Spots to Visit in Kennebec
Kennebec County is quite important to the state of Maine, and it’s not just because it houses Augusta, the capital of the state. In the 1800’s it was practically the economic hub for the entire state, and while that might necessarily be the case anymore, you can still feel that impact as you explore the area. From all the historical landmarks, to the wide variety of food offered, you can feel the rich history! Kennebec County is great for exploring Maine’s history, while exploring some of the state’s food culture. While you’re visiting, you should check out Kennebec Cabin Company! It acts as a shop for merchandise from the show “Maine Cabin Masters” as well as functioning as a sort of clubhouse, often hosting watch parties of the show, featuring food and music!
If you’re looking for some well-priced, natural farm-fresh produce, you should check out Misty Brook Farm in Albion. They have a wide variety of produce sourced from their own farm, including bratwurst, cheese, and veal just to name a few. Maine is also one of the only states to allow the sale of raw milk, and Misty Brook takes advantage of this, selling their raw milk! They pride themselves on their treatment of livestock and land, ensuring to promote healthy pastures and soil. They even select the exact breeds of their livestock, making sure they raise animals that perform and live well with the local landscape. Misty Brooks Farm is an excellent place to stop to get an authentic taste of Maine’s farm life! Their farm’s shop is open 365 days a year, but it’s worth mentioning that they’re a cash only establishment.
Maine’s Wild Blueberry Weekend is a festival that takes place across the entire state of Maine, at any farm that wants to participate! One place this amazing festival takes place is at Fields Fields Blueberries in Dresden, normally on the first weekend in August. This celebration at Fields Fields includes a bunch of fun activities for all ages, including a delicious pancake breakfast and live music. Looking to learn more about how blueberry farms operate? Fields also holds live demonstrations and tours of the farm during the festival! The Wild Blueberry Weekend offers a fun weekend full of learning and entertainment, and delicious blueberries! Remember that there’s a bunch of farms all across the state that offer similar activities during the festival, so feel free to do some research and see which farms might interest you the most!
Kennebec County can be seen as a sort of haven for craft beverages, as there’s plenty of great breweries and meaderies in the county. Run Amok Meadery offers some delicious mead made of fresh honey. Their mead is available both online, and other establishments (including Maine Tasting Center!). Want to make an experience out of trying their mead? Run Amok offers their tasting room experience every weekend, meaning you can come in and try some of their mead with your friends, and make a social experience out of it! If you find yourself becoming a superfan of their mead, you can become what they call a “corker”, which gives you a discount on all releases from their bottle club. Run Amok is great, whether you want to order some high quality mead online, or try some delicious drinks with your friends on the weekend. There’s also an annual beer festival in Gardiner during October, called the Swine and Stein Brewfest! The festival offers unlimited samplings from some of the best breweries in the state, as well as food from delicious local food trucks!
There’s plenty of other amazing breweries and meaderies in the county, one being Grateful Grain Brewery. Grateful Grain is a large part of Maine’s food history, being the state’s first and biggest brewery. The brewery offers a small tap room and outdoor seating, and their goal is to provide a fun and relaxing atmosphere to drink some beer with your friends. Another great location to check out is Bateau Brewing, a craft brewery in Gardiner. They offer a friendly drinking atmosphere, with a garden overlooking the river as well as a fire pit. Can’t stay long? No problem, they sell cans of their alcohol for you to enjoy at home.
In the mood for some wine? In Leeds, Willows Awake Winery produces a small selection of red and white wines. Winemaker Lindsay Benson has plans to create a number of estate wines from the 8 acres of cold-hardy hybrid vines that were planted in 2018. Their amazingly crafted wines along with the view from Willows’ seating is sure to make for a beautiful evening of enjoying drinks.