Down East (magazine) facts for kids
| Editor | Will Grunewald |
|---|---|
| Former editors | Brian Kevin, Kathleen Fleury, Paul Doiron, D. W. Kuhnert, Davis Thomas, Duane Doolittle |
| Categories | Regional magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Bob Fernald |
| Total circulation (June 2019) |
90,000 |
| Founder | Duane Doolittle |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Company | Down East Enterprise |
| Country | USA |
| Based in | Camden, Maine |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 0012-5776 |
| OCLC | 1683246 |
Down East: The Magazine of Maine is a popular monthly magazine all about the U.S. state of Maine. It's like a guide to everything cool happening there! The magazine is based in Rockport, Maine, with another office in Yarmouth, Maine.
Down East covers many interesting topics. You can read about travel, delicious food, art, nature, and even local businesses in Maine. It's a great way to learn about the state.
Contents
What is Down East Magazine?
Down East magazine was started in 1954 by Duane Doolittle. It was inspired by another famous magazine called The New Yorker.
This magazine is very popular in Maine. It has the largest number of paid readers of any publication in the state. During the summer, over 80,000 copies are sold! More than 380,000 people read it around the world. Down East is published twelve times a year.
Who Runs the Magazine?
In 2013, Kathleen Fleury became the first woman to be the editor-in-chief. She held that job until 2018. Today, Will Grunewald is the editor-in-chief. Bob Fernald is the President and Publisher. Sometimes, famous people like Martha Stewart have even been guest editors!
Down East Magazine also helped start the International Regional Magazine Association in 1960. This group helps magazines that focus on specific regions.
Best of Maine List
Every year, Down East magazine creates a special "Best of Maine" list. This list helps readers find the best places to "eat, drink, shop, stay, and unwind" in Maine. It's like a guide to the coolest spots in the state!
Down East Marketplace
At the Portland Jetport (which is an airport), you can find the Down East Marketplace. This shop is about 1,700 square feet. It has an "Experience Maine" interactive screen and TV shows about Maine. You can buy magazines, books, food, clothes, and gifts there.
Lobster Roll Competition
In July 2017, the magazine held its first Down East Lobster Roll Festival in Portland, Maine. The main goal was to find the very best lobster roll! A lobster roll is a yummy sandwich filled with lobster meat.
The winner of the "World's Best Lobster Roll" in 2017 was Freshies Lobster. This restaurant is all the way in Park City, Utah! They fly in lobster meat and special buns from Maine to make their rolls. In 2018, BeetleCat from Atlanta, Georgia, won the top prize.
Maine's "70 Over 70"
In November 2021, Down East magazine created a special list called "70 Over 70." This list celebrated 70 amazing people in Maine who are over 70 years old. These are folks who have done incredible things, like breaking barriers or becoming heroes in their communities. They show great dedication to their passions, even as they get older.
For example, Virginia Oliver, who is 101 years old, was on the list. She lives in Rockland, Maine, and has been catching lobsters for more than 90 years!
Maine Homes by Down East
Maine Homes by Down East was another magazine published by the same company. It came out four times a year. This magazine was for people who own homes in Maine or were interested in buying property there.
Maine Homes shared stories about Maine architecture, how to design homes, and landscaping. It started in 1994 with a website called MaineHomes.com. In 2018, the magazine started the Maine Homes Design Awards. This competition showed off amazing homes created by both amateurs and professionals across Maine. Maine Homes by Down East stopped publishing in the fall of 2023.
