Whether you’re a music enthusiast, a foodie, an art lover, or simply looking for a good time, Portland has something special in store for you in 2024.
From multiple music festivals that will have you dancing the day away to the finest culinary experiences during Maine Restaurant Week and Harvest on the Harbor, and an explosion of artistry at events like Art in Bloom, 2024 is shaping up to be one unforgettable year.
Join us on a journey through the city’s most anticipated events of 2024!
Winter (January - March)
LOVE Gala
Center for Grieving Children’s annual gala continues to be the Center’s largest fundraising event, mobilizing crucial funding in support of grieving children and families within the community. CGC is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe space, loving peer support, outreach, and education to grieving children, teens, young adults, and families. Happening at Thompson’s Point’s Brick South building, last year’s LOVE Gala included a cocktail hour with delicious food, an exciting live auction, and lots of dancing to live music.
Gala Tickets
When: Friday, February 2nd
Portland on Tap
Pouring up good times and great beer at the Cross Insurance Arena, Portland on Tap is three – four hours of beer sampling 100+ hand-selected craft beer styles from some of America’s best breweries! Enjoy live music while playing games and snacking on tasty food.
Event Tickets
When: Saturday, February 10th, 2024
Maine Restaurant Week
Maine Restaurant Week celebrates independently owned restaurants throughout the state during the slow winter season. A dine-out extravaganza since 2009, participants can expect specially-priced multi-course menus at participating restaurants, in addition to culinary events such as the Spirit Quest, a self-guided cocktail and paired bites walking tour throughout the Old Port. A portion of event ticket sales benefits Preble Street.
Event Tickets
When: Friday, March 1st – Tuesday, March 12th
Art in Bloom
Every year the Portland Museum of Art presents Art in Bloom, a can’t-miss event for art and floral enthusiasts since its inception on 2018. Featuring floral work by designers, artists, farmers, and florists from across southern Maine, the museum comes alive with fragrant blooms, extravagant displays, and incredible floral installations of all types—each inspired by an artwork from the museum’s collection.
When: Tuesday, March 20th – Saturday, March 24th
Spring (April - June)
Maine Comic & Toy Con
Maine’s premiere comic book and pop culture event happening at the Cross Insurance Arena. Three days of “pure geek fun”, Maine Comic & Toy Con includes cosplay, costume contests, video games, celebrity guests, autographs, photo opportunities, guest panels, VIP Experiences, and vendors of toys, comic books, art and other pop culture items.
Event Tickets
When: Friday, April 19th – Sunday, April 24th
CiderFeast
An all-inclusive tasting event that celebrates craft ciders from some of the top cider makers in New England and beyond. Sample a wide range of hard cider and foods at this uniquely New England event. Expect two dozen featured ciders and meads, plus delicious food.
When: Sunday, May 11th
Walk the Working Waterfront
A fun and interactive way to explore the rich maritime culture and history of Portland, Maine, Walk the Working Waterfront is designed to promote awareness of the critical importance of the city’s working waterfront infrastructure. Attendees can explore the many working piers and wharves, tour Coast Guard vessels, participate in one of the education stations, and chat with fishermen to gain a deeper understanding of the role that this industry plays in the local community.
Check out the Portland Old Port rundown 2023 of WTWW
When: TBD – 2023 was early June
Portland Bach Experience
Presented by Classical Uprising, the Portland Bach Experience tears down barriers and challenges preconceived notions about classical music by offering immersive events, interactive educational programs, and intimate concerts at their annual June festival. Committed to creating programs that are distinct, deep, and connective experiences, award-winning musicians travel from near and far to create exquisite, soul-centering musical experiences to share with the community here in Maine.
When: Thursday, June 6th – Sunday, June 16th
Shipyard Old Port Half Marathon and 5K
A celebration of history, community, and athleticism, the Shipyard Old Port Half Marathon and 5K is more than just a scenic race, it’s an immersive experience in a historic district. No matter what distance you choose, you’ll pass scenic landmarks like Casco Bay, Back Cove and historic Old Port neighborhoods.
Sign-up Online
When: Saturday, June 8th
Resurgam Music and Arts Festival
The Resurgam Music and Arts Festival, presented by OTTO, is returning for its third year! This one-day music and arts festival organized by the City of Portland and Maine Academy of Modern Music, takes place at Ocean Gateway and the surrounding areas. In 2023, Resurgam’s second year, the festival drew over 7,500 people and was able to offer over 60 performances and 40 vendors by collaborating with local businesses and organizations like The Telling Room, SPACE, Portland Community Squash , The Children’s Museum and Theatre, and SailMaine. This year, MAMM is partnering with the City of Portland and local community businesses. The event is FREE and open to the public!
When: Sunday, June 9th
Portland Wine Week
A week of award-winning wine and food, Portland Wine Week celebrates the local community, award-wining boutique restaurants, and diverse quality wine. Various events such as wine sails, brunches, dinners, seminars and special menus are available throughout. Opportunities to meet winemakers, chefs, and sommeliers.
Schedule and Tickets/Reservations
When: Monday, June 10th – Sunday, June 16th
Pride Portland! Parade
Bringing people together, Pride Portland!’s annual parade and festival celebrates and honors the accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ movement, raises awareness of the community’s ongoing struggles, and fosters an environment of inclusivity, accessibility, and solidarity. Pride Portland kicks off with a parade starting at Monument Square, usually ending in Deering Oaks Park with a post-parade celebration. Events, parties, shows and more happen throughout the month.
When: Saturday, June 15th
Bach Virtuosi Festival
Held in intimate spaces with marvelous acoustics (St. Luke’s Cathedral and Etz Chaim Synagogue), The Bach Virtuosi Festival offers residents and visitors of southern Maine a world-class concert series for lovers of the baroque repertoire. Played with brilliance, love and integrity, the BVF was founded by violinist Lewis Kaplan as a way to bring performances of Bach and his contemporaries to Portland, Maine.
Purchase Tickets
When: Tuesday, June 18th – Tuesday, June 25th
Wurst Week Ever
Honoring an American staple, the hot dog, Wurst Week Ever is a local food crawl like no other. With a Crawl Card in hand, diners are encouraged to participate by visiting some of Portland’s most iconic hot dog destinations (last year’s list included The Highroller Lobster Co., Portland Hunt + Alpine Club, Room for Improvement, and the East Ender) for specialty hot dogs. Last year’s extravaganza include a raffle, a kick-off party, and hot dog themed games at Room for Improvement.
2024 details still to be announced.
For more, check out Portland Old Port’s rundown from 2023
When: TBD – 2023 ran the end of June
Summer (July - September)
Wavy Days Beer Festival
A multi-day celebration that brings together elite breweries from across the country, Mast Landing’s Wavy Days Beer Festival will return for its 3rd year to Thompson’s Point. Ticket includes an unlimited sampling of beers from 55+ breweries, a special Wavy Days tasting glass, access to 9+ food vendors, music, and more!
Line-up of breweries to come soon!
Event Tickets
When: Saturday, June 29th
Maine Outdoor Film Festival
An international festival of adventure, conservation and the arts, each summer thousand of pass holders, filmmakers, panelist, athletes, brands, and onlookers come together for Maine Outdoor Film Festival. Filmmakers, outdoor aficionados, environmentalists and lovers of art and storytelling converge for outdoor adventure and conservation film. The festival features a panoply of programming including indoor daytime screenings, industry panels, and artist networking events. Each night an outdoor theater is erected: a 20’ inflatable screen with a modern audio and projector system.
When: Wednesday, July 24th – Sunday, July 28th
Guster’s on the Ocean
A three day musical festival (last year first night at the State Theatre, next two days on Thompson’s Point), Guster’s on the Ocean is a celebration of all things music. Spearheaded by Guster, an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, last year’s line-up included Shakey Graves, Oshima Brothers, Lucius, Bahamas and more. The family-friendly event featured a kid zone, games, live screen printing, and food trucks.
Details for 2024 still to be announced.
When: Friday, August 9th – Sunday, August 11th, 2024
Best of Awards Portland Old Port
An annual favorite among the Portland community, the Best of Awards Portland Old Port recognizes and applauds the enormous efforts of local businesses in making Portland, Maine the award winning city it is today. Winners are voted by the public from a diverse selection of ‘Best Of’ categories that include Portland’s favorite restaurants, realtors, artists, salons and more in over 130 categories. Winners announced in-person at the Best of Awards ceremony. Find list of 2023 winners.
When: TBD – Early August
Portland Chamber Music Festival
The Portland Chamber Music Festival brings artists from around the world to the Greater Portland region. Enhancing the cultural life of Southern Maine through a wide range of innovative classical and contemporary chamber music performances, the four day festival will take place at USM’s Hannaford Hall.
When: Thursday, August 8th; Saturday, August 10th; Thursday, August 15th; Saturday, August 17th
Portland Fine Craft Show
Now in its 9th year, the Portland Fine Craft Show features approximately 100 juried exhibitors from Maine and the Northeast exhibiting fine craft in the following media categories: baskets, ceramics, fiber-decorative, fiber-wearables, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, printmaking, stone and wood.
When: Saturday, August 24th
Fall (October - December)
Maine Marathon
Maine Marathon is a USATF certified and an official Boston Marathon qualifying running event featuring beautiful views of the water, the Portland skyline and plenty of fall foliage. Starting bright and early at 7:45 AM, the race will start and finish at Baxter Boulevard, between Forest Ave. and Preble St. Spectator-friendly, have your friends and family come cheer you along the course and meet up with you at the finish line.
A non-profit race, Maine Marathon donates 40% of its gross profits to charitable organizations in the community.
Register Here
When: Sunday, October 6th
Harvest on the Harbor
Maine’s highly anticipated food and drink festival celebrating premier Maine distillers, brewers, oyster farmers, and purveyors of outstanding hospitality. Originating back in 2007, Harvest on the Harbor festival has been raising awareness of Portland’s expanding restaurant and hospitality scene by delivering big-time culinary experiences from Portland’s top independently-owned restaurants, bars, breweries, distillers and more.
When: TBD – Late October
Monument Square Tree Lighting
The kick off to holiday season! This highly anticipated, family-friendly ceremony takes place every year in Portland’s Monument Square and in previous years has included free sports game viewings, live music, dance performances, holiday films, special guests, artisan vendors, family-friendly activities, and of course, the tree lighting.
Details for 2024 ceremony to still be announced.
When: Day after Thanksgiving – Friday, November 29th
Merry Madness
A signature holiday event hosted by Portland Downtown, Merry Madness is a one-of-a-kind holiday shopping extravaganza across downtown Portland! Packed with late-night shopping, libations, nibbles, and discounts at participating businesses, the evening usually begins with a Merry Madness Kickoff Party where shoppers will receive their Merry Madness Passport detailing discounts and participating stores.
When: TBD – Usually Early December
Carnaval Maine
Usually taking place in February, Carnaval Maine will be returning for its forth year in a new location, this time in December. Inspired by Quebec’s Winter Carnival, Carnaval Maine is a winter festival that started on the Eastern Promenade and moved to the large parking lot at DiMillo’s on Commercial Street last year. Previous year’s events include a Bites & Brews Igloo, live performances, comedy, face-painting, ice carving, and other kid-friendly activities.
Details regarding Carnaval Maine 2024 to be announced.
When: TBD – December 2024
Portland Parade of Lights
An annual holiday delight for both kids and adults, the Portland Parade of Lights happens every December out on Casco Bay and along Portland’s waterfront. Setting sail after sundown, watch from all across the Portland waterfront (Luke’s Lobster, Maine State Pier, and DiMillo’s all suggest viewing destinations) and Bug Light Park in South Portland as ferry boats, tugboats, lobster boats and more pass by in their festive best.
When: TBD – Usually the 3rd Saturday in December
Event dates may be subject to change. Some event dates have not been announced yet and will be updated when available. Check back for additions as the year progresses!
Did we miss one? Email us at info@portlandoldport.com
