Kennebunkport is an inclusive resort town, welcoming people from all walks and preferences and nations, it’s a proud Maine melting pot. Kennebunkport has served as the summer home to two US Presidents, #41 and #43, with ambassadors and diplomats from many countries visiting this oceanfront hamlet for peaceful gatherings and talks of accord, held primarily at Walkers Point – The Bush family compound on Ocean Ave.
So it’s no surprise that Kennebunkport and Kennebunk are Gay Pride communities, LGBTQ friendly. Gays have found the town to be very friendly, increasingly so in recent years with several gay-owned businesses – hotels, bars, shops, and salons too. Nearby Ogunquit has an even stronger gay population and community.
June is Gay Pride month and Kennebunkport and Kennebunk are celebrating with events all month celebrating inclusivity and LGBTQ locals and visitors alike. Look for Pride Cocktails at your favorite bar and restaurant. You will also see the rainbow flag displayed throughout Dock Square and Lower Village and downtown Kennebunk – a fun friendly flamboyant sign.
Fun fact, Kennebunk High School was the first public school in Maine to raise the rainbow flag on school grounds in 2017, below the US flag of course, and the Maine flag, and visiting foreign students’ flags.
2024 Gay Pride events in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport
May 21 Paint a Pride Buoy in the Kennebunks – hosted at the Kennebunk Kennebunkport Arundel Chamber of Commerce Headquarters at 16 Water Street, Kennebunk. From 1 – 3pm – craft supplies and snacks are available so anyone can create a festive fun buoy, no talent required, just an open heart and kind spirit. The goal is to help create the largest Pride Buoy Banner to display for the month of June.
Memorial Day in Kennebunkport and Kennebunk is a patriotic day to salute the US flag above all others, traditional parades are held in both towns on Memorial Day Monday. 9:30am in Kennebunkport’s Dock Square and Lanigan Bridge, and 2pm downtown Kennebunk along Main Street.
May 31 – June 2 Ogunquit Pride Weekend kicks off with a flag raising in Veteran’s Park. There is a “Picnic in the Park” event, Artisan Craft Fair, Live entertainment, LGBTQ+ programs, Drag Shows, Karaoke and weekend long events.
June 8 Pride in the Kennebunks on the River Green – from 12-3pm, on the South Church River Green, at 2 North Street in Kennebunkport, you will find crafts, food vendors, arts, live music and a celebration of our LGBTQ community.
June 8 Seashore Trolley Museum Pride Day at Seashore Trolley Museum – Fun day at the Trolley Museum with $3 of every ticket donated to Out Maine – a nonprofit organization working to create welcoming communities for Maine’s diverse queer youth.
June 14 is Flag Day – a reminder our US Flag should always be displayed above all other flags, including the rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride flag.
June 14 is Kennebunk 2nd Friday Art Walk in Downtown Kennebunk – 5-7pm with live music at Tibbets Square and open art displays at galleries and local businesses, food trucks. Free and fun!
June 15 is Portland Pride with a Pride Parade and lots of festivities in the Old Port City.
Gays looking for a place to party, have a cocktail and a bite – Old Vines Wine Bar, the Rabbit Hole at Via Sophia, and The Burleigh at Kennebunkport, are all known for being especially embracing of LGBTQ.
More June events in Kennebunkport and Kennebunk
June 17-18 is the Bush Family Golf Classic at Cape Arundel Golf Course, with a fundraiser Gala at The Nonantum. Now in year 25, the Bush Classic Golf Fundraiser in Kennebunkport attracts legends, celebs, Presidents Bush and Clinton, and sports stars like Tom Brady and Jim Nantz. Since 1996, the Bush Family Classic has helped to sustain Gary’s House, in memory of a local youth Gary Pike who died after a long battle with cancer. His dream was to ensure there would be a home-away-from-home for anyone needing to stay near loved ones, receiving medical treatment and hospitalization for childhood illness. Gary’s House was formed, and the Gary Pike foundation and Kennebunkport event are now under Mercy Hospital Northern Lights management. Every year, President George HW Bush’s Thousand Points of Light award is given to a volunteer that has helped keep Gary’s dream alive.
See more fun Kennebunkport and Kennebunk Events and Activities
Some photos courtesy of Kennebunk Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce