CALAIS ME

CALAIS ME

Memorial Park

Built - c. 1900

Calais is located on the St. Croix River just across from St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada nestled in an area of many small villages and towns scattered on many lakes and features some of the most unspoiled scenerey in Maine.

Each year, Calais and St. Stephen join together to celebrate the friendship between our two countries and communities with a week-long international festival which is held every August. Activities abound on either side of the border.

After over 100 years of service, the grand Calais bandstand in Memorial Park still hosts countless concerts during the summer months and plays a big part in the two countries' festivities. The structure is one of the largest in the state of Maine which was actually built this size out of necessity since the city hosted international bands with representatives from St. Stephen and Milltown, New Brunswick as well as several from Calais. The city was so in love with music in those early days during the turn-of-the-century, that it once boasted having 8 bands with some numbering from 30-40 musicians.

The bandstand has been renovated several times over the years and was even resurrected after a fire. The city still holds their prized bandstand in high esteem after these many decades.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:

"Lest We Forget" - Barbara Merrill Fox, author