September might be the best month all year to be in Presque Isle. An art walk, a vintage car celebration, a rare piece of American history, and Aroostook County‘s only Renaissance Faire all land inside three weeks. Here is exactly where to be, and why it is worth the trip.
Presque Isle does not wind down after August, it hits a second stride. The Northern Maine Fair may have packed up, but ATVs are still running the trails, riders are already tuning up gear for snowmobile season, and downtown is about to get busier, not quieter. September opens with an art walk lighting up Main Street and a squadron of cadets fundraising for veterans, then builds into a stretch where a national touring exhibit, a car show, two 9/11 remembrances, and a full Renaissance Faire in Limestone all happen within days of each other. Whether you are staying at The Northeastland Hotel for a golf weekend or just passing through on Main Street, here is what is worth planning your trip around.
First Friday Art Walk Kicks Off the Month Downtown
Presque Isle’s monthly art walk returns on Friday, September 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., stretching across Main Street from the Wintergreen Arts Center and the Common Gallery to the Reed Art Gallery inside UMPI’s Center for Innovative Learning. Expect rotating gallery exhibitions, live music, and sidewalk vendors selling handmade goods from tie dye to original paintings. It is free, it is organized by community leaders, and it is the easiest way to spend a Friday evening getting to know downtown Presque Isle before the leaves start to turn.
The County’s Cadets Sell Wreaths at Lowe’s
From Saturday, September 5, through Monday, September 7, the Civil Air Patrol’s county composite squadron sets up a table outside Lowe’s Home Improvement on Maysville Street, running 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The cadets are working toward sponsoring 2,000 wreaths for veterans resting in two local cemeteries, part of the national Wreaths Across America ceremonies held every December. A sponsored wreath runs $17, and anyone who cannot make it to the table in person can still sponsor one online at wreathsacrossamerica.org under code ME0108P. It is a small ask with a long memory behind it, and Labor Day weekend is exactly when the squadron needs the extra hands walking past.
Business Basics Comes to Van Buren, Three Tuesdays Running
Aspiring entrepreneurs in northern Aroostook County have a free option this month. New Ventures Maine, through the University of Maine System, runs its Business Basics class at the Van Buren Connect Center on three consecutive Tuesdays, September 1, 8, and 15, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The series is built for anyone thinking about starting a business or still in the early planning stages, walking through how to test an idea’s feasibility and put together a real business plan. It costs nothing, but pre-registration is required through the class’s sign-up link. For anyone in Van Buren, Madawaska, or the surrounding towns who has been sitting on a business idea, this is the low-risk way to find out if it holds up.
A Day Aroostook County Sets Aside to Remember
September 11 falls on a Friday this year, and Presque Isle marks it with two events that speak to the same moment from different directions. At 8:30 a.m., the University of Maine at Presque Isle holds its 9/11 Memorial and Remembrance Walk, gathering at the flagpole in front of Preble Hall for a short ceremony with speakers from UMPI and the city, a moment of silence, and a walk around campus. Every attendee receives a commemorative pin to take home. Then, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Aroostook Agency on Aging hosts the Mainely “T” Exhibition and Community Celebration at 260 Main Street, bringing up to 30 vintage Model T Fords into downtown Presque Isle as part of the Downeast Chapter’s 41st Annual Mainely “T” Tour. Alongside the cars, expect live music, a bounce house, a baked potato bar, and a $2,500 Reverse Raffle benefiting the Agency’s Memory and Caregiving Services, all of it framed around honoring 9/11 victims and first responders. Both events are free to attend, and both are worth the walk downtown.
History Comes to UMPI for a 250th Anniversary
Right on the heels of September 11, the Maine Historical Society brings one of the rarest documents in the country to the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The Center for Innovative Learning hosts a public viewing of an original Dunlap Broadside, one of only 26 surviving copies printed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, and distributed through the colonies to announce independence. The viewing runs Friday, September 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and continues Saturday, September 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited and tickets are required through the Maine Historical Society’s tour page. This is a once-in-a-generation stop as part of the state’s 250th anniversary tour, and Presque Isle is one of the few places in Maine getting a look at it.
Aroostook County’s Only Renaissance Faire Sets Up in Limestone
The Realm of Twin Riverswood brings its Mabon Musings faire to Albert Michaud Memorial Park in Limestone, about twenty minutes north of Presque Isle, on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, running Saturday 10:00 a.m. through Sunday 3:00 p.m. Billed as the county’s only Renaissance Faire, this year’s lineup includes belly dancers, a harpist, blacksmithing demonstrations, sword combat, archery, axe throwing, a Knights and Damsels Tea, and a new Book Nook spotlighting local authors and poets. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for teens, $3 for youth, and free for infants, paid at the gate. It is a full weekend of something Aroostook County genuinely does not get anywhere else, just a short drive from Presque Isle.
Learn to Lead Better Decisions at the Hotel
On Wednesday, September 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., The Northeastland Hotel’s Red Room hosts Collaborative Decision-Making for Better Results, a workplace training led by Dr. Marie Hansen and David Tripp of Workplace Performance Inc. and organized through IgnitePI. The session covers how to make faster decisions at work by genuinely involving the people around you, with a focus on active listening and building real buy-in rather than just announcing a call from the top. Early bird tickets run $39, regular admission is $49, and lunch is included either way. Seats are booked through IgnitePI’s ticketing page. The next day, September 24, IgnitePI follows it with a free Exploring Self Employment session in Van Buren from noon to 2:00 p.m. for anyone weighing whether working for themselves is the right next step.
The Lounge Keeps Its Weekly Rhythm All Month
Some of the best reasons to stop by The Northeastland Hotel this September are the same ones that show up every week. Music Bingo takes over The Lounge every Tuesday in September, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., for $2 a card, three cards for $5, with cash prizes on the line and food and drinks available from Rodney’s at 436. Wednesday Game Nights follow at $5 a person, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., open to console games, card games, and board games, bring your own or jump into what is already going. Thursday belongs to Trivia Night at the Lounge, $5 per team, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., the kind of standing weekly date that regulars build their schedule around. All three run in The Lounge at 436 Main Street and are organized by IgnitePI.
Farmers Market Saturdays Keep Rolling Through the County
The Presque Isle Farmers Market keeps its regular Saturday schedule all September, September 5, 12, 19, and 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 19 Riverside Drive, rain or shine. Local produce, fresh baked goods, and handmade items from Aroostook County vendors fill the open-air waterfront setting, and it costs nothing to walk through and see what is fresh that week. It is a small, steady habit for a lot of Presque Isle families, and a genuinely local way for visitors staying at the hotel to spend a Saturday morning before the day’s plans start.
Fall Fairways Extend the Golf Getaway Into September
For anyone planning a longer stay, The Northeastland’s Golf Getaway shifts into its Crisp Fall Fairways window from September 4 through October 11, running Friday to Sunday for $599 per person. The package includes two nights at the historic hotel, two rounds of 18 holes with cart at Presque Isle Country Club, a $100 gift card to Rodney’s at 436, and a complimentary grab-and-go continental breakfast starting at 4:00 a.m. for early tee times. September’s cooler mornings and turning leaves make it one of the better stretches of the year to play northern Maine’s courses without fighting summer heat or a packed course schedule.
The Northeastland Hotel: Your September Basecamp
The hotel has stood at 436 Main Street in downtown Presque Isle since 1932, with a renovation completed in March 2026. The property sits on Main Street, within walking distance of downtown, about twenty minutes from Caribou, and directly above its own restaurant.
What You Get When You Stay Here
The hotel offers 49 recently renovated guest rooms, ranging from Classic Kings and Queens to Deluxe options with sofa beds, a Studio King Suite, and accessible ground-floor rooms. Amenities include complimentary continental breakfast from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., free on-site parking with room for trailers, pet-friendly first-floor Queen rooms, The Innovation Center co-working space with private offices and soundproof booths, and three event spaces seating 20 to 180 guests.
Rodney’s: Dinner Is Already Downstairs
Rodney’s at 436 Main operates as an attached New American farm-to-table restaurant. The kitchen sources seasonal ingredients from local farms and offers lobster bisque, seafood, steaks, craft cocktails, curated wine, and a deep tap list. Hours run Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with Sunday closures.
Book Your September Stay
Call (207) 768-5321 or book online. The September 11 through 13 stretch, when the history exhibit at UMPI, the Mainely “T” celebration, and the Renaissance Faire weekend all land close together, along with Labor Day weekend and every Fall Fairways golf weekend, represent the highest-demand periods and are worth booking well ahead of time.
Your September Weekend Itinerary
Weekend 1: Art, Wreaths, and a Fairway Start (September 4 to 6)
Friday: Check in; First Friday Art Walk downtown, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Golf Getaway begins.
Saturday: Farmers Market at 8:30 a.m.; Wreaths Across America table at Lowe’s; a golf round or a Lounge visit.
Sunday: Wreaths table continues at Lowe’s; breakfast and checkout, or stay through Labor Day Monday.
Weekend 2: History, Remembrance, and a Faire (September 11 to 13)
Friday: 9/11 Memorial and Remembrance Walk at UMPI, 8:30 a.m.; Declaration of Independence viewing at UMPI; Mainely “T” Exhibition downtown, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.; Golf Getaway begins.
Saturday: Farmers Market at 8:30 a.m.; Declaration of Independence viewing continues at UMPI; Renaissance Faire opens in Limestone at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday: Renaissance Faire in Limestone runs through 3:00 p.m.; breakfast and checkout.
Weekend 3: A Quiet Weekend and a Tee Time (September 18 to 20)
Friday: Golf Getaway weekend begins; a quieter calendar, ideal for the course and the trails.
Saturday: Farmers Market at 8:30 a.m.; a second golf round; dinner at Rodney’s.
Sunday: Breakfast and checkout, or extend the stay for Tuesday Music Bingo.
Weekend 4: A Workshop Week and the Season’s Last Fairway (September 25 to 27)
Friday: Final September Golf Getaway weekend begins.
Saturday: Farmers Market at 8:30 a.m.; a round of golf or a stroll downtown; dinner at Rodney’s.
Sunday: Breakfast, checkout, and departure.
Practical September Travel Tips
What to Pack for Your Trip
September in Aroostook County runs cool mornings into warmer afternoons, with evenings that drop fast once the sun goes down and the leaves start turning color by month’s end. Pack real layers, a warm jacket for evenings in The Lounge or at the Renaissance Faire, comfortable walking shoes for downtown and the farmers market, and a rain jacket for the occasional fall shower. If you are bringing an ATV, trail conditions are still good this month, though plenty of locals are already pulling snowmobiles out of storage and getting equipment ready for the season ahead.
Getting Here from Bangor or Boston
From Bangor, it is roughly two and a half hours via I-95 North and Route 1. From Portland, plan on about four hours the same way. From Fredericton, New Brunswick, it is around two hours via the Trans-Canada Highway and Route 1. The Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) has commercial service, and the hotel can arrange private shuttle access through Aroostook Limo as part of the reservation process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Presque Isle, Maine in September?
First Friday Art Walk kicks off the month on September 4. The Wreaths Across America fundraiser runs September 5 to 7 at Lowe’s. September 11 brings both the 9/11 Memorial and Remembrance Walk at UMPI and the Mainely “T” Exhibition downtown. The Declaration of Independence public viewing runs September 11 and 12 at UMPI. The Realm of Twin Riverswood Renaissance Faire fills Albert Michaud Memorial Park in Limestone September 12 and 13. The hotel offers Music Bingo, Game Nights, and Trivia Night at The Lounge every week, plus the Fall Fairways Golf Getaway most weekends.
Where can I see the full list of September events in Aroostook County?
The County Events Calendar on The Northeastland Hotel’s website lists every event with exact times, prices, and venues, and it exports to Google Calendar, iCalendar, and Outlook.
When should I book a Presque Isle hotel room for September?
As early as you can. The September 11 through 13 stretch, when the UMPI history exhibit, the Mainely “T” celebration, and the Renaissance Faire weekend all land close together, along with Labor Day weekend and the Fall Fairways golf weekends, are the highest-demand periods.
Is Rodney’s open during September events?
Rodney’s at 436 Main serves Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and closes Sundays. It is closed for Labor Day, but is open for the September 11 through 12 stretch, and every Bingo, Game, and Trivia night.
Can I bring my dog?
Pet-friendly first-floor Queen rooms are available at The Northeastland Hotel. Confirm availability when booking.
Which September events are free?
Free events include First Friday Art Walk, the 9/11 Memorial and Remembrance Walk, the Mainely “T” Exhibition, the Declaration of Independence public viewing, the Business Basics classes in Van Buren, Exploring Self Employment, and the Presque Isle Farmers Market.
Paid events include the Wreaths Across America fundraiser ($17 per wreath), the Renaissance Faire ($6 adults, $4 teens, $3 youth), the Collaborative Decision-Making workshop ($39 to $49), the Golf Getaway ($599 weekend package), Music Bingo ($2), Wednesday Game Nights ($5), and Trivia Night ($5 per team).
Is there parking for an ATV trailer?
The Northeastland Hotel has free, spacious on-site parking with room for trailers. Call ahead during busy weekends to confirm space.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancel 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What if I want to submit an event to the county calendar?
Submit through The Northeastland Hotel’s event form. Community events are welcomed to the county-wide calendar.
Ready to Spend September in Presque Isle?
September in Presque Isle is an art walk on Main Street, a table of sponsored wreaths outside Lowe’s, a 250-year-old document on loan to UMPI, and a Renaissance Faire tucked into Limestone’s woods, all inside the same three weeks.
Book your room at The Northeastland Hotel or call (207) 768-5321 to discuss:
- September 11 through 13 availability, when the history exhibit, the Mainely “T” celebration, and the Renaissance Faire weekend overlap
- Fall Fairways Golf Getaway weekends through October 11
- Pet-friendly room availability
- Trailer parking for ATV riders
Have an event you would like added to our calendar? Submit it today!