Chamber Updates, Member News

& Tips for Business You Can Use

It's beginning to look a lot like...🎄🎄🎄🎄

August 14, 2026

In this issue:

✅ Merrymeeting Tree Fest 2026 🎄

✅ WILL Power breakfast series returns in Sept.

✅ Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival 🎨 and Kindness Day 🙂 in Bath are both tomorrow

✅ Harborside Hoedown in Cundy's Harbor 🤠

✅ Grand Opening: Tucker Chevy 🚗 8/21

✅ Touch-a-Truck 🛻 8/29

✅ New Member Spotlight: Aerial Imaging Services of Maine

✅ Cory's Column: Arts and kindness in the streets, plus the 3-picture push

... and more!

This newsletter brought to you in part by our 2026 Healthcare Cornerstone member, MaineHealth

Friday trivia!

Each week the question will be at the top, answer at the bottom...we encourage you to take a look at everything in between as well 😉

Question: Maine produces nearly 100% of the wild blueberries sold in the US. How many pounds does the state produce and how much money does it bring to our economy each year?

Dear Members,

We're thrilled to announce the details of one of our biggest projects of the year: the 1st Annual Merrymeeting Tree Fest, coming Nov 20-22 and Nov 27-29 at the Brunswick Landing Y! This two-weekend event, bookending Thanksgiving, will have familiar elements for fans of tree festivals across Maine, plus some unique touches of its own. It's a fundraiser for both the Brunswick Landing YMCA and the Chamber.

This new partnership and new location means a lot of groundwork, so we'll be rolling out event info gradually, please share it with anyone you know.

First up: the general event flyer, with dates, times, and logo. Feel free to share and post it wherever you can.

Second: registration opens September 1. With only 55 tree spaces and 20 wreath spaces available, spots are limited. Since August is unofficial vacation month for most working Mainers, setting the date a few weeks out (with reminders along the way) seemed the fairest way to give everyone an equal shot.

How do you register? That's our third piece of news: we've built a dedicated page on the chamber website with all the latest info. Social media pages are coming, but for now the website is our central hub for announcements and forms. Log on today and you'll find the downloadable flyer PDF, Tree Sponsor Guidelines (spots are free!), and Wreath Sponsor Guidelines for our non-profits. Over the next 5-6 weeks we'll add sponsorship levels, registration forms, volunteer links, festival event info, and more. Bookmark the page and watch this newsletter for updates.

Finally: our November Chamber After Hours will double as a Merrymeeting Tree Fest Preview Night, Thursday, November 19, 5-7 PM. Tree and wreath sponsors will show off their spaces as we celebrate the start of a wonderful new event. Mark your calendars!

Lots more great info below, check it out.

Have a great weekend,

Cory and Britt

Chamber News

News & Notes

August 14, 2026

Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival

Saturday, August 15th

9:00am - 5:00pm

Downtown Brunswick

Join us on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Downtown Brunswick for a day filled with Amazing ART, Live music, Children’s activities, Interactive art projects, Demos, and much more!

The Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival Celebrates the Arts on Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine. Our mission is to create a vibrant and healthy downtown through the arts. The festival has showcased a diverse array of fine art since 2006, and features recognized artists, as well as emerging creators, working in an array of mediums from jewelry, fiber, ceramics, photography, painting, and mixed media.

The festival opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.

Musical performances start at 10. Admission is free.



This juried, fine arts show includes more than 100 artists and artisans who will be displaying and selling their work along the sidewalks of Maine Street and on the lush Town Mall (green) in downtown Brunswick.

13th Annual Kindness Day Bath

Saturday, August 15th

10:00AM - 1:00PM

Downtown Bath

Every year the citizens of Bath come together to give and receive acts of kindness. Taken from the idea of random acts of kindness, the day is full of unique kindness activities, live music, crafts, and many unexpected moments to make you smile. It is loved by all and is a life changing experience. Let your creativity and kindness shine, join us on the sidewalks of downtown Bath on August 15th 2026 10am-1pm 



The event is completely free, family friendly and open to everyone. It is a day to set aside the things that divide us and come together as one kind community. If you would like to participate you can bring an act of kindness to share! (please remember to keep the focus on your act of kindness & no selling)  

YEEEHAW! 🤠💖 We’re having a hoedown! Head down to the harbor on Saturday, August 15th for a sweet ’n special night!

⭐️ $30 ticket includes ⭐️

✮ Line Dance lesson by Sweet Dee of Pink Parlor Studios 🪩

✮ A Hankering Pie Tart 🍒

✮ A 16oz Maine craft beer from The Holbrook Store 🍺

✮ Don’t miss the all-day CHIC REVIVAL secondhand and vintage clothing pop-up curated by Emma Bouchard 👙

Dancing begins at 7:15pm at Harborside Grill . Arrive early for dinner on the wharf! 🦞 Rain or shine! 🌧️

ALL ARE WELCOME! 🌈

Advanced registration is suggested! Message The Holbrook Store to secure your spot by August 9th! Or buy a ticket at the door for $35… space is limited!

Tax included. Tart flavor will vary. 21+ for beer. Substitute any NA drink. Maine Beer Co. not included. No drinking in the store! Tickets are non-refundable.

Grand Opening: Tucker Chevy

777 Bath Road (Route 1)

Wiscasset

Friday, August 21st

12:00 - 7:00pm

We will be hosting an open house to celebrate our new location.

• Event is 12-7 pm
• Ribbon cutting 1pm
• 4 food trucks from 11-5p
• Maine Mixologist 1-6p
• Facility tours
• Red carpet photos
• Door prize raffles at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 must be present to win.
• Bounce house Jousting and Jacob's Ladder
• Cornhole, Jenga, Connect 4, Battle Golf, pong and More!
• Facepainting and arts and crafts 12-5.

Here's the latest update from Forepup Pasta on the Front + Elm Streetscape Project.

🐾 THIS WEEK

• Drainage work continues this week along Elm Street as well as the eastern side of Front Street. Focus will be at the intersection of Elm Street & Front Street, and Front Street in the area just north of 149 Front Street.
• The current traffic pattern will remain.

🐾 LAST WEEK

• Work focused primarily on drainage installation, specifically in the area of Elm Street and the intersection with Front Street. 

🐾 BUSINESS MESSAGE

• Expect to see more activity along Front Street as drainage work is completed along Elm Street. 
• Several businesses attended the north end business meeting at Cool Finds to share feedback on the project with Main Street Bath, Bath Brunswick Topsham Regional Chamber, and the City. Expect to see additional resources in the coming weeks in response to information shared. 
• Information on the project, plans and renderings may be found on the project page of the website.
• No construction on weekends. Active construction areas will remain secure from pedestrians and hazards removed.
• Traffic patterns will remain on weekends. Parking is available on street where not marked for closure.
• Parking- Front St & Commercial St north of Summer Street as well as Linden Street on the north side of Library Park offer longer term parking restrictions and are less utilized. For other parking availability, see the City website for the downtown parking guide. 
• Reminder- permit parking lots under the bridge and by the police station are open after 5pm on weekdays, and all weekend. These may be good options for staff able to park and walk. 

💡 Pasta's Note:

Front Street has experienced some additional traffic impacts this week unrelated to the Front + Elm Street project. A water line installation at 120 Front Street required additional traffic detours and lane closures on Monday. Due to unanticipated challenges this work has required additional time. As the water line installation nears completion, please anticipate tomorrow morning (Wednesday, August 12th) will continue one lane traffic through this area. The contractor has indicated they anticipate completion tomorrow and this block should go back to normal traffic patterns and parking. 

2026 Preservation Party

Pownalborough Court House, Dresden

Sunday, September 13th

4:00 - 7:00PM

Preservation Party, Lincoln County Historical Association's annual gathering for food, fun, and good natured bidding at the Pownalborough Court House in Dresden takes place on September 13. This year’s event celebrates America’s 250th anniversary with a menu inspired by colonial dinners that might have been served in the historic courthouse tavern.

Now, more than ever, we need to honor Maine’s important place in the growth of this nation. The elegant courthouse on the banks of the Kennebec provides the perfect setting. Enjoy the music, take a Court House tour, wander the grounds, then find your seat at a table under the tent for some fun.

As the dinner hour concludes, auctioneer Kaja Vielleux will offer up a variety of special adventures. For example, you could reserve a private sail and lunch for four guests aboard the schooner “Sycamore,” a representation of an 1820’s Maine fishing boat. Or bid on tour of the midcoast in a private plane, take in productions at a handful of local repertory theaters, spend a few days in a rustic lakeside camp, enjoy the beauty of West Bath in a riverside cottage, or explore southern California from a luxurious Hollywood home. 

Food lovers can bid on a history-themed dinner for eight in the tavern of the Pownalborough Court House, a Murder Mystery Dinner at a lovely Wiscasset home, and a baking class with Jan Flowers.

And there’s more. Bidding for delectable desserts from LCHA's best bakers is always lively and fun. The cake auction gives everyone a chance for instant gratification when the high bidders share their prizes with other guests. And finally, a single $5 raffle ticket can win a bevy of gift cards from local businesses.

Tickets are available now, but seating is limited. Visit lincolncountyhistory.org and click on Events.

The Theater Project is thrilled to spend our 55th year in our community! We’re excited to share all the information around our upcoming season, programming, and other events in store. One of our deepest prides is being able to provide theater opportunities and education to everyone who enters our doors–through scholarships, community shows, and professional work, we wish to continue our work into the next season and beyond. 

We are seeking contributions to support our production efforts as we head into our 55th season. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we rely on the generous donations of our patrons, grants, and sponsorships to sustain our programming. In addition to being self-funded, we run on a pay-what-you-can model for our productions, as we are committed to financial accessibility and ensuring our programming is available to all to enjoy. 

Fundraising efforts support:

- Production costs, including stipends for our professional productions, set and prop construction materials, programs and posters, show rights, and concessions costs

- Educational outreach, including teaching stipends, class materials and scholarships

- Operating budget, which accounts for our staff, building support, and maintenance costs

Since it’s our 55th season, our goal for this fundraiser is $5,500! Give $5, $55, $550, or any other amount. With every milestone, we’ll share our productions for next season!

Thank you for your generous support of The Theater Project! Your contribution makes all the difference. We hope to see you soon!

All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law. The Theater Project is a 501(c)(3) organization.

New Member Spotlight

Aerial Imaging Services of Maine

871 Alexander Reed Rd

Richmond

(207) 841-2078

www.aerialimagingservicesofmaine.com

don@aerialimagingservicesofmaine.com

An exceptional drone service provider, Aerial Imaging Services of Maine strives for excellence in our aerial services whether it is for Photography/Videography,Modelingor project managment we want to do our best for our clients. As a veteran-owned company in Richmond, Maine, we take pride in delivering professional, timely, and reliable top-notch deliverables.Our team is also Osha 10 trained, which means we have the necessary expertise to operate safely in any environment.

As a certified drone pilots we understand that each project comes with unique requirements; hence we tailor our services to suit your specific needs. With us, you can rest assured that your project will be completed efficiently, safely, and at a low cost. We are determined to deliver unrivaled drone services that will exceed your expectations. Make the best decision and choose Aerial Imaging Services of Maine today!

Have a great weekend!

The BBTRC Newsletter is generously sponsored by

our 2026 Cornerstone Real Estate Member: 

The BBTRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

our 2026 Cornerstone Banking Member: 

The BBTRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

our 2026 Cornerstone Commercial Real Estate Member: 

The BBTRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

our 2026 Cornerstone Healthcare Member: 

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our 2026 Cornerstone Automotive Sales Member: 

Chamber Resources

Wondering if you should join the Chamber? There's a downloadable document for you to reference here.

In addition, we've created a one-pager that outlines the benefits of joining the BBTRC. We're always eager to welcome new members but we also know that our current members are some of the best resource we have! The downloadable document is here and also below.

2026 Cornerstone Memberships

Cory is booking meetings for Cornerstone Membership visits. These businesses are interested in elevating their commitment with the chamber to include sponsorship of the events and programs that the chamber initiates annually. There are three levels of Cornerstone Membership for 2026, and they include all of your dues (or most of your dues at the third level) for 12 months. 

Chamber Works Program Updates

We wanted to again highlight some very exciting news about our workforce programs.

If your business is interested meeting students and showcasing your careers through:

• Work-Study Internships
• Job Shadows
• Career Bus Tours
• In-School Chats

…then we would love for you to take 5 minutes now to sign up. There are two ways to sign up and/or get more information...



If you're ready to register to be considered for either career bus tours or work-study internship programs, please fill out the following forms and e-mail them back to Cory.

Brunswick Landing Neighborhood News

We’re thrilled to announce launch of Brunswick Landing Neighborhood News, a new publication of the BBTRC focusing on Brunswick Landing events and business updates, news from MRRA, and infrastructure information. It is intended to both highlight things happening on Brunswick Landing, and to share information that is highly-impactful to Brunswick Landing businesses.

Please note that this is a separate newsletter from the weekly Chamber newsletter. If you would like to be included, you must sign up using this link.

Anyone is welcome to sign up however submissions will be limited to BL businesses and BL news with very few exceptions. Feel free to submit anything you think may be relevant but we will be the final arbiters of what is included. That said, your submission could very well end up in our regular Chamber newsletter. 

After Hours, 12 @ 12, & Cornerstone Info

Chamber After Hours hosts get the chance to show off their space to 60-80 attendees and educated them on their organization. More information and application can be found below.