Special events begin in town ahead of July Fourth Celebrations.

Carrie Jones

Jul 03, 2026

BAR HARBOR—A young boy on his bike in downtown Bar Harbor had a close call on July 1 when he couldn’t stop the bicycle he was riding down Rodick Street.

The boy was cycling down Rodick Street toward West Street at an increasing rate of speed on the downhill.

His family, who have not been identified, were screaming and following.

A camera at the West Street Cafe captured the boy on the bike barreling across the intersection with West Street as a woman working at the Acadia GEM rental booth ran into the street to try and stop traffic.

The timing was lucky. The boy narrowly missed being hit by a silver minivan.

The camera also captures Eben Salvatore rushing across the parking lot of the Harborside Hotel and another man, who was walking on the sidewalk at the entrance to the hotel, getting in front of the boy directly across the West Street intersection to stop the child with their bodies.

The closer man took the brunt of the impact as the child on his bike smashed into him. This stopped the boy from going further down the hill and likely hitting a parked truck or other structures.

The man was knocked to the ground and the boy and his bike toppled over with Salvatore helping the child get back up. The boy was uninjured. The man suffered a minor cut to his calf and was treated by staff of the hotel. He was also offered a gift certificate from La Bella Vita for his kindness.

On Rodick Street another man in red was running along the sidewalk to catch the boy. The boy’s father, also on a bike with another child, crosses West Street just behind his son and a small dog comes from the Acadia GEM office to check on all of the humans.

Salvatore, who’d been at a lower point in the parking area, said that they’d heard yelling, as the boy’s family tried to reach him. The family was visiting the area.

Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park have been busy this week with accidents, rescues, and falls. The two days of high heat have also increased the possibility of breathing difficulties, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion, as well as dehydration.

All state agencies are urging people not to drink and drive and to not boat and drive, to be wary of cold water conditions and to always wear a personal floatation device (PFD) also known as a life jacket.

Bar Harbor’s Chamber of Commerce, the town itself, and Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary host an all-day July Fourth event that’s received national coverage as one of the best—if not the best—small town celebrations in the nation.

The celebrations and preparations begin months ahead, with many events starting this week.

The Bar Harbor Town Band played despite the heat to a grateful crowd on the Village Green, July 2. Across the way in the parking lot of the Bar Harbor Congregational Church, the Bar Harbor Masonic Lodge raised money for scholarships for local kids via a cookout. A lemonade stand also made Town of Bar Harbor’s Village Green the place to be that hot, July 2 evening.

A little bit earlier in the warm afternoon, the Bar Harbor Music Festival headed to the Bar Harbor Historical Society for the first of two American Songbook afternoons.

There will be a July 5 noon concert as well.

---

All photos Bar Harbor Story unless stated otherwise, but the video is courtesy of Kevin DesVeaux and West Street Cafe. There are more photos of the July 2 events and Rotarians on our Facebook page. We will be posting there all day and weekend long.

---

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Brochures of Maine.

---

HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY

When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other.

We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going.

If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship.

It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light.

Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now.

Thank you so much for being here.

Founding member information can be found here.

Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.