Across Cumberland and York counties, March brings a handful of traditions that Mainers look forward to every year. It’s the month where we start looking for reasons to get out of the house again! One of the clearest signs that the seasons are changing is the arrival of Maine Maple Sunday and Maine Restaurant Week, and somewhere between the mud and the last hard frost, and fool’s spring, we start leaving the heavy boots by the door and notice the afternoon’s light is lasting a little longer.
The Sap is Running
One of the quieter traditions of late winter in Maine is maple sugaring season, and it relies almost entirely on temperature. Maple sap flows best when nights drop below freezing and days climb above it, which is exactly what March in Maine delivers.
Maine Maple Sunday falls on the last Sunday of March each year, March 21-22 this year, and it draws people out of their cabin fever in a way few other local events do. Sugarhouses across the state open their doors and welcome visitors to see the process of making maple syrup firsthand, from the collection of sap to the long hours it takes to boil it down. The ratio is striking when you hear about it for the first time: it takes roughly 40 gallons of sap to produce ONE single gallon of syrup.
It’s simple, a little messy, and exactly the kind of outing that reminds you winter doesn’t last forever. For a list of events happening throughout the state, visit Maine Maple Sunday Weekend’s interactive map from the Maine Maple Producers Association.
Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
This Sunday, March 15, 2026, the Irish American Club of Maine brings its annual Saint Patrick’s Parade to Portland. The parade steps off at noon from the Portland Fish Pier parking lot at the corner of Center Street and Commercial Street, proceeds east along the working waterfront, and finishes at Bell Buoy Park between Ri Ra and the Casco Bay Parking Garage near Franklin Street.
The lineup this year is worth arriving early for! The Claddagh Mhor Pipe Band and the Dunlap Highland Band will both be marching, and the Stillson School of Irish Dance is scheduled to perform at the end of the route. Other participants include the Maine Irish Heritage Center, with whom we talked last year in our short video about our favorite spots to visit in Portland during St. Patrick’s Day, the Portland Gaelic Athletic Association, local mascots, and more.
Learn more and donate to support the Maine Irish Heritage Center on their website. https://maineirish.com/event/st-patricks-day-parade/
Landing Real Estate works with buyers and sellers throughout Cumberland and York Counties, and if you are trying to understand what the market looks like heading into spring, they are worth a conversation.
Ready to make the move? Contact Landing Real Estate today and let us guide you home!