Mount Desert Island: Celebrating Community Through Music and Races

Oct 20, 2025

Two female runners dressed in pink celebrate finishing a race, holding hands and smiling, amidst a crowd of supporters and flags along the route.

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The 1932 Criterion Theatre.

Promotional banner for the 1932 Criterion Theatre's summer schedule, featuring 'Movie Nights' and 'Let the Music Play!' decorated with wavy patterns.

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—This weekend, Mount Desert Island hosted a lot of people. There were runners. There were music lovers. There were leaf peepers heading to Acadia National Park. There were people protesting on Southwest Harbor sidewalks and others holding a health fair to help keep their neighbors safe, healthy, and well.

People cheered each other in many different ways.

Underneath all those events and cheers were the people making them happen: organizers, workers, participants, volunteers manning water booths (and doing all sorts of things) for the Mount Desert Island Marathon and Half Marathon. There were servers and cooks, cleaners, street sweepers, people who worked in lobbies, stores, restaurants and as emergency services. People were setting up and tearing down for music festivals, finish line festivals, the marathon, and a Bar Harbor (Mount Desert Island) Rotary Club event with the Bar Harbor Chamber.

The energy, one woman said as she stopped to talk to a neighbor as she headed to the Jesup Memorial Library, was palpable. Just down the block a man told another neighbor about his new cancer diagnosis. Another family gallivanted down the sidewalk. Music serenaded restaurant goers in pretty much every town in the region. Some part of the official Music Harbor festival. Some not.

Runners walking down Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor streets Sunday afternoon would call out as they passed each other, recognizing each other by the lobster medallions hanging from their necks. They’d finished their races. They accomplished something and they recognized that in each other.

“Good job,” they said.

“Good job,” they responded.

People who didn’t run said it too.

They applauded musicians. They put tips in jars. They thanked each other for kindnesses offered.

“The energy,” a man said as he headed into Bar Harbor, echoing that other woman’s statements though they weren’t together. “I love the energy this weekend.”

“I wish it were like this all the time,” said a woman he was with.

He half shrugged and sounded almost apologetic. “Maybe it can be?”

A runner celebrating as she crosses the finish line at a marathon, wearing a yellow and blue outfit with a '1' race number.

Crowd of runners wearing colorful athletic gear at the starting line of the 2025 Mount Desert Island Marathon, with a welcoming banner overhead and spectators lining the street.

A group of children in bright orange t-shirts lined up at the start of a race, surrounded by a cheering crowd and a scenic backdrop of buildings and trees. — The Fun Run! Courtesy Steven Boucher

The races run this weekend also support a Beyond the Finish Line program that “helps support the local communities of Mount Desert Island, where we run, as well as state, regional, and national organizations,” according to organizers in a message to racers. “Many of these groups provide goods, services, and volunteers to help you reach your goals.”

It is hosted by Crow Athletics. Through 2024, the program has raised $543,861.24 for charities.

Southwest Harbor hosted a finish line festival again this year, celebrating community, the runners, and the season. Complete results for the marathon, half, and relay are here.

A runner with a joyful expression crosses the finish line, extending her arms wide in celebration, while another runner in a pink shirt reaches out to greet her.

A joyful moment between a woman wearing a tan jacket and a man in a blue shirt with a medal around his neck, celebrating his finish at an event.

A collage featuring runners and community members at a marathon event, showcasing smiles, excitement, and support from spectators.

A man carefully paints the face of a young boy who is seated in a chair. The boy looks focused and serious, while the man appears to be concentrating on his work.

Collage of runners participating in events on Mount Desert Island, including a sign indicating 6 miles down and various individuals celebrating their achievements.

A lively crowd interacts at a festival booth, with runners and volunteers enjoying the atmosphere, set against a backdrop of colorful autumn leaves.

MUSIC FESTIVAL

A hundred hours of music by different musicians at different venues in two days? Welcome to Music Harbor! The event, the brainchild of Bo Jennings, provided participants and audiences with an opportunity to relax, listen, dance, and enjoy during the action-packed weekend.

Whether perched on the lawn of the Ivy Manor on Main Street, enjoying some food and beverage at the Annex or the Finback Alehouse, dancing at Bar Harbor Beer Works, or enjoying the smell of the nearby ocean at the Sand Bar on West Street or the ambiance at Project Social, there was a never ending carousel of musical fun and variety available. There was merchandise at Little Village Gifts, and a special craft beer “Music Harbor Lager” by Baxter Brewing, cool orange cup to use for that lager, as well as a chance to hang out in Nashville.

Locals who are rarely seen out and about were spotted at multiple locations on both days enjoying the opportunity for live music and beautiful weather.

A woman with short hair holds a microphone while smiling. The background features soft green lighting.

A collage of musicians performing at a festival, showcasing a male singer with a guitar in the top left, a drummer smiling in the top middle, a man playing an electric guitar in the top right, a young male singer with an acoustic guitar in the bottom left, an older man playing a double bass in the bottom middle, and a singer-songwriter with a guitar in the bottom right.

A female singer performs on stage with a microphone, adorned in a sparkling black outfit, while musicians play guitar and bass in the background, illuminated by vibrant purple lights. — Photo courtesy Taylor Valarik

A singer playing guitar and singing into a microphone in a cozy indoor venue, wearing a floral patterned shirt.

Collage of musicians performing at a festival, featuring a male guitarist, a band with double bass, and various singers, all showcasing lively expressions and instruments.

A person wearing sunglasses and a checkered jacket stands near a microphone in a cozy setting, possibly preparing to perform.

ROTARY AND CHAMBER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MIXER

The Bar Harbor Historical Society hosted both the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Group as well as Bar Harbor (Mount Desert Island) Rotary Club on Friday night. The event was meant to acknowledge past business leaders as well as look to the future of Mount Desert Island.

A smiling woman with glasses holds a sign thanking for helping eradicate polio, while a man beside her, wearing a Rotary shirt, poses for the camera.

We had far too many photos and videos to post here. If you’d like to see more, we’ve uploaded them onto Facebook.

All photos Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story unless otherwise specified.

LINKS TO LEARN MORE

Acadia Chamber of Commerce

Music Harbor—Bar Harbor’s music festival

Run MDI

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