Down East Magazine - Experience the Best of Maine

2025 Down East Scavenger Hunt

The Great Maine Scavenger Hunt

Twenty-eight excursions all across the state, from classical concerts to mountain sunrises to roadside doughnuts, that add up to one fun-filled Maine summer.

Scoop of Spicy Rocky Road ice cream surrounded with nuts and marshmallows

62 Maine Ice Creams (and Other Frozen Treats) to Try This Summer

From popsicles to shaved ice to lots and lots of ice cream, dozens of frozen delights for a balmy, sun-drenched, blue-sky Maine summer.

whoopie pies on colorful plates

Celebrating 100 Years of Maine’s Beloved Whoopie Pie

The official state treat has been through a lot over the course of the past century, from interstate rivalries to political spats to corporate knock-offs.

Down East Magazine June 2026 Where in Maine? clue

Can You Name This Maine Waterway?

Its precise origins remain a muddy mystery.

a Ben Whalley fly that imitates a herring, for targeting stripers.

The Art of Saltwater Fly Tying

Ben Whalley’s saltwater flies elegantly balance form and function and represent a deep connection to fishing heritage.

The Magazine

Down East Magazine, June 2025

June 2025

Down East Magazine, May 2025

May 2025

April 2025 cover of Down East magazine: A bouquet of poppies and beets.

April 2025

a glazed brioche doughnut from Lovebirds, in Kittery on the March 2025 cover of Down East magazine

March 2025

The Latest

a curtain of lilac, mock orange, and sour-cherry blossoms buffers Ellen Jackson's Farmingdale home from a busy roadway

In Farmingdale, a Verdant Spectacle Plays Out for Passing Motorists

Spring-blooming flowers engulf gardener Ellen Jackson and her mid-century Cape.

sushi and chicken nanban in shoyu broth from Jin Sushi and Ramen in Saco, Maine

Ramen and Sushi Get Rolled into One at This Saco Restaurant

The small, casual spot is a standout in a food scene that doesn't want for great eats.

The Willard Gallery, in Portland

Maine Galleries and Studios to Visit This Summer

Make the destinations on this list part of your itinerary the next time you’re looking to explore Maine’s arts scene.

Bucky Fuller (R. Buckminster Fuller) with a cardboard dome model.

Denning Up with Bucky Fuller on Bear Island

A half century ago, the futurist was tinkering with a wind machine, writing love poems, and literally dancing to his own beat.

University of Maine at Augusta students John Robinson, Bruno Mendes De Freitas, and Sammy Thornton

Balancing Learning With Life at UMA

The University of Maine at Augusta invites students from all stages of life to pursue an education online, or in-person.

Lewis Rossignol working on an illustration at his Portland studio

Saco Illustrator Lewis Rossignol’s Sketchy Figures Are Drawing a Huge Following

His shady characters have attracted celebrity clients and 750,000 social-media fans.

Food & Drink

Pork potstickers, shrimp fresh rolls, loc lac, and chicken congee from Oun Lido's in Portland, Maine

Does Portland’s Oun Lido’s Live Up to the Hype?

The restaurant's Cambodian-inspired cooking received national acclaim after opening last year.

Maine doughnuts

Our Favorite Maine Doughnuts

From pomegranate frosted to classic chocolate, these are the doughnuts our staff loves the most.

Doughnuts from the Cookie Jar Pastry Shop.

Doughnuts in Maine: From Inception to Perfection

Hundreds of miles and thousands of calories later, one very hungry road-tripper digests Maine’s long, sweet love affair with the doughnut, stretching back to the humble pastry’s hazy origins.

Trending In Food & Drink

Maine-shaped pizza

Maine Pizzas You Have to Try

The 35 Maine-iest Foods

The 35 Maine-iest Foods

Scoop of Spicy Rocky Road ice cream surrounded with nuts and marshmallows

62 Maine Ice Creams (and Other Frozen Treats) to Try This Summer

Havana Parrilla, an open-air bar and grill in Bar Harbor, Maine, near Acadia National Park

Where to Eat In and Around Acadia National Park On Any Budget

Experience Maine with Down East

Experience Maine with

Down East

Join us on a unique and authentic Maine adventure.

See Upcoming Trips

Arts & Culture

a mock-up of UMaine's new $82 million Green Engineering and Materials building, slated to open late next year, will house the Factory of the Future, a 3D-printing manufacturing hub staffed with robots

A UMaine Engineer’s Vision of a Factory Staffed With Robots Will Soon Be a Reality

Habib Dagher is spearheading a first-of-its-kind 3D-printing manufacturing hub on the campus.

Cheryl Staples and her sea glass collection

Cheryl Staples Sees the World Through Rose-Colored (and Green and Blue) Glasses

Thirty years in, she says collecting beach treasures still buoys her.

Portland Hearts of Pine facts

Introducing Maine’s First Pro Soccer Team

We took the pulse of the Portland Hearts of Pine.

Trending In Arts & Culture

Longfellow Books, Portland, Maine

7 Independent Bookstores That Maine Authors Love

a mock-up of UMaine's new $82 million Green Engineering and Materials building, slated to open late next year, will house the Factory of the Future, a 3D-printing manufacturing hub staffed with robots

A UMaine Engineer’s Vision of a Factory Staffed With Robots Will Soon Be a Reality

Tumbledown Film, Down East Magazine

Filmed (Not) on Location

Staff Picks

Marin Skincare's Soothing Hydration Cream

Lotions & Moisturizers

Marin Skincare's Soothing Hydration Cream

USD 34.99

Pocket Flower Press

Art & Crafting Materials

Pocket Flower Press

USD 32.00

Acadia National Park Puzzle

Jigsaw Puzzles

Acadia National Park Puzzle

USD 32.00

Food Graters & Zesters

Garlic Grater

USD 30.00

Wild Maine Blueberry Loose Tea Gift Set

Tea & Infusions

Wild Maine Blueberry Loose Tea Gift Set

USD 29.99

Photography

Lynn Karlin posing for a photo in her Belfast Maine studio

Blooming Where She’s Planted

In her Belfast studio, still-life photographer Lynn Karlin puts vegetables on pedestals and poses flowers like fashion models, raising a humble garden haul to the realm of fine art.

Take Your Photography to the Next Level with Down East Staff Photographer Dave Waddell

Explore and photograph Maine with Down East Adventures.

Rose Barboza’s Favorite Maine Place

When she needs a breather, the founder of Black Owned Maine heads to Portland’s Eastern Prom.

Photograph Maine with

Down East

Join our photographers for exclusive workshops.

Details & Reservations

From Our Partners

Dr. Jay Knudsen of Great East Dental Associates

What’s New in Dental Technology and How Can It Improve Your Overall Health?

Bethany Tyler, assistant executive director and sales director at Avita of Brunswick

Ask the Expert: Visiting a Memory Care Community

Greenhouse-like structures protect the plants from ambient rainfall at the he Wyman’s Wild Blueberry Research and Innovation Center at the University of Maine

Planting for the Future at the University of Maine

A (Pool) Party with The Barn Yard

How to Increase Your Yard’s Biodiversity