The 28th annual Eastport Salmon and Seafood Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 5 and 6, and Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce director Meg Keay says it will be the perfect occasion to end the summer.
     "What a better way to celebrate the salmon industry than to breathe in the lovely ocean air while you're enjoying delicious food," she stresses.
     The weekend will kick off with the 18th annual Paint Eastport Day on Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artists can register at the Eastport Arts Center and return there at 4:30 p.m. for a one-hour silent auction of the artwork, as well as a reception.
      A Flea for All giant flea market will be held downtown under the big tents from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
New to the festival is the Fiber Arts Show, which can be seen in the Frontier National Bank building at 30 Water Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A farmers' market will be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Eastport Port Authority parking lot. The day will end with family karaoke with Tim Heary of Dirigo Sounds under the downtown tents from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
      Activities on Salmon Sunday begin behind the Motel East at 8:15 a.m. with the Kid's One-Mile Run followed at 9:15 a.m. by the Eastport Salmon and Seafood Festival 5K Run and 5K Walk. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.
     The Trees of Eastport walking tour led by horticulture consultant Paula Kovecses will start at 9 a.m. in front of Peavey Memorial Library and last until 11 a.m. One of the new events is the 10 a.m. lobster pound tour given by Brudo Baxter at Lighthouse Lobster & Bait at the end of County Road.
      Keay says, "There will be a lot more food and craft vendors" this year, and both the vendors and educational exhibits will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Eastport. The Fiber Arts Show will open again for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Frontier National Bank building. Also running from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. is Heather Perry's exhibit "Sentiment & Splendor" in the Tides Institute & Museum of Art. A members' themed show featuring trees can be seen at the Eastport Gallery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
     The salmon dinner will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. under the food tent near the fisherman statue and include a grilled 8-ounce salmon fillet with a choice of Raye's Mustard salmon sauce or a new sweet and savory blueberry Ganong's white chocolate sauce. The meal will also feature garlic mashed potatoes, balsamic glazed green beans, homemade rolls and blueberry desserts. The price of the meal ticket will also entitle diners to a tour of salmon pens by Dave Morang and Frank Lank of Cooke Aquaculture.
     Beer from Andrews' Brewing Company of Lincolnville and Lubec Brewing Company will be on tap during the salmon dinner, and diners will be entertained by live music by Washington County musicians.
     "Tails of Quoddy Bay" puppet show will begin at 2 p.m. in the Sutherland Amphitheater, and the final event of the weekend will be a 3 p.m. pipe organ concert at the Perry Congregational Church by organists Ann Carter, Mark DeVoto and Edward French.