gracenotes

Dan Aceto Photography

Portland is one of the hippest small cities in America and boasts a robust and diverse live music scene to show for it. From random street performances on downtown corners, to small acts at bars and restaurants shows, to emerging and national acts in historic venues, there’s something for everyone in the city’s music scene.

Dispatch is a bi-monthly print magazine and website about music and film in Maine and New Hampshire. Dispatch makes it simple for locals and visitors to find out what’s going on in Portland. Look in local book stores for the beautiful print magazine, and check online to see for things to do in and around Portland: dispatchmag.com.

The Portland Phoenix is the city’s arts and entertainment weekly newspaper. Look for free copies of the Phoenix in red street boxes or at most local shops. Or check out the editor’s picks for great entertainment events in Portland here: portland.thephoenix.com.

Photo courtesy of boozedancing.wordpress.com.

The craft beer scene in Portland is booming. Ask for a local beer wherever you go and you’ll likely find that the bar and restaurant staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about local microbrews. Below are four local breweries that offer regular tours and tastings.

Shipyard Brewing Co. is a landmark business in the heart of the city’s Old Port. Their brewing facility and automated bottling line are state of the art and a must-see for any beer advocate. Full brewery tours are offered Tuesday nights from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tours fill up quickly, so book ahead: www.shipyard.com/trips.

Allagash Brewing Company is another of the city’s up-and-coming breweries. Their bottle-conditioned varieties of Belgian-style beer stand up to the world’s best. Tours of the brewery are offered daily. Book your tour ahead of time on the Allagash Eventbrite page: http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1611044922.

Rising Tide Brewing Company is a relative newcomer to the local craft brewing scene. Their Bayside tasting room is open in the summer and fall with tours offered Fridays and (most) Saturdays at 1 p.m. Best to email ahead to confirm a tour date: risingtidebrewing@gmail.com. Visit their website for more info: www.risingtidebrewing.com.

Maine Beer Company is another exciting newcomer to the local beer scene. Their small brewery is located on the outskirts of the city close to Allagash Brewing Company. Tours are offered every Friday at 2 p.m. Check their website to confirm a Friday tour in advance: www.mainebeercompany.com.

Photo credit Maine Foodie Tours.

To visit Portland without exploring the city’s hip foodie scene would be a sin. After all, The Chicago Tribune just dubbed Portland the “San Francisco of the East” and Bon Appetite has called us the “foodiest small town in America”.

Maine Foodie Tours offers a variety of delicious explorations of the city. The company runs culinary and chocolate walking tours through historic downtown Portland. If walking isn’t your thing, sign up for a trolley tour around the peninsula to visit the bakeries, smoked fish houses, honey wine producers, and restaurants that put Portland on the foodie map. Or consider a cycling brewery tour that visits five lighthouses and three breweries. Bike rentals are available from Gorham Bike and Ski in downtown Portland. Just make sure you save room for dinner at Grace!

Tours cost from $30 to $125 per person. Plan your foodie tour ahead of your arrival by calling Maine Foodie Tours at (207) 233-7485 or visiting mainefoodietours.com.

Photo credit Joe Hardenbrook.

Experience the beautiful coast of Maine during your visit to Portland by taking a scenic coastal drive to Two Lights State Park. “Two Lights,” as the locals refer to the park, is about a 25-minute drive from downtown Portland and is a popular place for picnicking and walking. The park encompasses 41-acres of rocky coast and offers great views of Casco Bay.

Picnic tables nestled into rosaragosa bushes overlooking the rocky coast make for a perfect coastal picnic experience. Most of the picnic spots also have a stationary BBQ grill, so bring a bag of charcoal if you want to grill.

If you’re lucky and the ocean swells are particularly high, you’ll be able to watch the waves crash against the rocks. It’s a mesmerizing sight. Dress warmly and don’t venture too close to the surf!

Photo credit Portland Farmers Market.

Portland is a foodie city and Portlanders love buying their produce and other food straight from the source. If you’re in town on a weekend, check out the Portland Farmers Market held on Saturdays year-round. The market features fresh, delicious, locally grown foods including vegetables, fruits, herbs, beef, pork, chicken, duck, goat, lamb, milk, cider, cheese, yogurt, eggs, kefir, honey, grains, jams, and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh. Many of the foods are organic. You’ll also find beautiful plants, flowers, fiber and much more.

Summer Markets: May through November, Saturdays 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Deering Oaks Park, Wednesdays 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Monument Square. Winter Market: December through April, Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maine Irish Heritage Center. More general info about the Portland Farmer’s Market can be found at portlandmainefarmersmarket.org.

Experiencing Casco Bay aboard a historic wooden schooner is an opportunity of a lifetime. No sailing experience necessary! These boats are fully crewed by experienced sailors. The sailing season is mid-May through October. Plan your cruise ahead of time or just walk down to the Maine State Pier and hop on the next boat.

Two companies offer seasonal cruises of the bay departing regularly from the Maine State Pier:

Portland Schooner Company sails the Wendameen, an 88-foot Maine-built schooner, and the Bagheera, a slightly smaller Maine-built schooner. Call (207) 766-2500 for more information or visit portlandschooner.com.

Maine Sailing Adventures sails the Frances, a 74-foot Maine-built windjammer. Call (207) 749-9169 for more or visit mainesailingadventures.net.

Photo credit River Running.

Do you love exploring new cities by foot? Do you enjoy running? Well then, have we got a recommendation for you. Port City Running Tours offers private and customizable running tours of Portland. See this beautiful and historic city while running along cobblestone streets and manicured trails, all at your own pace.

The company was founded in 2012 by John Calvin Stevens III, the great-great-grandson and namesake of famous Portland architect John Calvin Stevens. John is a local history buff and avid runner. His running tours adapt to your desired distance and pace. For more information about a running tour of Portland, call John at (207) 956-3099, email portcityrunningtours@gmail.com or visit portcityrunningtours.com.

Photo Credit Cruise Critic.

Downeast Duck Tours is fun and family friendly way for visitors to see in Downtown Portland and Casco Bay. Climb aboard a custom-built-bus-boat-duck-looking vehicle and quack your way around Downtown Portland before splashing into Casco Bay to a narrated tour of the city.

Duck tours are 60-minutes. Prices are $24 adults, $20 seniors, $17 children 4-17 years old, kids three and under are free. Tours depart daily at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (4:15 p.m. by appointment too.) For more information call (207) 774-3825 or visit downeastducktours.com.

Photo credit Visit Portland Maine.

Downtown Portland is a renowned tourist and lifestyle destination. Grace is located in the heart of downtown in the Old Port next to City Hall. A short stroll of the city offers pedestrian visitors a look into the unique history and character of each neighborhood.

The Portland International Jetport and most local hotels and inns offer walking maps of the city. Here are descriptions of Portland downtown neighborhoods from the Portland Downtown District website:

ARTS DISTRICT: A few blocks from the waterfront, is Portland’s secret treasure -the Arts District. With Congress Street as its spine, this street once known for shopping has turned into a mecca of museums, educational institutions, art galleries, contemporary music venues, and art studios.

The world-class Portland Museum of Art, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art, the renovated State Theatre, Portland Stage Company, the Center for Maine History, Museum of African Culture and the stunningly renovated Merrill Auditorium all line Congress Street. Walking Congress Street provides a glimpse of office buildings intermingled with historically preserved buildings. Some highlights are the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the 19th century childhood home of the poet, and the First Parish Church with a cannon ball that was shot into the church during the Revolutionary War built into its chandelier.

Portland’s City Hall was built by Carrere and Hastings, best known for their design of the New York Public Library. And Portland High School is the oldest standing high school in the country. If you listen closely, you can hear history in the making.

OLD PORT: (a.k.a. Portland’s Historic Waterfront District) Portland’s Old Port is one of the most successfully revitalized warehouse districts in the country. Seamlessly connected to the waterfront, the Old Port is both a working waterfront and a local shopping, dining, and entertainment district.

Taking a walk at the water’s edge along Commercial Street provides a window into the working waterfront. Just steps from the water, one can stroll down the cobblestone streets and experience the quaint charm of this district. The boutique shopping in one-of-a-kind stores, restaurants serving Maine’s famous lobster dishes or the latest nouvelle cuisine, and vibrant nightlife are all unparalleled in any other New England city.

The smell of the sea air, the sound of a foghorn, and the chatter of seagulls add to an atmosphere that is undeniably Portland, undeniably Maine.

WEST END: The West End neighborhood is famous for its architecture and boasts some of Portland’s largest historic homes, including the historic Victoria Mansion museum. Located on the Western side of the peninsula, with Victorian-era parks and mansions, the West End is not to be missed.

EAST END: At the far Eastern end of the peninsula is the East End neighborhood that encompasses Munjoy Hill, the Eastern Promenade, East End Beach and the Portland Observatory. Just a few minutes walk to the Old Port, and a large lawn to enjoy the water views, the East End has a lot to offer!

BAYSIDE: Bordered by Forest Avenue, Marginal Way, Cumberland Avenue, and Franklin Arterial, the Bayside Neighborhood hosts an eclectic mix of families and singles, immigrants, businesses, creative enterprises and galleries, and an active neighborhood association. It is also home to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and the Bayside Trail.

Lace up your walking shoes and enjoy!

The islands of Casco Bay are a defining part of what makes Portland a unique place to live and visit. Casco Bay Lines serves seven of the bay’s islands with the company’s fleet of six brightly colored ferries. Hopping a ferry is a great way to meet local island residents and experience the working waterfront up close and personal. Ferry cabins are dry and heated, so don’t be dissuaded from getting out on the bay on cold and wet days.

Consider one of the line’s year-round scenic sunrise or sunset cruises. If the weather is nice, pack a lunch and embark on the scenic three-hour Mail Boat Run which delivers goods, people, and mail to five separate islands. Or take the short cruise over to Peaks Island to visit the island’s shops and restaurants.

The Casco Bay Lines ticket office and ferry gates are located on the Maine State Pier in the city’s Old Port. Tickets generally cost between $4 and $15, depending on your destination. Swing by the ticket office to pick up a sailing schedule and map, or plan your trip ahead of time by calling the ticket office at (207) 774-7871 or visiting www.cascobaylines.com.