A Snob’s Guide to Christmas in the Kennebunks
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When Memorial Day comes ’round, the tarmac at Coastal Maine’s executive airports crowd with Cessnas and King Airs and charming seaside towns from Kittery to Castine flood with summer residents once again. But those really in the know make it back to Maine right in time for Christmas in Kennebunkport and Kennebunk, when the twin coastal towns are aglow in holiday finery and so chock-full of Currier-and-Ives-laced old fashioned New England charm you half expect Bing Crosby to walk down the street.
But holiday magic doesn’t just make itself—that’s where we come in. Ahead, here’s how to pack a Yuletide trip to the Kennebunks with all the wassailing and festive fun you can handle.
Where to Settle Down for a Long Winter’s Night
There’s one clear choice here: The White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection in Kennebunk is legendary for a reason, and who are we to argue with 150 years of pedigree? The property is easily the swankiest stay in town, and all the more so come Christmastime, when its 23 rooms and four cottages are dolled up in holiday finery. Or double down on the coastal atmosphere with a stay at the property’s newly launched Cora Houseboat, a floating hideaway on the Kennebunk River.
Where to Go A-Wassailing
If it’s decked halls you’re after, the Kennebunks have you covered. Batson River Brewing in Kennebunk is the reigning champion of Yule, and there’s no better place to seek out a cup of cheer, with tinsel, lights, and decor galore, plus a full menu of holiday-themed tipples—the Sleigh the Town, with buttered bourbon, snickerdoodle syrup, and black walnut bitters, is like a Christmas cookie in a glass. At Rabbit Hole, the subterranean bar at Via Sophia by the Sea, December heralds the arrival of Buddy’s Bar, an Elf-inspired hang spot with live music and festive drinks—this is the last season to go before they close up shop for good. Over the bridge in Kennebunkport, head to the Burleigh at the Kennebunkport Inn, which come December transforms into the Tinsel Bar, bedecked with ornaments and garlands.
Where to Find Holiday Feasting
Lobster at Nunan’s and fried seafood at the Clam Bar are the mainstays of July in the Kennebunks, but come cold weather—and seasonal restaurant closures—it’s time to get to know this small but mighty culinary scene a little more deeply. Warm your bones at The Lost Fire, Argentine chef Germán Lucarelli’s tribute to Patagonian steakhouse traditions, or venture to Wandby Landing, a local favorite for Italian-inflected cuisine and wood-fired pizzas. For fine dining, Earth at Hidden Pond is a must—book a table next to the massive stone hearth for the coziest winter ambiance.
Bev’s Café in Kennebunk is the place to go for understated yet unreasonably good breakfast and lunch options—the year-and-a-half-old spot is the project of two Zuni Café alums and shares the California mainstay’s ethos of excellent, unfussy meals that comfort and delight. Pastry aficionados should get their fix at Boulangerie: A Proper Bakery, where warm croissants, perfectly crumbly scones, and crackling loaves of artisan bread are menu mainstays.
Where to Do Your Christmas Shopping
You’ll find all the usual beach-town-shopping suspects in Kennebunkport and its neighbor—salt air-scented candles, moody photographs of sand dunes, and Life is Good merch abounds—but a few boutiques stand out from the crowd. At Daytrip Society and neighboring Daytrip Jr. in Dock Square, the selection is stylish but never stuffy: Grab your Nana a cozy throw from Maine-based Brahms Mount and your favorite kid a holiday Maileg mouse for their dollhouse collection. Swing by Minka to snag gifts for the upscale earth-mother types—think hinoki incense, kelp-infused sea salt scrubs, and pleasingly rough-hewn mugs she can clutch and sip tea from while wearing her slouchiest cashmere. Hurlbutt Designs, in Kennebunk’s Lower Village, is a wasp-y home-decor dream, all Lafco candles and Smathers and Branson needlepoint accessories, while the shop at Snug Harbor Farm feels like the closest any mortal will come to raiding the rustic-yet-impeccably-styled garden sheds at one of Martha Stewart’s country estates. And you’ll find the crème de la crème of curation at Seacraft Vintage, where husband-and-wife co-owners Jackie Greaney and Paul Havel have assembled a collection of vintage home goods and decor that captures exactly what all of us want our New England seaside getaways to look like.
Where to Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
If you’re in town come Christmas Prelude, you’ll find the streets packed with merrymakers and the schedule filled with all manner of gingerbread house contests and eggnog-sipping occasions, so it’s a choose-your-own-adventure sort of affair. But there are plenty of holiday happenings to be found beyond the prelude calendar—and you can swing by to take in the Dock Square Christmas tree and the lobster trap tree in Cape Porpoise Square in all their finery long after the festivities wind down.
For guests at White Barn Inn, the hotel’s concierge can coordinate snowmobiling adventures in the New England wilds, or even backcountry dog-sledding excursions followed by a cocktail in the barn to thaw you out. More of an affirmed indoor type? Book the Inn’s private holiday dining, a multicourse extravaganza in a twinkling, candlelit space suffused with Christmas cheer. In the days leading up to Christmas, expect seasonal feasts, eggnog happy hours, winter cocktail-making classes from Remedy Cocktail Co., and visits from the man in red himself.
For a dose of wintertime enrichment, upgrade your seasonal decor with a three-hour private wreath-making workshop led by Jovana of Maine Wreaths & Design, or opt for a meditative nature experience with a private guided winter forest bathing session through Wild Wonder Forest Bathing. If you’re hoping to work up a sweat, drive half an hour to Harris Farm, where you can rent cross-country skis or snowshoes and wander their 25-mile trail system.
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