Shannon Bryan is busy. She's scouring the great outdoors for things to do that will make the memories that thicken the fiber of our beings. Here's the latest from an active woman.
Great Falls Balloon Festival
Friday-Sunday, August 17-19. Simard-Payne Memorial Park, Lewiston. www.greatfallsballoonfestival.
The Great Falls Balloon Festival boasts plenty of festival fun – the food, the rides, the really cool-looking hot air balloons in all kinds of shapes and designs. If you’d like to watch the balloons launch from the Androscoggin River, you can do that, too. Put your kayak, SUP, or canoe into the water from the Festival Plaza boat launch or the Pulsifer Street boat launch in New Auburn and paddle over and watch the balloons launch overhead. Launches are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (weather permitting).
Wild Maine Weekend & 5K Relay
7 a.m. Saturday, August 18. Mt. Chase Lodge, Patten. $15-$60. www.mtchaselodge.com
Explore the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument by running through it. Choose from a 5k or 10k and follow the course on logging roads along the East Branch of the Penobscot River. Compete on your own or as part of a team. That evening, there will be live music and a BBQ at Mt. Chase Lodge - so stick around.
Craft Brew Races
Noon Saturday, August 18. Payson Park, Portland. $60 in advance, $70 day of. craftbrewraces.com/portland
Gotta love these words: “relaxed 5K.” Walkers welcome at the Craft Brew Races, which will take participants on a course around Back Cove. More importantly, the race is followed by a beer festival in Payson Park, with upwards of 40 craft breweries present. Beer fest-only tickets are also available, as well as tickets for those who want to run but not drink.
Tri-Sport Challenge: Swim, Paddle, Run
9 a.m. Sunday, August 19. Camp Winnebago, Fayette. $25 in advance, $30 day of. www.tklt.org/trisportchallenge
The Kennebec Land Trust is hosting their fifth annual tri-sport challenge. This fun and casual challenge at Echo Lake includes a quarter mile swim, half-mile paddle, and 5k run. Compete as an individual or as part of a team.
Glow in the Park
6 p.m. Friday, August 24. Shaw Park, Gorham. Free ages 0-4, $6 ages 5-10, $8 ages 11-17, and $10 ages 18+. www.gorhamrec.com
Get the family together for an evening for running, dancing, and glowing in the dark. This kid-friendly event is hosted by Gorham Parks and Rec and includes a 5K or a 1.5-mile fun run/walk. Entry includes a glow-in-the-dark necklace and bracelet and there will also be prizes for the brightest and flashiest participants. There's also a pre- and post-race dance party.
Seacoast Paddle for the Pups
10 a.m. Sunday, August 26. William G. Saltonstall Boathouse, Exeter, NH. Raise $100. nhspca.org/calendar/sup-for-
Yes, this event takes place in Exeter NH, not Maine, but we can cross state borders for a good time and some puppy-loving, right? All paddlers are welcome – kayakers, paddleboarders, and canoeists – and there are two distance options: 1-mile and 3-miles. And well-behaved dogs are welcome to join in the fun. Paddlers are asked to raise $100, which goes to the New Hampshire SPCA to help puppies and other animals.