Are you a competitive person? The good news is while there are plenty of 5Ks out there, not all local competitions involve running. Check out our top five totally random contests that happen on a yearly basis on MDI!
Lobster Races, Bar Harbor
On the fourth of July, the Bar Harbor YMCA holds this event as an annual fundraiser. Take bets on the winning lobster or just enjoy this very weird competition that happens just after the parade (noonish on July 4).
Belt Sander Races, Bar Harbor
Put on by Atlantic Brewing usually in the winter, people build and decorate belt sanders (yes, the tool). Then you plug them in and watch them race along a custom track. Besides beer being obviously nearby, there is also barbecue and other festivities happening.
Bed Races, Bar Harbor
This Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce activity lets teams register (four bed pushers and one bed rider), closes part of Cottage Street, and times the whole thing with prizes for the top three. This is usually in the later morning or early afternoon of the Pajama Day Sale, which is usually one of the first couple Saturdays in November and the official kick off of the Christmas season in Bar Harbor.
Keg Toss, Southwest Harbor
Happening every Oktoberfest (in, you guessed it, October), this event seems to be laid back with official contests for things like stein hoisting, keg tossing, and beerless pong but the whole festival things remain set up so you can try the keg toss afterward without, say, half the island watching you. That doesn’t sound very competitive of me, does it? There is also a home brewer competition but with a few cooking competitions on the island, that might need its own blog post!
Gingerbread Houses, Bar Harbor
Every year the Bar Harbor Historical Society has a gingerbread contest around Christmas and a public open house to show them off. People go all out decorating and making GIANT gingerbread creations.
As you see, coming to MDI, you can bring your competitive spirit with you, no matter what time of year it happens to be!