The spectacular beauty of Skowhegan river country has long inspired creative minds. Artists, theater productions, music and intellectual lecturers have been welcomed to Skowhegan since the early 1800s. In 1868, a venue called Coburn Hall was built to attract local and professional theater groups and nationally prominent performers. Lyceum Courses were held each winter for the edification of local residents, and the list of lecturers included many distinguished visitors.

In 1901, Lakewood Resort and Inn — on nearby Lake Wesserunsett — opened a summer theater, the first of its kind in America. By the mid 1920s, Lakewood was considered the jewel of America’s resident stock companies, and was the major summer tryout for productions hoping for success on Broadway. Many of America’s most prominent Broadway, movie and television stars have passed through Lakewood’s stage door.

In 1946, a gifted local artist and several friends carried out a dream of establishing a school for the encouragement and inspiration of artists. The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture began on the family farm of Willard Cummings, and now fills 300 acres and more than 60 buildings. With regular showings and displays from students, local townsfolk and visitors are also benefactors of the school. Local shops and galleries also feature works of local artists and crafts people.

The recently refurbished Opera House, which dates back more than a century, now opens its curtains to local concerts and theater groups. A regular series of Concerts in the Park are held on Sundays in July and August in beautiful Coburn Park, and local theater groups present regular series of popular plays and original works. Skowhegan is also fortunate to have the largest film screen in the State of Maine at The Strand, as well as one of the last drive-in theaters in the country still in operation.

Maine’s Most Popular Event

The Skowhegan Fair is one of the oldest forms of entertainment and enrichment in Maine and still the state’s most popular summertime event. Established in 1819, the Skowhegan Fair is noted as the nation’s longest continually running agricultural fair.

Now, the Skowhegan Fair (with its horses, livestock, artisans and entertainers) draws visitors from all over the U.S. and Canada, and is the highlight of Maine’s summer season. The Fair is held each year in early August and the Fairgrounds are also used regularly from May through October for a busy schedule of horse shows, dog shows, antique fairs and special events.

Standing 62 feet tall and weighing 24,000 pounds, the Skowhegan Indian stands watch in the geographic center of town at the junction of Routes 201 and 2. The Indian is dedicated to the memory of the Maine Indians, the first people to use this land in peaceful ways. It was erected in 1969, in observance of Maine’s 150th anniversary as a state. Made of white pine, it was crafted by the late Bernard Langlais, an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Outdoor Adventures

There’s no end to the many activities and outdoor adventures in the Skowhegan area. Biking, hiking, white water rafting, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and camping are just some of the seasonal highlights. Starting right in town, the lovely 12-acre Coburn Park on the Kennebec has been ranked as one of the outstanding small-town parks in the U.S. Nearby Lake George Regional Park is a spectacular 335 acre park just five miles east of town, and has facilities for swimming, boating, picnicking and beaching.

For more information about tourist activities and destinations in the area, visit:

www.skowheganchamber.com

www.skowhegan.org

www.kennebecvalley.org

www.mainetourism.com

or phone 1-800-393-8629
1-800-777-0317 Foliage Hotline

Local residents are well served by the Skowhegan Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees local parks and a busy schedule of classes. Residents are free to use the playgrounds, ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, ice rink and well-tended nature areas. Their Community Center is a spacious well-utilized facility with a large gymnasium, weight and exercise rooms and meeting rooms. The Parks Department provides opportunities for everyone (from pre-schoolers to senior citizens) to enjoy over 100 programs each year — most at no charge thanks to a large corps of enthusiastic volunteers.

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