This is a bit odd. What is below is a Q&A section that looks like an interview you would see in any number of magazines. Except this is me questioning me.

You see, as the executive director of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber, I get a wide range of questions from travelers, businesses and citizens who don’t know where else to turn. At times I think, “I wonder if anyone else has that same question?”

So, I’ve compiled a list of several questions I’ve received recently that I thought may pertain to a larger audience. The odd part is, that it may look like an interview — it is not. Think of it as just a collection of random questions that I have received — mostly from tourists — looking for information on the area.

Q: When is the air show this year?

A: The Great State of Maine Air Show happens every other year, so since it happened on Aug. 26 and 27, 2017, don’t look for it again until 2019.

Q: Where are you (the SMMC chamber office) located?

A: Some people remember when our office was on Pleasant Street in Brunswick, and many more think we are still inside the Priority Business Center at 1 Main St. in Topsham near the Frank J. Wood Bridge.

We are actually located up on Brunswick Landing inside Maine Technology Institute, 8 Venture Ave. We’re across the street from Wayfair (if you’re in their parking lot and look to the left you will see us across the street).

Q: When is the Allure of the Coast guide book coming out?

A: Never. Well, that’s not entirely true — the Allure of the Coast is no longer the name for the chamber guide book. The new guide book is called Eat Play Stay and has a gorgeous picture of a live lobster and a beer on it (taken by Brunswickbased photographer Andrew Estey). Eat Play Stay is available now.

Q: If I want to get brochures and information about Maine, where do I go?

A: This is a loaded question, but the simplest answer is that it depends on what you’re looking for.

Both the Brunswick Information Center (sometimes called the Brunswick Train Station) and the Bath Regional Information Center have racks of brochures for things both near and far. They will have tourism maps of the region, including Bath, Harpswell and Brunswick maps, as well as the tourism council guide which highlights Brunswick to Belfast.

If you want to browse the selections and pick out the information yourself, those are the spots.

However, if you want to send some information to relatives out of the area, the chamber has a decent selection of local guides, including all of the major local publications (meaning the maps referenced above). The chamber just carries less quantity and we don’t have the space for the 50-60 different guides and maps that the info centers have. Yet, if you want chamber guides, weekly we mail out packets across the country and beyond.

Q: So is the chamber and the downtown groups the same thing?

A: No. The chamber is a separate organization than both the Brunswick Downtown Association and Maine Street Bath, but we have similar interests. We all work to help the local businesses thrive and we work well together promoting each other’s events and projects because it helps all of the businesses when we have success in our communities.

The biggest distinguishing difference is that although Main Street Bath and the Brunswick Downtown Association will get involved at times on regional issues, their primary focus is on the businesses and people in their own communities. Our chamber is more regionally focused, representing businesses from 16 communities in the southern Midcoast: Bath, Brunswick, Harpswell, Topsham, Arrowsic, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Dresden, Edgecomb, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Richmond, West Bath, Westport Island, Wiscasset and Woolwich.

Q: What can we do today?

A: This question spawned the idea for the Midcoast Calendar of Events. We released the 2018 edition last week and it’s free to download on the SMMC website (midcoastmaine.com). This event listing booklet ranges from June 1- Dec. 31 and lists more than 700 events by date.

It’s the perfect piece for anyone who wants to be in-the-know and it’s a must-have for all lodging properties and tourism-related businesses. Paper copies should be available this week. We had a printing delay when we received some last-minute changes and we had to do some major reformatting.

We should have them from the printer soon though and we will bring them to the Bath Regional Information Center and Brunswick Train Station. Again though, you can download yours today.

Q: But what can we do this week?

A: Well, the calendar has more than 30 events from now through this Sunday, June 17. One event people are talking about is Maine State Music Theatre’s production of “Million Dollar Quartet,” which is getting incredible reviews and has shows Wednesday through Sunday this week and closes on June 23.

The SMMC has our Hacker’s Ball golf tournament on Friday, June 15 at Brunswick Golf Club, and we are still looking for a few players and teams. The Trek Across Maine is always Father’s Day weekend and isn’t in our area this year, but it’s good to know since next year the race will begin and end in Brunswick.

Don’t miss the 3rd Friday ArtWalk in Bath and on Saturday the Bandstand by the Sea kicks off in Harpswell at Mitchell Field. Also, the local libraries have multiple programs going on daily throughout the summer and Maine Maritime Museum has everything from cruises to navigation courses this week.

Don’t miss out on the fun this summer, as it’s the best time of year.

If you have any questions, contact the chamber at (207) 725-8797 and who knows you might see your question in print someday soon.