Lifestyle Essentials - Quality of Life - Cultural Amenities

There’s always something to see and do in Greater Franklin County. In addition to being a great place to grow or start your business, it’s also a thriving cultural community, reflective of the area’s rich and creative history.

The University of Maine at Farmington’s Emery Community Arts Center serves as a major center for cultural exchange in the area. This state-of-the-art facility is a wonderful addition to the visual arts and performance arena in Franklin County, open to UMF students and community members alike.

The performing arts are well represented in Greater Franklin:

• In South Carthage, the Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center offers a lively Celtic and acoustic music venue. World-renowned artists such as world-music performers Sultans of String and Cape Breton fiddler/piano player/stepdancer Wendy MacIsaac have performed to appreciative audiences.
• Kingfield hosts the Kingfield POPS, an organization focused on creating opportunities for local children and community members to experience music and art in Franklin County and beyond. Their annual summer outdoor concert brings people from around the state and beyond to enjoy a family-friendly evening of music and entertainment with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.
• The Saddleback Mountain Bluegrass Festival has become a popular annual music festival in Franklin County that showcases some of the nation’s best bluegrass performers and draws fans from around the country for a weekend of amazing music.

Festivals can be found throughout Franklin County year round and are a great way to connect with your neighbors and see what each locale has to offer.

• In June, make sure to check out Family Fun Days in Eustis. With so much to do and see, it’s a great way to have fun with the kids!
• Each July, Kingfield is home to Kingfield Festival Days, a 4-day event featuring parades, a photo contest, a craft show with local artisans, and lots of food and music.
• In August, the annual Wilton Blueberry Festival showcases the town’s delicious blueberry creations (jams, muffins, pies, and more).
• The whole family is sure to enjoy downtown Farmington’s annual Summer Fest, a street fair featuring Art in the Park with local crafters and artists, a variety of food, sidewalk sales, and musical performances.
• Also in August, the Carrabassett Summer Festival in Carrabassett Valley is a free musical event with arts and craft shows and airplane demonstrations.
• On the last Saturday in September, Livermore Falls celebrates the year’s harvest with their Apple Pumpkin Festival.
• See a full listing of Maine festivals.

Visual artists of all genres thrive in Franklin County, with the region’s natural beauty often serving as inspiration, and their works can be found in the many art galleries and artist collectives throughout the county.

• The town of Kingfield has several galleries and museums, and hosts monthly First Friday ArtWalks. This popular local event series consists of a self-guided walking tour of local art galleries, museums, and artists’ studios, free of charge with live music and refreshments. The Schoolhouse Gallery, and the Stadler Gallery for Contemporary Art are two of the galleries on the ArtWalk.
• Alana’s Fine Art Photography and the Sugarwood Gallery, located in Farmington, are two of that area’s venues for sharing art. The University of Maine at Farmington also has a seasonal art gallery dedicated to bringing contemporary art and artists to the campus and community.
• You can often find local artists exhibiting their works in restaurants and coffee shops throughout the region, a winning situation for the artists, business owners, and patrons.

Local museums are a great way to gain insight into the rich history of a region and Greater Franklin prides itself on the variety of family-friendly museums in the area.

• From Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore Falls to the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Rangeley and the Wilhelm Reich Museum in Oquossoc, there is a diverse mix of museums to satisfy any history buff.
• The Stanley Museum in Kingfield tells the story of the Stanley twins, inventors of the Stanley steam car, and Nowetah’s, in nearby New Portland, is an American Indian owned and operated museum and store.  
• See a full listing of Maine museums.

With a thriving local agricultural industry, western Maine supports numerous farms and local Farmers’ Markets throughout the year. Whether you like to cook or frequent local restaurants, Franklin County has plenty of options where food is concerned.

• Sugarloaf Inn in Carrabassett schedules seasonal 6-course locavore dinners featuring local foods from local farms. 
• Read about Aloha Rainbow Farm in New Sharon, Masterman Family Farm in Avon, and all the other farms and farmers markets in Greater Franklin.
• Unique cafés and fine dining alike can be found in Franklin County and Livermore Falls at places like the Orange Cat Café and One Stanley Avenue in Kingfield, The Homestead Bakery in Farmington and Calzolaio Pasta Company in Wilton.

Whatever your passion, you can find it in Greater Franklin!