So Little Time
by Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce
So little time, so much to do! In northern Maine,
summertime always feels like such a short season.
From the time the ice finally lets out on the lakes,
hopefully before Mother’s Day, until the end of
August when school starts and when the chill starts
to hit the air again, there is a lot of activity to fit into
such a short time.
but most of all there is the culture and the depth of
history steeped into these communities.
In late spring, there is a feeling, an anticipation, like
a dog at the end of his leash facing an open field
knowing he’s going to be let loose to run around
for the next hour. Farmers gather at local coffee
hangouts talking about the upcoming planting
season. Town offices are inundated with phone calls
about when the ATV trails will open for the season.
Students (and school personnel) count the days until
summer vacation. Camp owners and renters google
new campfire recipes and homeopathic bug spray
concoctions to try. Lawn mowers are prepped to
face the fields of dandelions popping up all over, and
historical societies start dusting off displays in their
seasonal museums.
Most communities in this region have some form of
sharing their history; either a historical museum, or
at least local historians who can provide you with an
image of life as lived by their ancestors and share facts
normally left out of history books. There is even an
Acadian Village in Van Buren offering a glimpse of
Acadian daily life. If you’d prefer something more
on your own, you can try a self-guided tour. The St.
John Valley has been designated a Cultural Byway
by the Maine Department of Transportation and the
Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic
Byway Program. As part of that designation, there
is a series of approximately thirty bilingual (English
and French) interpretive panels along Route 1, from
Cyr Plantation to Allagash (along with Hamlin and
St. Agatha); each explaining an aspect of the Valley
/ Acadian culture. Maps of this cultural byway are
available for viewing at any St. John Valley Town
Office or Chamber of Commerce Office.
The same is true for the northernmost parts of
Northern Maine – the St. John Valley. Locals have
been busy preparing and planning, and finally
summer is here! Year-round, seasonal and temporary
residents are all ready to take full advantage of every
last bit of summer before the snow starts to fall
again; whether that is a cultural learning experience,
outdoor activity or just sitting back relaxing along
the lakeshore or at a local lounge- listening to a local
music artist. There is a little something for everyone
in the Valley.
This sense of pride is also evident in the Valley’s
annual festivals. There is always an aspect of culture
ingrained in the festivities. Over the July 4th weekend
in the Upper St. John Valley, for example, the Wesget
Sipu will be hosting a PowWow in Fort Kent at
Riverside Park. In August, Fort Kent will celebrate
the annual Ploye Festival during the International
Muskie Fishing Derby on the 7th through the 9th.
The Ploye (buckwheat pancake) is an Acadian icon
of the St. John Valley. Portage also will host their
annual Summer Roundup on the 15th of August.
What makes the Valley unique, in comparison to
other summer destinations, however, is the cultural
pride. Yes, there are amazing, well-groomed ATV
trails, hiking trails with views that take your breath
away, miles and miles of lakeshores and water for
canoeing trips, well kept camps and parks, really
good fishing spots, great opportunities for bike
riders, friendly people and good music, nationally
known landmarks such as America’s First Mile in
Fort Kent and Four Corner’s Park in Madawaska,
When these cultural activities are paired with all
that the outdoors has to offer, it creates a wonderful
balance of activities for any person or family;
generating options to fit most individual personalities
and temperaments. Whatever your summer plans
look like, the one thing you can count on is that
there will be more things to do and more places to
visit in the St. John Valley than you will be able to fit
into just one summer.
SUMMER 2015
73