Frenchboro is a quiet fishing village, located on Long Island, 8 miles from
Mount Desert Island, Maine. It is accessible only by boat. Visitors to the island will feel they've stepped back in time
upon climbing the ramp to the Town Dock. There is about a mile of paved road surrounding the harbor, where one can find the
Post Office, Fire House, Community Building, Town Office, the Harbor House Bed and Breakfast, the Frenchboro Bakery and Island Candy Shop, The Frenchboro School, Long Island Congregational Church, The Parsonage, The Offshore Store, the Frenchboro Library and Museum, the Dockside Deli, and Lunt and Lunt Lobster Wharf. Also on the island is an online book re-seller, Frenchboro Books.
Have
a pet? Dockside Veterinary Services will be in Frenchboro Monday, July 26th between 9am and noon to see animal patients. Margaret
Shively, DVM will be aboard the Seakeeper, tied up at Lunt's Wharf. Please visit their website www.seakeeper.org for details or email shively.ma@yahoo.com for an appointment.
Island Cruises operates a 3 and a half hour lunch cruise
to Frenchboro, complete with a walking tour of the 170 year old village. Visit ISLAND CRUISES for more info, rates, and departure times.
Keep up with Frenchboro news and events, stories and happenings
by reading The Frenchboro News column in The Bar Harbor Times newspaper, and also, an island blog, both written by Marissa Rozenski.
The best tasting lobster in the world!
Summertime on the island is very special. We savor the
relatively few short weeks of good weather, and celebrate two events with gusto: The 4th of July, and the Annual Lobster Festival
in August.
On Friday Nights, weather permitting,
the school hosts a Drive- In Movie. Usually located at the firehouse, this is an outdoor event, and requires sleeping bags,
blankets, warm clothes, and camp chairs. Island nights are cool; bugs aren't a problem. Movies lean toward the child-friendly
as they can be seen and heard for quite a distance. All visitors are welcome!
Our July 4th activities are a day-long affair. We close the roads to vehicle traffic, dress anything
with wheels up as a float, and parade around the harbor. Every year there are more floats than spectators! Prizes are awarded
for funniest and most creative floats. Every person on the island joins in the fun.
Following the parade, there is a lobster relay race. Contestants must climb into lobster gear, 'pull'
a trap, empty it, bait it back, and band the (stuffed) lobsters. Prizes are awarded to those with the fastest time. It is
a riot to watch, and usually the comments from the audience will make or break a contestant!
When the tide is high, there are rowing contests. Folks gather at the
inner cove and race in skiffs. All safety precautions are addressed, including spotters and life vests. (The water is only
about 6 feet deep at high tide.) The kids rank this as their favorite activity.
After the fun and games, it's back to the firehouse for a huge picnic. All the islanders bring their favorite
or 'signature' dishes, and it takes three grills to keep up with the demand of hamburgers and hot dogs.This
is a long, leisurely day, usually culminating with ice cream at the dock, watching the sunset, and the glimpse of fireworks
in the distance over Somes Sound, on Mount Desert Island.
The Annual Lobster Festival is a half day event, occurring
the second Saturday in August each year. Transportation to and from the island is provided by the Captain Henry Lee, leaving
Bass Harbor at 9am, and leaving Frenchboro at 3:30 for the return trip.Tickets are available only on the day of the event,
outside the Bass Harbor Ferry Terminal.
This year's festival
will take place on Saturday, August 14, 2010.
Fabulous
lobster dinners are served from 11 to 2pm. Dessert is included in the dinner, but leave room for some wonderful watermelon,
handmade candies and whoopie pies, and ice cream!
Visitors are encouraged
to explore the many trails, enjoy the spectacular views and the best tasting lobster in the world.
Proceeds benefit the Long Island Congregational Church.
Face painting is available for the kids, and the adults can peruse the islands two gift shops; the Historical
Society's Museum and Gift Shop, and The Offshore Store, which features baked goods from The Frenchboro Bakery.
This year, on Saturday August 14,2010 The Offshore Store will host a PIG ROAST and LIVE BAND! 'The
Last Boat', a local band from neighboring Swan's Island will perform in the evening. Bring your Dancin' Shoes!
Other island-wide events include Halloween, the semi-formal
Harvest Ball, and Christmas. Halloween is much more than one night of trick-or-treating; there is a school- sponsored party
and a Haunted Hayride. The Hayride is known far and wide, and takes a month to prepare with the expert assistance of the Fire
Department.
CHECK OUT THE FRENCHBORO LINKSPAGE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING BOAT APPROACHES, MOORING AVAILABILITY, AND BUSINESS
LISTINGS.
The Maine State Ferry operates an auto ferry to Long Island three days per week and a seasonal passenger
ferry on Fridays. Please note only the Friday ferry runs a round-trip in a single day.
For additional Maine State Ferry
Information visit:
