There’s no admission fee for The Maine Oyster Festival! Plus, parking is free and plentiful in Freeport.
Below is the schedule for official Festival events. You’ll find plenty of other related activities in and around Freeport over the weekend as well as deals and special offers in our stores and restaurants. Plus, there’s no better way to learn about oysters and the people who cultivate them to visit a farm. The festival is rain or shine, in the event of severe weather check our social media channels for updates. 
Friday, June 27
5:30PM: Meet the Farmer Kick Off Party at Freeport Oyster Bar to benefit the Maine Farmed Seafood Coalition. Tickets include light appetizers and a complimentary beverage. Other menu items available for purchase. 43 Main St.
Saturday, June 28
10AM – 6PM: Meet sea farmers & eat oysters, learn to shuck, shop with the vendors & food trucks, kids can make a craft or two to take home, meet sea creatures with Tidepool Tim, and find out more about seaworthy organizations. L.L.Bean Discovery Park & Mallard Parking Lot behind Freeport Oyster Bar
10AM – 11:15AM: Live Music by Shank Painters. Shank Painters are a pirate band from the shores of Portland, ME, featuring sea shanties, tavern songs, and music which will be sure to get you ready to plunder and pillage as you please! FMI: https://www.shankpainters.com/ Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
10AM – 12:00PM: Live Music by Lee Stearns. Lee has played music as far away as Japan to California, Hawaii, Florida, Virginia, Minnesota, and New Jersey. His act is multi genre including songs he likes or songs that he has written. So from very contemporary songs to older songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Although he has written over 30 songs, Lee plays mostly covers of songs people know well and like. Lee’s shows are acoustic/electric. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/leestearnsmusic/ Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
11:30AM-1:30PM: Seacoast Tours of Freeport, South Freeport. Exclusive boat tour aboard the Pamela B to the Mere Point Oyster Company, Maine’s second-largest oyster farm! Delight in fresh, delicious oysters while enjoying a refreshing local beer or wine as you learn about oyster farming and marine conservation. Reservations required, book online
11:45AM – 1PM: Live Music by Paddy Mills. Paddy Mills is an award-winning folk singer/songwriter whose songs are as salty as the Maine coast he calls home. Whether at a coffee house, Festival, folk club or the corner of a bar, Paddy has a way of making listeners feel like they’re sitting in a living room listening to the telling of old familiar stories about their own family and friends. As a Folk Singer, Paddy maintains an extensive repertoire of Irish, American, Maritime, Nicaraguan and Labor folk songs. His knowledge of and respect for traditional music is reflected is his own writing. FMI: https://paddymills.com/ Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
12:30PM – 1:15PM: Live Music by Wes Covey. Wes Covey is a fingerstyle guitarist and award-winning songwriter working in the Americana/Country/Folk tradition. He pulls inspiration from his childhood in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, as well as from his time living in various urban and rural areas across the United States. After an undergrad in creative writing and music from New School University, Wes spent a decade working in libraries and teaching, including classes on music history and storytelling. He is currently a clinical social worker living and working in Freeport, Maine. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/WesCoveySongs Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
1:30PM – 2:45PM: Live Music by The Oystermen. The Oystermen have been collecting and performing Downeast fiddle tunes, humorous stories, and original songs from Maine, Quebec, and the Maritimes for half a century. Smokey McKeen, Carter Newell, and Eric Rolfson play old-time dance tunes on push-button accordion, fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass; sing songs of work, love, strife, and achievement from the vast repertoire of American folk history; and teach and call regional dances representing multi-cultural traditions. When not performing, Carter and Smokey raise oysters on the Damariscotta River and Eric makes maple syrup on his farm in Albion. Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
1:45PM – 2:30PM: Live Music by John Sayles. John Sayles is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer who calls Portland home. John has been an avid home recorder since the 1990s and has been active in the music scene in and around Portland over the past decade, playing frequently at the Portland Food Co-op as well as at local coffee shops and area farmers’ markets. John gigs in Freeport often, too, most recently last month as part of Meetinghouse Arts’ “Music in the Parks” series. John’s solo recordings as The Franklin Farm are available via Bandcamp as well as through Spotify and other streaming services. The Franklin Farms’ most recent album, Always From Away, was released in August 2023. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/thefranklinfarm Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
2:30PM-4:30PM: Seacoast Tours of Freeport, South Freeport. Exclusive boat tour aboard the Pamela B to the Mere Point Oyster Company, Maine’s second-largest oyster farm! Delight in fresh, delicious oysters while enjoying a refreshing local beer or wine as you learn about oyster farming and marine conservation. Reservations required, book online
3PM: Oyster of the Year awards ceremony. Emceed by sustainable seafood expert, cookbook author and Freeport resident Barton Seaver. L.L.Bean Discovery Park stage.
3PM – 3:45PM: Live Music by Anna Jones. Anna Jones is a singer and guitarist from Rockport whose solo performances blend folk and indie roots with storytelling and folklore. With songs that drift through fairy glens and sea voyages, listeners are invited into a dreamscape of myth, legend, and fantasy. When not writing songs and singing, Anna Jones is the Executive Director at The Midcoast Community Chorus and the music business manager and digital marketing consultant for the high echelon musical icons Sharon Robinson and Gordon Bok. Anna is currently the guitar player and contralto voice in the band “The Mermaids“, who we hope will play the Festival in 2026! FMI: https://annajones.com/ Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
3:15PM – 4:30PM: Live Music by Roll & Go. Roll & Go is a Downeast sea music group based in Portland, Maine. They bring the great days of sail to vivid life in sea shanties and fo’c’sle songs, in acapella harmony or with banjo, guitar, penny whistle, washtub bass, and concertina accompaniment. FMI: https://www.rollandgoseasongs.com/ Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
4:15PM – 5PM: Live Music by Becky Krill. American singer-songwriter and producer Becky Krill has concocted a sound all her own, delivering soulful vocals over warm, nostalgic and inspired compositions. Her approach to songwriting? Classic and unquestionably folk. Inspired by a wide-range of influences including Ani Difranco, The Rolling Stones, Brandi Carlile and The Temptations, Becky released her self-produced debut album Little Girl in 2021 and is gearing up for her sophomore release later this year. FMI: beckykrill.com. Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
5PM – 6PM: Fun & Functional Flow with Uprise Hot Yoga + Dance. Join Uprise Hot Yoga for one of their untraditional movement classes, complete with upbeat music and therapeutic movements accessible to any age / level of experience, this class will have you smiling ear-to-ear. Taught by a knowledgeable & experienced instructor from the Uprise team. Please bring a mat! FMI: hotyogamaine.com Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
5:30PM – 6PM: Live Music by Trisha Mason. An up-and-coming musician, songwriting, recording artist located in Rockland, Maine. Her love for music was cultivated from a young age, she started writing songs at 14 and the road has been paved with lyrics ever since. Strongest influences included songwriters like: Jewel, Alanis Morissette, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Shania Twain, Brandi Carlisle, Flogging Molly and Pink. Trisha takes her influences a step further and dives into her ethnic roots cultivating an artist blend of Irish Punk with a Portuguese flare. Since starting her musical endeavors Trisha Mason has independently produced two full length albums. “Worse or Better” 2012 and “RedSky” 2016. Recently, Trisha released “Red Door Traveler” 2024 a tribute to a song writing challenge. After a life changing move mid 2020, Trisha steps back into multiple studios and sets her sails to incorporate touring. FMI: https://artistecard.com/TrishaMason Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
6PM: Freeport Oyster Bar. 43 Main St. Festival After Hours.
Sunday, June 29
10 am – 4 pm: Meet sea farmers & eat oysters, learn to shuck, shop with the vendors & food trucks, kids can make a craft or two to take home, meet sea creatures with Tidepool Tim, and find out more about seaworthy organizations. L.L.Bean Discovery Park and the Mallard Parking Lot behind Freeport Oyster Bar
10AM – 10:45AM: Live Music by Ben Zanfagna. Ben is a solo artist and the vocalist/guitarist/sax for the band Red Tailed Hawk. A fluent vocalist & sax player whose songwriting and arrangements have been inspired by raw experience, blues, jazz, and soul but are never bounded by conventional norms. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/Benny.RTH Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
10AM – 11:15AM: Live Music by Great Bay Sailor. Great Bay Sailor is an eclectic folk band based in Portsmouth, NH. Casting a wide net, the band performs out of an extensive repertoire of maritime, Irish/Scottish, British, and Oldtimey music. In the maritime tradition, they play and sing traditional and contemporary songs and tunes inspired by ships, sailors, oceans, and tall tales. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/greatbaysailor/ Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
11:15AM – 12PM: Live Music by Becky Krill. American singer-songwriter and producer Becky Krill has concocted a sound all her own, delivering soulful vocals over warm, nostalgic and inspired compositions. Her approach to songwriting? Classic and unquestionably folk. Inspired by a wide-range of influences including Ani Difranco, The Rolling Stones, Brandi Carlile and The Temptations, Becky released her self-produced debut album Little Girl in 2021 and is gearing up for her sophomore release later this year. FMI: beckykrill.com. Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
12 Noon: The Big Shuck. Professional Shucking Contest. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
12:30PM – 1:15PM: Live Music by Wes Covey. Wes Covey is a fingerstyle guitarist and award-winning songwriter working in the Americana/Country/Folk tradition. He pulls inspiration from his childhood in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, as well as from his time living in various urban and rural areas across the United States. After an undergrad in creative writing and music from New School University, Wes spent a decade working in libraries and teaching, including classes on music history and storytelling. He is currently a clinical social worker living and working in Freeport, Maine. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/WesCoveySongs Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
1:30PM-2:45PM: Live Music by Oyster Creek Fiddlers. The Oyster Creek Fiddlers, students of Kaity Newell, were formed over 20 years ago and have been playing for community events and barn dances across mid-coast Maine ever since. The group is constantly evolving as young fiddlers grow up and head out into the world with their music. Some of the original Oyster Creek Fiddlers are enjoying illustrious fiddling careers including Julia Plumb, Alden Robinson, and Maisie Newell. The Oyster Creek Fiddlers’ repertoire is rooted in the fiddling tradition of Maine and the Maritimes with elements of Scots-Irish, Quebecois, and Scandinavian. FMI: https://sites.google.com/site/oystercreekfiddlers/home Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
1:45PM – 3:45PM: Live Music by Doug Kolmar. Singer/songwriter, Doug Kolmar, explores the beauty and trouble of our inner and outer worlds with compassion, wit, and insight. His decades-long musical journey has been a winding one, with detours through multiple modes of expression that continue to provide a unique color to the simple, direct songs he has been sharing with audiences for the past twenty-plus years. FMI: http://dougkolmarmusic.com Free. Mallard Lot Stage (behind Lobster Cooker)
3:15PM-4PM: Live Music by Jack Fossett & Friends. Jack Fossett & Friends are an exciting and engaging rock band who blend beautiful melodies with powerful guitar, harmony and melodic musings that will grab your attention and hold on the entire show! Lead by nationally recognized and award-winning guitarist Jack Fossett, they play a combination of catchy originals, and notable but not-overplayed covers, and they have a generally sunny disposition. FMI: https://www.jackfossett.com/ Free. L.L.Bean Discovery Park Stage
Throughout the Weekend (more to come!)
- Candlebay Inn, 8 Maple Ave. 5% off your two night stay for The Maine Oyster Festival! Plus, skip the lines! Let us know the number of tasting tickets (one ticket = one raw oyster at any of the shucking stations, representing dozens of Maine oyster farms) and if you would like any festival hats or t-shirts, and we’ll have them ready for you at the inn. Must book direct.
- Bow Street Market, 79 Bow St. Local oysters, shuckers and accouterments are available to purchase to enjoy at home! The wine, beer, and spirit department houses one of Maine’s most varied and expertly curated selections. FRI, SAT & SUN 6:30AM–8PM
- FIORE Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars, 88 Main St. Pop in for free tastings of fresh EVOO & aged Italian balsamic! Featuring Sicilian pestos & tapenades, Italian pasta & cruets exclusively imported by FIORE. Once home, whip up a batch of the official The Maine Oyster Festival mignonette recipe featuring FIORE ingredients, or create your own! FRI, SAT & SUN 11-6
- Casco Bay Cutlery & Kitchenware, 5 Depot St. June 28th & 29th – 10% OFF all Oyster related products – Shucking tools, protective gloves, oyster plates, related bake, serve and flatware, oyster cookbooks and more! SAT 10-6, SUN 11-5
- Sweet Repeats Children’s Consignment Store, 554 US Route 1. 25% off one item on June 28th & 29th. FRI, SAT & SUN 10AM-5PM
- Lola Aesthetics, 42 Mallet Drive, Suite 3. June Specials in honor of The Maine Oyster Festival! Open by Appt.
- Bivalve Boost: B12 & NAD+ for $50 (save $35.)
- Shuck it, Let’s Glow: Glow & Go Facial $199 (save $101.)
- High Tide, Tight Skin: RF Microneedling $700 (save $100.)
- Shell Yeah, Radiance: Full Biostimulatory Refinement $1350 (save $250.)
- Liberty Graphics, 4 Mill St. We are donating $1 from the sale of each of these shirts to Friends Of Acadia!
Included in this collection is our classic “Leave Only Footprints” design that’s been out of our line for several years. Friends of Acadia preserves, protects, and promotes stewardship of the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources of Acadia National Park and surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of current and future generations.
