The clambake is a honored New England tradition. Rhode Island claims proudly that it is the original home of the traditional New England clambake, full of lobsters, clams, fish, native sausage, corn, and of course a bowl of clam chowder – and believe us… no one leaves hungry after that feast! While Rhode Island might have dibs on the rightful home of the Downeast Feast, the Maine lobster is on another level!
Clambakes have been enjoyed by thousands, all year long. However, there is something about a summer cookout with mouth-watering lobster and a cold beer. Our perfect day would be a morning hike, afternoon soak, and a lobster dinner with friends.
If you think about the classic Clambake, you might be thinking red and white checkered linens, lobster bibs, chowder, and a seaside spot. While we work to find a “new normal” in events, we wanted to reimagine how this classic festivity would look in the wake of COVID19 restrictions.
If you have not experienced the Maine Clambake yet, come on up and we will roll up our sleeves with you and get to work.
Setting the Scene
We have opted out those tired red and white checks for something a little more modern. Introducing our Black and White Clambake vision. This look has a touch a elegance, while remaining casual and comfortable. We have incorporated copper chargers, bistro napkins, and specialty smoked glassware to the tablescapes. Instead of highboys and cocktail tables, how about lounge seating? Guests can mingle with each other from a safe distance.
The clambake is a honored New England tradition. Rhode Island claims proudly that it is the original home of the traditional New England clambake, full of lobsters, clams, fish, native sausage, corn, and of course a bowl of clam chowder – and believe us… no one leaves hungry after that feast! While Rhode Island might have dibs on the rightful home of the Downeast Feast, the Maine lobster is on another level!
Clambakes have been enjoyed by thousands, all year long. However, there is something about a summer cookout with mouth-watering lobster and a cold beer. Our perfect day would be a morning hike, afternoon soak, and a lobster dinner with friends.
If you think about the classic Clambake, you might be thinking red and white checkered linens, lobster bibs, chowder, and a seaside spot. While we work to find a “new normal” in events, we wanted to reimagine how this classic festivity would look in the wake of COVID19 restrictions.
If you have not experienced the Maine Clambake yet, come on up and we will roll up our sleeves with you and get to work.
Setting the Scene
We have opted out those tired red and white checks for something a little more modern. Introducing our Black and White Clambake vision. This look has a touch a elegance, while remaining casual and comfortable. We have incorporated copper chargers, bistro napkins, and specialty smoked glassware to the tablescapes. Instead of highboys and cocktail tables, how about lounge seating? Guests can mingle with each other from a safe distance.
Your venue space may be a bit larger and cavernous due to the social distancing and gathering size guidelines. We don’t want guests to feel lost in the space, so why not add some open-sided cabanas to the space. This will create a beachfront vibe, and along with low strung bistro lights and hanging lanterns, it will be a more intimate dining experience.
The Menu
We may have changed the look of the event, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find our own way of celebrating this traditional menu. Traditionally guests would be served family-style, however with the help of our expert staff members, we will be providing each guest with their own plated feast! Craving something delectable… this is the menu for you.
We are all managing changes to our lives, events, gatherings, and plans for the rest of the year, but we want to help your team celebrate and enjoy friends and food in Maine.
Shortly, the constraints of the COVID19 virus will be lifted. Life will return to a new normal with meetings, tours and events with transportation included. At Portfire, we recognize the importance of the health and safety issues involved when it comes to transportation. We are taking extra precautions with our vehicles, staff, and safety precautions. Our trained staff will be onsite to coordinate and to ensure all precautionary procedures required will be adhered to. We know your guests aren’t coming to Maine to see the inside of a motor coach, so our new policies will be as non intrusive as possible. That way your guests can actually enjoy Maine!
Portland has the perfect blend of past and present and is a cauldron of varied attractions. There’s something for everyone! Museums, quaint shops, mansions, microbreweries, waterfront scenery, galleries, historic homes and a variety of diverse restaurants catering to every taste. But how is you’re your group going to get there from the hotel?
The Old Port is dotted with quaint streets, cobblestone alleys, and one ways. The best way to see this area is by foot, the oldest form of transportation! One of our friendly, expert guides will escort your group down these enchanting streets. As they amble through town and down to the waterfront guests will learn of its historic past, its present and its future plans to keep Portlandas one of our nation’s top and fastest growing destinations for tourism, meetings and events!
If walking is out of the questions, we have plenty of other modes of transportation for your group. We offer both traditional and nontraditional modes of transportation. Whether that be on luxury coaches, bicycles, trolleys,to horse drawn carriage, we have something to please everyone. Larger groups can sit back and relax in a luxury motor coach as one of our local knowledgeable guides informs them of local facts, legends and folklore. Perhaps a step into the past via a ride in an open-window trolley enjoying the warmth of the sun, the inviting sounds of the city and distinct fragrances of the coast.
Maybe a more intimate mode of transit is to their liking? Available for a very limited number of people at a time is a horse drawn carriage tour, rewarding guests with the sounds bird chirping while the horses’ hooves clip & clop along! Another slower paced option with the obvious health benefits of bicycle tour is an obvious choice. Your guests will enjoy access to smaller, less visited locations often overlooked from within a larger vehicle.
And what of transportation by sea you ask? Perhaps a group trip with an island excursion is in order. Portfire Events will charter a vessel suitable to the size of your group to one of the many islands for a one of a kind event.
Photo Courtesy of @PortsmouthDowntown and Visit Portland
There are many options available to get around Portland. Let Portfire Events get your guests where they need to be in memorable fashion.
I am just returning home from a spring time stroll down a local foot-trail feeling both energized and positive. When I set out on my little endeavor, a couple of hours ago, I did it solely to stretch my legs. Then I quickly realized the walk was much more than a physical endeavor, it was a much needed, therapeutic boost to my state of mind. Over the last week I have learned to embrace the fact that this year’s start of Spring is not the typical, much-anticipated season of rebirth. Normally, people would be outside enjoying parks, but now we are inside practicing social distancing. Local businesses would typically be running their spring promotions, instead these non-essential businesses are closed. We can’t escape the continued barrage of news stories, many of which are peddling gloom and doom versus facts, it is easy to begin feeling trapped in your own home. But now I realize there is an obvious remedy…the great outdoors! And despite our new health awareness responsibilities and rules, getting outdoors is still allowed and there is no better therapy for the “stay at home blues” than being outdoors, especially outdoors in Maine!
Being outside in this season’s crisp, fresh air immediately stimulates your senses and bolsters the feeling of freedom. Coupled with Maine’s majestic scenery, combining mountains, rocky coastlines and dense forestry not only infuses your senses, it inspires a new, fresh perspective of the future.
Both natural and man-made scenery are available for your enjoyment. Lighthouse discoveries, wildlife watching, rocky coastlines strolls with both pounding swells and the gentle, soothing, rolling waves can entertain and mesmerize any person of any age. Maine’s natural beauty beckons the artist in all of us. Photographers, painters and artisans of all medium flock to Maine yearly in hopes of capturing its beauty and majesty.
When life as we knew it returns and a sense of normalcy is restored, and it will be back soon, all these enjoyable, beneficial and life enriching activities will be available to us as they always have been. Both singles and families alike, will be grabbing a camera, packing a lunch, jumping in the ol’ family buggy and heading to the beach for a stroll or to a state park for a hike.
At Portfire, we want to share these experiences with our corporate groups too. After a long meeting in a hotel ballroom, guests will be craving that similar need for some fresh air and coastal breeze. We have outdoor and activities for every activity level and guests don’t need to travel far from the hotel. We will lead them on a Steadman’s Stroll, amble around on Marginal Way, paddle the local river, or simply enjoy a brew while birding or a photography tour!
I must admit, I feel I am so lucky and proud to be in an industry that can make these treasures available to visitors to New England while they are attending meetings, conferences and conventions and which may not otherwise have an opportunity to experience.
So we encourage you, if you can do so safely, get outside, grab a camera and capture the beauty of your surroundings! I was lucky enough to capture these shots, and we would love to see yours!
Writing has always been therapeutic for me. When I sat down to write a blog this week I found myself reflecting on my journey that has brought me to this moment. I have had 30 years of experience in the events and destination management industry. I live for the hustle and bustle of this world, but I tend to treasure the times that are a little more peaceful. A few years ago, my family and I decided to move up to Kezar Lake in Maine. We found our slice of heaven nestled in the beautiful white mountains. I quickly fell in love with Maine! I wanted to share this slice of heaven with the world, so I decided to start Portfire Events and spark exploration for meeting planners and companies to experience Maine. With its breathtaking coastal cliffs, to the sparkling lakes and wild mountains, Maine isn’t just for vacations, but for corporate meetings too! It is uniquely suited year round for meetings, group retreats, and events. I have found my place in Maine, and I can’t wait to show you why.
The more time I spend here, the more I learn and discover how each town has a close connection to nature. What better inspiration for an important meeting and special gathering than a spectacular destination to wow your attendees? The coast offers unlimited possibilities, from York, Cape Neddick, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, Portland to Bar Harbor. Maine is the area’s outdoor playground with something for everyone including, lighthouse tours, sea kayaking, schooner adventures, outdoor clambakes, hiking, fat tire biking, and so much more.
Inland, you will find stunning sunsets, ski and lakeside resorts that are ideal while offering golfing, hiking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing as an added opportunity for team building in the great outdoors.
Maine’s hotel and resort meeting facilities also provide all the amenities you need to get right to business. Facilities have state-of-the-art AV, flexible meeting space, and food and beverage offerings that are uniquely Maine. We suggest adding a culinary experience to your meeting, so guests can indulge in delicious Maine blueberry muffins in the morning and a traditional Downeast Clambake serving mouthwatering Maine lobster, clams, mussels, and all the fixings!
Which leads me to one of my favorite things about Maine… the food! Foodies unite in Maine! Finding and enjoying great cuisine is easy in Portland. Compared to San Francisco for boasting the most restaurants per capita, Portland was dubbed America’s “foodiest “small town, by Bon Appétit, and the New York Times mentioned Portland to be “one of the best places to eat in the Northeast”. Where else can you get fresh oysters, haddock, lobsters and shrimp pulled from the Atlantic Ocean and placed on your table that same day? Meals are complimented with locally grown and sourced produce, dairy and meats. Not to mention Portland’s many exceptional bakeries sprinkled around the city that offer the most amazing bagels, donuts, croissants, cookies, and cupcakes.
I love Maine- It truly is the perfect pairing for productive meetings and special events. It’s time to regroup and explore Maine with your attendees, colleagues, and friends.
