Down East (magazine) facts for kids

Down East: The Magazine of Maine is the principal general interest monthly magazine covering the U.S. state of Maine. It is based in Rockport, Maine with a second office in Yarmouth, Maine. Down East was founded in 1954 by Duane Doolittle and loosely modeled on The New Yorker. It covers a range of topics including travel, food, the arts, the environment, politics, business, and lifestyle in the state of Maine.

Down East enjoys the largest paid circulation of any publication in the state, peaking at more than 80,000 during the summer, with 53% of its readership aged 55 and above, 38% aged 35–54, and 9% 18–34. Global readership exceeds 380,000. It is Maine’s only audited and verified magazine. The magazine is published twelve times a year by its parent company, Down East Enterprise, Inc., which also publishes Shooting Sportsman and Maine Homes by Down East magazines. In 2013, Down East Enterprise sold a book publishing arm to Rowman & Littlefield.

In 2013, Kathleen Fleury became the first woman to serve as editor in chief, a position she held until 2018. Author Paul Doiron is a former editor in chief. Brian Kevin is the current editor in chief and Bob Fernald is President, CEO, and Publisher. Martha Stewart and Sam Sifton have served as guest editors.

Down East Magazine and Vermont Life Magazine together founded the International Regional Magazine Association in 1960. The magazine is a member of the International Regional Magazine Association, the City and Regional Magazine Association, and the Circulation Verification Council.

Down East compiles an annual “Best of Maine” list, making recommendations on where to “eat, drink, shop, stay, and unwind” in the state.

Digital presence

Down East's digital presence hinges on downeast.com, which features an e-store, blogs, travel guides, dining guides, back-issues, real estate listings, and photo galleries. The magazine launched a digital edition for iPad in 2013.

Down East Marketplace

The 1,700-square-foot MarketPlace, complete with an "Experience Maine" interactive kiosk and Down East branded TV programming about Maine, is located in the Portland Jetport's newly expanded terminal, and allows Down East to offer customers new ways to access the information they have come to rely on. The two million visitors who pass through the Jetport each year can shop for a wide array of top-quality Maine-made products, including food, clothing, travel accessories, gifts, books, magazines, and more from the state's most respected companies.

Contributing writers

Virginia M. Wright has written five books for Down East Publishing: Route 1: Maine, Ultimate Acadia, Red’s Eats: World’s Best Lobster Shack, The Wild Blueberry Book, and The Maine Lobster Book.

Paul Doiron is the author of the Mike Bowditch series of crime novels, including The Poacher's Son, which won the Barry Award and the Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel. PopMatters named it to its Best Fiction of 2010 list. Other books in the series are Trespasser, Bad Little Falls, and Massacre Pond.

Sandra L. Oliver is a contributing writer to Down East, a food historian, and the author of Maine Home Cooking and Food in Colonial and Federal America, among other books.