Belfast’s usually-full calendar of summer festivals and other seasonal events was largely erased last year, as organizers had to quickly pivot from in-person gatherings to virtual ones, or none at all.
But summer is back — and so are the festivals and fun times. And it’s clear to Zach Schmesser, the executive director of Our Town Belfast, that people are eager to get out and enjoy themselves again.
“People are looking to make up for lost time, visiting with their friends and neighbors,” he said. “We’re just continuing to see lots of people out and about, which is great.”
Longtime fans of the waterfront art and fine craft festival, Arts in the Park — which is marking its 25th year — may notice some changes. That’s because organizers decided to stop including participants from all over the country and return the focus squarely to Maine artists.
“We have reshaped this to be about Waldo County and Maine arts and crafts,” Steve Ryan, the director of the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce, which helps to put on the event, said. “It’s really about our local arts economy.”
The juried show also will be smaller than in past years, with about 60 artists and craftspeople in attendance. But with food vendors and live music, the atmosphere should be just as enjoyable, Ryan said.
