Yesterday, Rockland celebrated Summer Solstice in its usual fashion: by closing down Main Street for the evening and hosting a street fair. this annual event draws thousands from all over the area. There is music, dancing, games and some of the most amazing food from our local restaurants. This year marked the first annual pooch parade which opened the event.
Thousands turned out for the annual Summer Sostice Festival in Rockland, Maine
Click here to see some more photos from the event.
Last night we attended the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce annual award dinner. There were about 300 people in attendence and it is the one time of year I will put a suit on. Well…..we won an award! The Beacon Award recognizes a business or organization that has attracted significant positive regional or national attention to the Penobscot Bay region that results in a rise in economic activity for the local business community.
P.J. Walter, left, and Frank Isganitis, center, accept the chamber's Beacon Award on behalf of The LimeRock Inn Saturday night at the Samoset Resort. The resort's General Manager Connie Russell, right, presents the award. (Photo by: Daniel Dunkle)
The presentation is as follows:
After relocating to the Penobscot Bay region from New Jersey, these partners purchased an existing business that was already successful. Together, they represent the principle that individuals working together can achieve results greater than the sum of the parts. This idea is paramount in the way they run their business, interact with their colleagues and reflected in the industry brand that they have helped create.
One of these individuals is a bit more low key choosing to stay behind and “man the fort” in order to allow the other the opportunity to be more overtly community minded. However, he works tirelessly using social media and other online outlets like when Rockland was nominated by Captain Brenda Thomas of the schooner, Issac Evans, as one of the Coolest Small Towns In America last year. Through his efforts, Rockland came in second in the online voting and received the “Editor’s Choice” designation in the October issue of Budget Travel magazine.
The other individual is likely better known in the community. Despite being “from away”, Rockland has embraced them with open arms allowing this individual to become a founding member of Rockland Main Street, Chairman of Rockland’s Economic Development Advisory Committee AND Rockland’s Comprehensive Planning Commission. He is also a member-at-large of Rockland’s Board of Assessment Review and an Executive Committee member of the Chamber.
Through their efforts, the region has hosted celebrities like Bobby Flay, Samantha Brown, and Rachel Ray. In addition, the region has received television recognition on the Food Network, HGTV, Wheel of Fortune, CBS Good Morning, The Today Show, and at least four appearances on WCSH6-NBC Portland as well as countless local, regional and national print publications.
They use all of these opportunities to shine a light on and promote the Penobscot Bay region, and I never get the impression the attention is about them or their business. They always make their efforts about the region and local community and why it’s so great to come here. They are tremendous ambassadors of the Penobscot Bay region. For all these reasons, we offer the Beacon Award to The LimeRock Inn owners, PJ Walter and Frank Isganitis.
We are so incredibly honored and humbled by receving this award. The way we operate is reflected in a quote from the Community Person of the Year Winner, “If you see something that needs to get done, do it. If you don’t know how to do it, learn.” These are words to live by!
Rockland was recently chosed as one of twelve towns as a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This is a great honor and just continues the trend of Rockland “getting on the map”. It is an exciting time to be in this amazing community!!! Check out the brief news story from WCSH6.
This sounds like an exciting and delicious evening!! From Lily Bistro:
Ameranouche (pronounced uh-MARE-uh-noosh), the Gypsy jazz, acoustic power trio will be performing a concert at Lily Bistro in Rockland on MONDAY, February 15, 2010.
The trio features two French acoustic Gypsy jazz guitars and upright bass, and is a two-time winner of Best of New Hampshire awards as well as being veterans of the famed Newport Jazz Festival. The group tours nationally, year-round and has released two albums, largely of original music inspired by legendary Gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt.
National Lampoon director, Kevin Wheatley, calls Ameranouche “the new sound of America”. After hearing these folks sail through a melodious tune with such love, musicality, and signature, jaw-dropping velocity, you’ll be hard pressed not to agree. www.ameranouche.com has plenty of tunes to check out — if you’ve never experienced hot acoustic swing music, now’s your chance to fall in love with the joyful, uplifting, and dance-inducing sounds of Gypsy jazz!
Ameranouche – hot Gypsy jazz power trio LIVE at Lily Bistro
MONDAY, February 15, 2010
8pm
$15 for the show; seating is limited
optional $15 also for wine tasting (come early!)
207-594-4141 for reservations
Frank and I are taking a much needed break. We’re heading out to attend a good friends wedding. We’ll be back just in time for Rockland’s Festival of Lights Weekend. This years event will be better than ever! The parade of lights will feature a float created by the Historic Inns of Rockland. There is so much going on. The festvities kick off on Friday, November 27th. More details to follow!
Over the five years we’ve been innkeepers, we’ve had many wonderful encounters with guests. In addition, the guests have wonderful encounters with each other. You’ve all heard of the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, well it seems that in the world there are far fewer degrees (although not neccesarily to Mr. Bacon!)
This morning we had one of the most bizarre and amazing coincidences of peoples paths crossing. There is an Aunt and neice visiting from the UK, one lives in England and the other Scotland. We also had a newlywed couple from NYC. After breakfast, the neice approached me to ask if the NYC couple, whom she’d not met, had just gotten married in Central Park. You see, prior to arriving at the inn, the aunt and neice had spent some time in New York City and toured Central Park. While there, a wedding was taking place in the Shakespeare Garden and they decided to stay around a bit to watch the bride and groom have their photos taken. Well, when this young couple walked into the dining room this morning, the neices jaw nearly fell to the ground as she thought this was the couple that she witnessed getting married in Central Park. A short while later, the couple confirmed that they indeed did get married and it was the same ceremony viewed by the aunt and neice.
Now I ask you, what are the coincidences that both sets of people would end up here are the LimeRock Inn in Rockland on the same date? It is just amazing and is one of the many reasons we love what we do!!!
Well, the 62nd Annual Maine Lobster Festival went by like a flash of lightning. We also had a visit from one of my dearest friends, Karen along with her husband Kyle and their little daughter Jessica. Despite some sprinkles, this years festival seemed to be a roaring success.
Starting August 7th is the annual Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors show. This is the largest in the water boat show in the country and draws people from all over. The show also features many fine furnture craftsmen. A good friend of ours, Paul Smith of Cathedral Woodworking, will be showing again the year. Last year, we purchased a beautiful porch swing for the front of the inn. 
Guests have throughly enjoyed using the swing. It is truly beautiful. As Paul now lives in Michigan, our swing will be in display at the show this year as a sample for visitors to see.
One of the highlights of the event is the Boat dog trials. Here is a photo of last years winner.
Two years ago, we were featured on HGTV’s If Walls Could Talk. It was a really fun show to be a part of although we filmed for 13 hours straight for about a 13 minute segment!! Enjoy the video below!
The North Atlantic Blues Festival is only two weeks away. The event takes place July 11 & 12 in Harbor Park right here in Rockland. A crowd of 12,000 is expected. The whole things starts with a Blues Pub Crawl on friday night. After a whole day of blues saturday, Main Street is closed for the BIG Blues Pub crawl. What is most exciting for us about this event is that we have the same guests from year to year. It is like having a big family reunion!! Let’s hope the weather holds out. There is a great lineup this year. Please click here for more information.
Back by popular demand! Comedienne Paula Poundstone will be performing her stand up routine at the Strand Theater on August 14th. Paula will be selling copies of her book, “There’s Nothing In This Book I Meant To S
ay” with proceeds going to the Friends of the Rockland Public Library. As a board member of the Friends, I will be working on promotions for the event along with another board member. I urge everyone to get their tickets early as she will definitely sell out! After the show, make sure to pick up a copy of her book. She will even be there to autograph them. It should be a night filled with laughter and your book purchase will be helping the library. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here. To learn more about the Rockland Public Library, please click here.