One of the great successes in our region, and honestly one of the best programs of my career, has been the continued evolution of the Midcoast Tree Festival. Now heading into its seventh edition this November, the planning for the event begins earlier each year and thus, Christmas in July!

What I mean by that is the registration forms, event information, volunteer links, sponsorship opportunities and more are available on the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce’s website at midcoastmaine.com starting Friday. If you log onto the chamber’s homepage, at the very top navigation you will see a link to the Midcoast Tree Festival — click that.

Most sponsorship levels are available except for the overall event sponsor, which will be Hammond Lumber Company — thank you for being our Presenting Sponsor again this year! In addition to the Presenting Sponsor, there are Entertainment Sponsors, Media Sponsors, Children’s Crafts Sponsors and Decoration Sponsors. Sponsorship dollars go directly towards defraying the expenses for those specific parts of the event (thus the craft sponsorship helps pay for arts and crafts, media sponsorship helps us buy media, etc.)

In case I have gotten ahead of myself and you don’t know what the Midcoast Tree Festival (MTF) is, let me give a brief explainer. The MTF is a two-weekend event held the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before and after Thanksgiving. The event features 50-plus tree spaces that all have at least $500 worth of value and get raffled off for 50-cent raffle tickets. However, there are many ancillary pieces to the event that many love just as much. For instance, there’s free, live entertainment twice per day, which has ranged in the past from choirs and singers to balloon artists, caricature artists, magicians and animal education programs. There is also a daily 50/50, silent auction, hot chocolate bar, holiday concessions, a visit by Santa, many sightings of a giant elf and children’s crafts.

Last year, for opening night, we added a gingerbread house–building competition, which was a huge success (and which will be back this year, too). Also, we’re adding a wreath-making program the second weekend — not a competition but just an experience — plus, potentially, an open-mic night for holiday singers. We are bringing back MTF After Dark, which is where we turn down the overhead lights for the last hour of every night so patrons can see the trees in a whole new way (and explore via flashlight) as well as staying open late on opening night, and both Saturday nights until 8 p.m.

For businesses, this is an ideal way to showcase your company or for you to shine a light on businesses you love. To that point, many businesses will pick a theme and highlight their business by including some of their own products, while other businesses may end up buying gift cards and products from businesses they love to patronize to spread the love to them. There is no wrong way to MTF!

The visibility is the key point for businesses, though. Last year, we got 2,500 families to come through during the six days, which is a massive amount of people. Each tree space has your business name and logo prominently displayed, and there are individual tree videos we are constantly pushing through social media. Plus, with only a $2 entry fee (children entering for free), plus 50-cent raffle tickets, the event is specifically designed to make sure that affordability is not a barrier to entry (and we can work on the entry fee for those that need that). It has become a must-attend event for families to see the trees and get into the holiday spirit. The best part is, at the end of the event, 50 families walk away with a tree and $500 worth of gifts, heading into the holiday season to make it all a bit brighter.

The MTF has grown 20%-30% annually, which we expect to continue, but with that, we are maxing out our space. We are dedicated to keeping our wide aisles, craft section and entertainment space, so we are capping the tree spaces at 55. To be clear, we had 53 trees last year, so if everyone comes back, we only have room for two more, so RSVP soon whether you’re returning or applying new!

Also, beyond trees, this event is a great way for volunteers to meet a lot of good people, and if you are an entertainer, this could be a great way to get your name and face out there, too.

If you have questions, please reach out to me directly at cory@midcoastmaine.com. The MTF is a fundraiser for All Saints Parish, Spectrum Generations and the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber. MTF 2025 will be held Nov. 21-23 and Nov. 28-30 at the St. John’s Community Center, 43 Pleasant St., Brunswick.

•    •    •

I would be remiss not to share a few other events to keep your summer lively, too:

Six days of free music

Between July 4 and Labor Day (and a little beyond) we have six days of free outdoor music in our region. Tuesdays – Bath, Library Park; Wednesdays – Music on the Mall in Brunswick; Thursdays – Wiscasset (Alive on the Common) and Harpswell (Bandstand by the Sea at Mitchell Field); Fridays – Bath, Library Park; Saturdays – Bath, Waterfront Park; Sundays – Bowdoinham, Mailly Park. Most programs begin at 6 p.m.

Bath concerts are part of the Summer Concert Series organized by Main Street Bath with support from the Chocolate Church Arts Center. Music on the Mall is a program of the Brunswick Downtown Association. Alive on the Common is a program of the Wiscasset Chamber of Commerce.

MSMT dances to ‘Footloose’

The hugely successful ’80s film is a musical and onstage at Pickard Theater until Aug. 2. For more information, visit msmt.org. “West Side Story” closes the 2025 season.

Topsham Fair, Aug. 5-10

It’s hard to believe that fair season is here, but the Topsham Fair is less than two weeks away. For more information, visit topshamfair.org.

Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce.