pub, Lakewood Inn Restaurant or the Pickup
Café, located in the Somerset Grist Mill, which is
a grain mill converted out of
the old county jail.
There is so much to
see in Skowhegan, and we
would love to show it all to
you. For more information
about the region please
contact the Skowhegan Area
Chamber of Commerce at
(207) 474-3621 or exdir@
skowheganareachamber.com
Cory King
Executive Director
Skowhegan Chamber of
Commerce
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Photo by Brian LeGrand