Music Harbor Comes Back Bigger and Better Than Ever!
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—There will be music throughout Mount Desert Island this weekend, live music by working musicians in venue after venue. That means there will be 100 hours of live music to groove to. One hundred hours of live music to sing to. One hundred hours of live music for people to close their eyes to and really, truly hear.
There will also be some beer and special glasses, thanks to Baxter Brewing.
There will also be some merch thanks to Little Village Gifts.
There will also be a chance to win a trip to Nashville.
Mostly though, it’s a time for camaraderie, a time to support musicians and restaurants (and the people who work in them), a time to gather with friends and sing along to tunes or just soak it all in.
It’s a big, celebratory weekend that will most likely kick off the end of the tourist season on Mount Desert Island, where Acadia National Park hosts approximately 4 million visits. It’s also the weekend where the Mount Desert Island Marathon will bring over 2,000 runners to Mount Desert Island in mid-October and it will give Southwest Harbor—and the entire island—a chance to celebrate with the Finish Line Festival and Music Harbor.
The award-winning MDI Marathon, Half, and Relay, hosted by Crow Athletics, has brought over $543,861 to local nonprofits since it began in 2009. That’s something to celebrate, too.
Music Harbor was organized by Bo Jennings, the current president of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Board and director of operations for Side Street Cafe, and it expanded this year.
On October 18 and 19, twelve MDI region venues will provide over 100 hours of live music in Bar Harbor.
Why?
Because music has the ability to bring people together. Because supporting local musicians, bands, and restaurants and inns is fun. Because it’s fun.
“It’s surreal that Year 2 is already here,” Jennings said. “It feels like yesterday I was finishing Music Harbor 2024 and saying, ‘Wait until next year.’ Well, it’s here, and it’s fun to see the level of engagement double in one year!”
Growth is not just in numbers, Jennings said.
”Yes, we want to see more venues, we want to see more locals and visitors attending. But we want to see growth and improvement of the festival. It’s a very grassroots event that takes a lot of coordination, and I’m very grateful for everyone involved. We’ve done a lot of things better this year, and are excited to see the fruits of those efforts,” Jennings said.
“One of my favorite things about last year was seeing so many of our local neighbors attending. Yes, there’s still lots of visitors in town. But giving our locals over 100 hours of live music over two days, in their backyard, is an incredible experience most people don’t get to have. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy live music as a community.”
The goal, he said, is to provide our locals and visitors with as much live music as they can over two days.
“If we continue to grow the number of venues all over the area, and get more of our locals and visitors to enjoy the live music, then Music Harbor is a success!” he said.
“Music Harbor is possible because Jena and Jeff Young said yes. Without their support, this festival never gets off the ground. And then there are 11 other venues who said ‘absolutely,’” Jennings said. “Obviously, this event isn’t the same without each and every one of them. It’s been really fun working alongside Baxter Brewing as they created a custom beer, and this year have done all the printing for signage, as well as the map and punchcard. Baxter also cobranded a cup, which will get you discounted specials at almost every location. One of the best improvements you’ll see this year is in the merchandise being sold at Little Village Gifts. They stepped up their game big time, and we have some of the greatest festival merch I think I’ve ever seen!”
Jennings, who worked in Nashville before settling in Bar Harbor has seen a lot of merch.
”One of the coolest parts this year was I was able to tap into my network back in Nashville, Tennessee. My friends at the Nashville Convention Visitors Corporation, as well as Barrett Hobbs, the owner of the Nashville Palace, both helped to provide the free trip in Nashville for the punchcard drawing winner,” Jennings said.
“Music Harbor could not be happening at a better time,” he added. “There’s been a lot of times it has felt this summer like live music is under attack in Bar Harbor. This weekend, you’ll get to see locals and visitors alike swarm to over 100 hours of live music over two days. Seeing so many people come together shows just how much our locals really do love live music. And that’s encouragement we all need to see right now.”
THE LINE UP FOR MUSIC HARBOR
2025 Music Harbor Venues - October 18th & 19th, 2025
This current schedule could change.
The Annex at Side Street Cafe
Noon to 10 pm
$6 Margaritas
Saturday
12 pm - Hall House
1 pm - Kim & Ryan
2 pm - On the rocks
4 pm - Dan Lorey band
6 pm - Tommy Copeland Trio
8 pm - Nathan & the Hondo Peas
Sunday
12 pm - Keith Lewis
1 pm - Em & Co
2 pm - Anni & the Rainmakers
4 pm - The Jam Company
6 pm - Cryin’ Out Loud
8 pm - River Bottom Funk
Ivy Manor
Noon to 5 pm
Saturday
Chris Foster
Cory Fong
Sunday
Griffin Graves
Takoda Dionne
Finback Alehouse
3 pm to 5 pm, 9 pm to 11 pm
$6 Violet, Your Turning Violet! - Blueberry Tequila, Lime, Lemon, Blueberry
Saturday
3 pm Rob Reid
9 pm Em & Co
Sunday
3 pm Rob Reid
9 pm That Maine Band
Bar Harbor Beerworks
2 pm to 8 pm
$6 Spiked Blueberry Lemonade
Saturday
2 pm The Crown Vics
5 pm The Lucky Stars
Sunday
2 pm The Somes Sound
5 pm Cam King’s Dead
The Nor’Easter Pound & Market
6 to 8 pm
$1 off blueberry lemonade cocktail/mocktail
Saturday
Derf McKeeton
Sunday
Scop
Havana
6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
$8 Mojitos
Saturday
Dan Nicholas Duo
Sunday
Dan Nicholas Duo
Brasserie Le Brun
9 pm to Midnight
$10 Gin Drinks
Saturday
Swing Street
Sunday
Swing Street
Paddy’s Irish Pub (West Street Hotel)
Noon to 6:30 pm
$5 Draft Baxter Beers, $6 Irish Whiskey Cocktails
Saturday
12 pm Takoda Dionne
3:30 pm John Tercyak
Sunday
12 pm Dan Lorey
3:30 pm Nathan Grant
Project Social Kitchen & Bar
5 pm to 7 pm
$2 off craft cocktails
Saturday
The Jam Band
Sunday
Kim & Ryan
Currents Seafood & Spirits
6 pm to 8 pm
$8 Watermelon Sugar High
Saturday
Sara Jones
Sunday
Dan Lorey
Atlantic Brewing Midtown
4 pm to 6 pm Saturday, 2 pm to 4 pm Sunday
$1 off Draft Beers and Baxter Seltzers
Saturday
Quiet for Sue
Sunday
Ponds End
Table Salt
10 am to 2 pm
$7 Bourbon Blueberry Smash
Saturday
12 pm Keith Lewis
2 pm Nathan Grant
Sunday
David Noriega
MDI RACE DETAILS
START TIME & LOCATION:
Marathon—8:00 AM
Bar Harbor (200 Main Street)Team Relay—8:00 AM
Bar Harbor (200 Main Street)Half—8:30 AM
Northeast Harbor (5 Manchester Road)All races finish in front of Pemetic School
Southwest Harbor (327 Main Street)
COURSE TIME LIMIT:
Marathon—There is an 6.5-hour (6:30) time limit beginning at 8:00AM.
Half—There is an 4-hour (4:00) time limit beginning 8:30AM.
The finish line will close at 2:30PM.
There is NO early start.
Finish Line Festival: Marathon Sunday, October 19, 2025 ~ 9AM - 3PM
This is on Main Street in Southwest Harbor behind the finish line ~ Rain or shine
PARKING AREAS FOR THE FINISH LINE FESTIVAL
Golf of Maine Miniature Golf, 55 Main St. SWH
Seal Cove Road Shoppes, Seal Cove Road
Former Northern Lights Clinic, Herrick Road
Old Morris Yacht parking lot, Clark Point Road and Ships Way
Upper town dock, Clark Point Road
Lower town dock, Clark Point Road
Lot behind Southwest Harbor Town office / Police Department
Community Health Centers, Community Way
Dry Dock Inn paid parking lot, Main Street
Post office parking lot, Clark Point Road
Behind Pemetic Elementary School, Maple Lane