Baron de Saint Castin. Collection: Maine Historical Society

Do you recognize this dashing gentleman?  Come to Castine on July 14, 2016, the French National holiday!

The town of Castine has a long standing relationship with France and was named after the Baron de St. Castin.  His marriage to Chief Madockawando’s daughter joined our French and Native American cultures-which he defended for more than a generation, with his Wabanaki allies from his base in our little town.

Spend a day in our historic village, enjoying our French and Native American culture through music, food, film, lectures on French and Native American history, re-enactments, children’s activities, French cooking demonstrations and village walking tours.  Start the day with French toast on our newly renovated historic Main Street and stay to experience our history from the water, with Castine Harbor boat tours.  Then run the Baron’s Beach & Beacon 5K race as the sun sets over Penobscot Bay.

Throughout the day, we will have opportunities to showcase our Baron’s life through historians, an archaeologist and two days of re-enactments at the Wilson Museum. Experience French culture through Chef Jean-Louis Gerin’s cooking demonstrations and wear white to our late afternoon centerpiece, Picnic en Blanc, seated on Court Street at our long white table with local flowers, fiddle and accordion music. Choose your custom designer picnic bag from our local purveyors or bring your own with French delights- family fun for all ages. Then end on a happy note at a concert featuring Acadian-style musicians.

Experience a pristine Maine coastal village “Under The Elms and By The Sea”.  Go to www.visitcastine.com  to find more detail on the day’s activities.  And plan to come a day early (July 13^th) to enjoy the Castine Historical Society’s House and Garden Tour too!  For more information or to purchase tickets go to http://www.castinehousetour.com.

List of the day's EVENTS:

8 to 9:30 French Toast on Historic Main Street@ TCP church

9 to 11:30 Farmers Market on Town Common 10 Castine Boat Tours go all day at Waterfront French reenactments 13th & 14th Wilson Museum

10:45 to 12:30 French Lectures (Town Hall): Bill Haviland- The Baron in St. Castin Chrissy Allen: Blue Hill Her.Trust: site protection Gretchen Faulkner- Archaeologist @ Baron site

Noon to 1 Lunch around town

1 to 2:30 French Chef Cooking Demonstration @ Castine Inn

1 to 3 Children’s Games, Storytelling, Facepainting

4 to 4:30 French Film- Spectacle of the Baron de St. Castin

5 to 6:30 Picnic en Blanc- wear white to a picnic on Court St. Purchase you picnic from Castine restaurants Gena Churchill- accordionist Gus LaCasse- French fiddler

7 to 8 Baron's Beach & Beacon Twilight 5K Roadrace register at Town Dock at 6 ($20. Entry fee - Tshirts to 1st 100)

7 to 9 Acadian Aces concert on Town Common

Map and Directions (Castine)