The Party After the Party – Post-Camp Events at Maine Camps

While most campers may leave with the buses early on the morning of closing day, camp in Maine does not always come to an end at the close of the camp session. At many Maine Camp Experience (MCE) camps, the weekends or weeks following the closing day are used for incredible events and celebrations that utilize the camp’s amazing activities and take advantage of the natural beauty of Maine. Whether it’s family camps, mother-daughter and father-son weekends, weddings, reunions, Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, or other celebrations – camps stay busy all through the summer and even into the fall! At many Maine Camp Experience (MCE) camps, there will be regular post-camp events. Some camps will also offer specialty camps following a full summer, such as an arts-specific camp, which allow children to delve more specifically into an area of expertise. Other common post-camp offerings include a yearly family camp or a biennial mother-daughter or father-son weekend. Sometimes, these events are specifically for current camp families, and offer a great way for the parents of a lucky camper to experience some of camps incredible activities. Other times, they may be open to any interested in families, and are not just for those families whose children attend camp. In either case, these events provide participating families with the incredible opportunities camp has to offer. Families spend their days swimming, skiing, and small crafting on Maine’s beautiful lakes; playing tennis and sports on the well-maintained courts and fields on beautiful Maine summer days; making bracelets and other crafts in arts activities; and taking organized hikes and trips that make the most of Maine’s surrounding natural beauty. These events oftentimes feature one or more gourmet meals – a lobster bake is generally in order at some point– and provide families an opportunity to socialize, connect, and form relationships that strengthen as they return summer after summer. Camp isn’t only for the kids after all! For those people who have a particularly strong connection to camp, post-camp can be a wonderful time to celebrate major lifetime milestones amidst the beautiful lakes and pines of Maine. Through the years there have been numerous weddings at MCE camps, and oftentimes couples who meet at camp will return to Maine to tie the knot. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs will occasionally also be held after a summer at camp, and Maine provides a serene backdrop for these coming of age celebrations – and what better place to celebrate coming of age than the camp that has given so much to your maturity and development? Anniversary summers at MCE camps also provide reason for festivities, and alumni weekends are oftentimes held during notable summers in order to celebrate as a camp community. This summer, the MCE camp I work for was celebrating its 100^th summer, and to recognize this amazing milestone camp hosted an eventful alumni weekend that brought together former campers and longtime staff members for activities, celebratory meals, and an incredible party. While it was certainly enjoyable to witness so many camp alumni remarking on the ways that camp has changed and the ways it has stayed the same, and seeing them relive some of the glory days of past summers, perhaps the most remarkable part of the weekend was witnessing the immediate connections forged between former campers, even those whose camp experiences were separated by many generations. There were alumni at the reunion who hadn’t been campers since the 1950’s, and former campers whose tenures ended in 2010 – but at this event they all came together as one community for an incredible weekend-long party that left no doubt that the spirit of camp transcends time. There is no better place in the world to be in the summer than Maine, and this remains true even after the campers leave! The incredible post-camp offerings at MCE camps provide new and unique avenues for children and adults alike to take advantage of a wonderful summer in Maine – and whether it’s one weekend or one week, post-camp events and festivities in Maine are a great way to cap off a summer at camp! — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our  website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.