Stay tuned for more details!

 

We hope to join you for a walk down Main Street on Saturday, May 4th, 2024. Meanwhile, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and look at last year’s event.

Annual Jane’s Walk Event

GrowSmart Maine and Ellsworth Historical Society in partnership with Heart of Ellsworth, will host the second annual Jane’s Walk in Downtown Ellsworth on May 6, 2023. Join the morning or afternoon walk—or both. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes! Check out the Facebook event page to RSVP today.

What is Jane’s Walk?

Community activist Jane Jacobs inspired this global free, volunteer-led walking conversations festival. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May in more than 200 cities and towns around the globe. Visit MainePreservation.org to see all the Jane’s Walks in Maine.

 

10:00 AM

The Fire of 1933

Meet at Ellsworth Public Library (on State Street)

The morning walk, The Fire of 1933, will be led by Ellsworth Historical Society board member, Terri Cormier, telling the story of the great fire and the city-wide effort to rebuild the buildings that make up Main Street today. The walk steps off at 10:00 am on State Street in front of Ellsworth Public Library. Notably, May marks the 90-year anniversary of the great fire that destroyed 130 buildings or most of downtown Ellsworth. 

Historical photo of city remains after the 1933 Ellsworth, Maine fire

3:00 PM

The People of Ellsworth’s Past, Present, & Future

Meet at the Water Street Mural

The afternoon walk, The People of Ellsworth’s Past, Present, and Future, will be led by GrowSmart Maine CEO, Nancy Smith, and Heart of Ellsworth Director, Cara Romano, with special community guests. Using the Water Street Mural as a starting point and discussion tool, participants will walk the downtown district while learning about the people who shaped Ellsworth’s past and how they have influenced our collective identity as Ellsworthanians. The walk will step off at 3:00 pm and proceed to important historical landmarks in the downtown district, ending at Fogtown Brewing Company.

Photo of Downtown Ellsworth, ME Water Street Mural, completed October 2022