BAR HARBOR- It’s not every day you get to celebrate a 100th birthday….
“It’s been a fantastic summer, full of all kinds of excitement. A lot of people obviously knew about the centennial,” said Julie Veilleux, owner of Window Panes.
If the serene atmosphere and the breathtaking views weren’t enough to bring people out to Acadia National Park this year, the park’s 100th birthday sure was.
“So far at the end of September we’re up 17 percent over last year,” said John Kelly, management assistant of Acadia National Park.
Throughout the year, more than 450 local businesses and organizations have teamed up to celebrate the park– through activities, art shows, and lectures.
Many businesses are also selling souvenirs that people can hold on to forever.
“We have a really beautiful logo and that logo looks wonderful on product and people are into keepsakes from national parks,” said Veilleux.
And while the park’s busy season has died down, the celebration is still going strong until the end of the year.
A final celebration is scheduled for December 10th in Bar Harbor, with the sealing of a special time capsule to hold memories for the next 100 years.
“If you have ideas for things that you think could celebrate the park and could be included in the next century of folks who open it in 2116 might find interesting, there will be a process to submit those ideas as well,” said Stephanie Clement, conservation director of Friends of Acadia.
For a full list of activities, you can visit acadiacentennial2016.org.
