Down East Magazine - Experience the Best of Maine

Doughnuts from the Cookie Jar Pastry Shop.

Doughnuts in Maine: From Inception to Perfection

By Charlie PikePhotos by Nicole WolfStyled by Catrine KeltyFrom our March 2025 issue There’s a modest plaque on a slab of stone off Old County Road in Rockport, in the yard of what is now the...

syrup pouring into a vat

Maine Syrup Producers Are Branching Out

Their traditions trace back generations, but faced with increasingly erratic winters, syrup makers are tapping into new ways of turning sap into everyone’s favorite pancake topping.

Down East's Best of Maine

Nominate Your Faves in the 2025 Best of Maine Reader Poll!

Bookstores to burgers, museums to marinas, art galleries to architects — we want to know what Maine businesses and organizations YOU are rooting for.

Down East magazine Where in Maine clue March 2025

Can You Name This Midcoast Hamlet?

The Maine town is currently named for a major general in the Continental Army (plus a cardinal direction).

spinach-and-feta pie and other Lebanese dishes from Mezza in Waterville, Maine

In Waterville, Mezza Stays True to Its Lebanese Roots

The new lunch spot serves up flavorful dishes like sittoo used to make.

The Magazine

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

March 2025

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February 2025

Down East magazine, January 2025

January 2025

Down East Magazine, December 2024

December 2024

The Latest

Rose Barboza’s Favorite Maine Place

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

Maine doughnuts

Our Favorite Maine Doughnuts

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

Exterior of Mario and Kitty Costello's 1948 Camden Cape

Color Us Charmed By This Boldly Hued Camden Cape

Only a cherry-red door and a sky-blue vintage Beetle hint at the boisterous palette inside.

women rowing a Cornish pilot gig in Belfast Maine

In Belfast, Year-Round Racers Pull Together in 17th-Century-Style Wooden Vessels

The team was America's best hope at the World Pilot Gig Championships in England last year.

Duke's Cooper Flagg dunks on a fast break during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Maine in Durham, N.C.,

Cooper Flagg Left a Big Mark on Small-Town Maine

How the rise of the nation's top basketball prospect is playing out at home.

Judy Gates sewing together one of her fabric collages

Fabric Collages Allow a Former Quilter to Cut Loose

Quilting had South Portland's Judy Gates feeling boxed in, so she started piecing together nature-themed textile collages instead.

Food & Drink

a couple enjoying a meal and the view at The Nest on Saddleback Mountain

Skiers Are Flocking to Saddleback’s New Restaurant, The Nest

Located at 3,620 feet, it boasts elevated comfort food and bird’s-eye views.

the entrance to Sunday River’s new massive igloo, Alpeniglu

3 Maine Ice Bars to Chill at This Winter

Lean in to winter and make the most of cold, dark days at one of these ice lounges.

Buttermilk Kitchen's signature chicken biscuit with red-pepper jelly and house-brined pickles.

A Georgia Transplant Brings the Region’s Hearty, Down-Home Fare to Camden

Pimento-cheese grits, cloud-like biscuits, and crispy fried chicken are stars at the midcoast brunch spot.

Trending In Food & Drink

5 of Our Favorite Classic Maine Diners

spinach-and-feta pie and other Lebanese dishes from Mezza in Waterville, Maine

In Waterville, Mezza Stays True to Its Lebanese Roots

The 35 Maine-iest Foods

The 35 Maine-iest Foods

Erin French: Lost in Transition

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Arts & Culture

Longfellow Books, Portland, Maine

7 Independent Bookstores That Maine Authors Love

We asked Stephen King, Lois Lowry, and other noteworthy writers where they go to find their next good read.

Dahlov Ipcar painting on a canvas

Dahlov Ipcar’s Peaceable Kingdom

Fifty years ago, the artist was dreaming up lavish, exotic scenes in a starkly different realm, on a Georgetown farm.

The Chickadees, Maine's all female snow-sculpting team with their practice snow-sculpture of Artemis in Waterville Maine

An All-Female Snow-Sculpting Team Is Carving Out a Niche

The Chickadees are chiseling away at a male-dominated craft.

Trending In Arts & Culture

Longfellow Books, Portland, Maine

7 Independent Bookstores That Maine Authors Love

two people roller skating at Happy Wheels

Happy Wheels Rolls On

Living the Good Life Gets A New Life

The Book That Birthed the Back-to-the-Land Movement

100 Maine books

100 Books Every Lover of Maine Should Read

Staff Picks

Brant Point Blues Blanket

Blankets

Brant Point Blues Blanket

USD 150.00

Down East Lumbar Pillow

Throw Pillows

Down East Lumbar Pillow

USD 135.00

Waxed Shaving Dopp Kit

Cosmetic & Toiletry Bags

Waxed Shaving Dopp Kit

USD 75.00

Ski Mountain Bottle Openers

Bottle Openers

Ski Mountain Bottle Openers

USD 55.00

1901 Maine Flag Romper

Baby & Toddler Clothing

1901 Maine Flag Romper

USD 44.99

Photography

Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park in Winter Is a Little-Visited Marvel

Acadia's summertime splendor attracts millions of visitors, but in the depths of winter, the park takes on a different character: serene, austere, and magnificent.

Down East's Favorite Photos of 2024

Our 10 Favorite Down East Photos of 2024

From grand views to intimate portraits, remarkable scenes of life lived in Maine.

2024 Down East Reader Photo Contest Winners

10th Annual Down East Reader Photo Contest Winners

After a full decade, the magazine’s annual photo contest is still, ahem, clicking right along.

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From Our Partners

9 Maine Summer Camps the Kids Will Love

9 Maine Summer Camps the Kids Will Love

a retiree riding a bike on a paved path

The Highlands Goes Green

Golden Pond Wealth Management financial planner Katie Brann

How to Plan for Your Grandchildren’s Financial Future

5 Outdoor Dining Spots in Maine to Visit This Winter

Shannon Parker with her new novel, Love & Lobsters

Love & Lobsters Celebrates Small-Town Love