End of an Era: Popular Maine Food Festival Bids Farewell After Over 30 Years

One of the best things about summer in Maine is the numerous food and beverage festivals held in all corners of the state.

In some cases, these events are focused on a certain food, like clams or lobsters, in other cases, these festivals feature a wide variety of food and beverages.  Additionally, they all offer live entertainment

Sadly, one of the most popular food festivals in Maine has come to an end.

The Taste of Waterville

For over three decades, the Taste of Waterville gave people from around Central Maine the chance to sample food from some of the area's best restaurants and (later) food trucks.

In addition to great food, the event also featured a variety of adult beverages.  Guests could get everything from popular domestic beers, to hard ciders, to the best craft brews that Maine has to offer.

In recent years, the event made the move from Waterville's Main Street the picturesque Head of Falls.

While people were welcome to bring their kids, the event also transitioned in later years from being focused on families to being more adult-oriented.  Recent Taste of Waterville festivals featured a brew tasting event and a cornhole tournament.

Of course, the event also featured some of the area's best live bands.  There was music at various locations around the event space from noon through about 11 p.m.  The nighttime headliners all took the main stage.

The End of The Taste of Waterville

After recapping the 2024 running of the festival, organizers made the determination that, after being around for over three decades, the event had run its course.

Many factors were involved in the decision, including the fact that the event was completely dependent on the weather.  Rain on the day of the event would shut the festival down and waste hundreds of man-hours of work and thousands of dollars.

A statement on the Taste of Waterville website says:

After over three decades, Taste of Waterville is sunsetting. Thank you for the fun, the memories, and your support over the years.

The good news is that, according to Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce Program Director Cindy Stevens, they have formed a task force to develop a series of events that will replace the Taste of Waterville.

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As we learn more about these events, we will pass the information on to you.