After landing itself on the Today Show’s top July 4th celebrations list, Bar Harbor has become a popular destination to celebrate our independence. The island (Mount Desert Island) will be very busy over the holiday weekend so plan extra time to get everywhere and be patient with those working in local shops/restaurants as many are understaffed. If you have your heart set on a specific restaurant or excursion during your stay, we highly recommend making reservations well in advance. Luckily at Acadia Yurts, each of our rental units contain a kitchen so guests have the option to cook at home too! Further, our property also features communal charcoal grills and outdoor dining options for you and your loved ones to create a memorable BBQ meal if you’d prefer to avoid the crowds.
Below is a schedule of festivities available on the island over the weekend:
Friday July 2nd
5:30 – 6:30 PM Intention & guided meditation workshop at Acadia Yurts
Guest instructor Laura Marie will bring her handmade malas to Acadia Yurts and offer a free 30-minute workshop about the practice of sankalpa (heartfelt desire). This workshop requires no mediation experience and shares the radical premise that you already are who you need to be to fulfill your life’s purpose. All you need to do is to focus your mind, connect to your heartfelt desire and channel the Divine energy within. Trunk show to follow.
Sunday July 4th
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Craft Fair/Marketplace
The Island Arts Association will hold a Craft Fair/Marketplace at the YMCA, 21 Park Street, featuring a wonderful selection of Maine crafts, including jewelry, quilts, photographs, pottery, and porcelain dolls. Please join us for this joint fundraiser for the YMCA and the YWCA.
11:00 AM Independence Day Parade
The community shows off its patriotism and good humor as the parade winds through downtown Bar Harbor from Main Street to Cottage Street to Eden Street to Mt. Desert Street to Ledgelawn Avenue. The parade is crowded so plan to arrive early to find parking, stake out your viewing space and remember to bring plenty of water with you!
11:30 AM Open Table Cookout
This event will be held on the lawn at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church and will include grilling, watermelon and lemonade. Open Table is a local non-profit that seeks to build community by sharing a meal together; they are a marvelous organization and will serve until they run out of food!
Mid-day enjoy a nap in your air-conditioned yurt/tiny house or head into Acadia National Park for a hike/swim/bike/paddle. Some less crowded areas we enjoy are located on the Quietside of the island in Southwest Harbor, Tremont and Bass Harbor; go walking or biking on the Western Mountain carriage roads 0.5 miles from Acadia Yurts; hike along the waters edge at Ships Harbor/Wonderland and Seawall; take a dip in Long Pond, Echo Lake or Seal Cove Pond to cool off if the weather is warm.
No July 4 celebration would be complete without fireworks and Mount Desert Island has 2 options:
The Bar Harbor Fireworks begin approximately at 9:15 PM over Frenchman Bay. This waterfront display is well loved and will be crowded. If you are planning to watch fireworks here, plan on arriving early to mark your space on the lawn and expect a long wait/lots of traffic to exit Bar Harbor after the fireworks have ended.
The Southwest Harbor Fireworks, albeit a smaller display than Bar Harbor’s, is still FUN and located a lot closer to Acadia Yurts! These shoot off around 9PM from the harbor. Aaron and Karen have reserved a table on the porch at the Upper Deck restaurant (live music starts at 7pm!) and watch the fireworks from our table. The fireworks display in Southwest can be viewed from many different places along the harbor and getting out of town afterward is much easier. In 2019 we were home 10 minutes after fireworks ended!
Regardless of what your celebration entails please be safe. There will be lots of people/cars/kids/pets everywhere so move mindfully, be patient, and enjoy your day!