10 Signature Maine Camp Events

Every Maine camp summer is filled with signature camp events. Many are traditions that have been happening for generations. From spirited competitions and carnival days to emotional final campfires, these are the events campers look forward to, talk about all summer, and remember forever.

Here are 10 celebrated Maine camp events:

1. All-Camp Competitions

Color War. Olympics. College Days. The Cup. The League. Jamboree. Whatever a camp calls it, for many campers, this is THE highlight of the summer.

Often kicked off with a dramatic and exciting break out (sometimes with a fake break or two first), camps are divided into two or four teams and spend a day or several days (or even all summer, with an exciting end-of-summer culmination) competing in a wide variety of events at the lake, on the fields, in the arts, and even in the dining hall. (Silent Dinner, anyone? Don’t laugh or you’ll lose points for your team!)

Campers don face paint and special team colors, and proudly become part of something bigger than themselves. Some favorite events include Fill the Canoe, with campers splashing everywhere as they fill canoes with water; Bucket Brigade on the beach, where teams pass water from camper to camper to fill a large bucket; Tug-of-war; and Team Plaque, where campers create artistic representations of their team name or the year’s theme. Those plaques often hang in the Dining Hall or Rec Hall for years, becoming part of camp history. When it’s all over, campers cry, hug, and jump in the lake together.

2. Rope Burn

Often part of an all-camp competition, Rope Burn is an exciting evening event that is hard to beat when it comes to teamwork, strategy and passion. Teams work together to build and feed fires in an effort to burn through a rope suspended above them. It can be anyone’s game right until the very end, with campers cheering on their teammates and willing the fire to keep going. The energy is electric. The excitement is contagious. And when that rope finally burns through? The cheers can be heard all over camp.

3. Sing and Sing-Song

The heart and soul of camp often comes through at Sing. Campers write original songs about their summer, usually set to popular tunes, and perform them for the camp community. The songs can be hilarious, heartfelt, silly, sentimental or all of the above. And some become much more than a camp competition. They become anthems. A song written about one particular summer can become part of a camp’s history, sung around campfires for decades and passed down from one generation of campers to the next.

4. Carnival

Water slides. Cotton candy. Funnel cake. Rides. Games. Music. Laughter. Carnival is a day that campers look forward to all summer. Campers race from one attraction to another, challenge their friends at games and, of course, find their way back for another sweet treat. It is pure camp fun. Some camps even invite other Maine camps to join in their carnival-day fun!

5. Lake Swim

Part of growing up at camp means setting goals, working toward them and accomplishing something you once weren’t sure you could do. At many Maine camps, Lake Swim is exactly that. Campers train throughout the summer for a challenging swim, often a mile or a swim to an island on the lake. Canoes typically paddle alongside the swimmers, with campers and counselors cheering them on and providing encouragement along the way.

Finishing the swim can be a major milestone. At some camps, successful swimmers earn a place on a plaque alongside the names of campers who completed the challenge before them. Seeing your name hanging in the Dining Hall or Rec Hall becomes a lasting reminder: I did that.

Some camps have similar traditions involving long-distance runs or marathons, giving campers another opportunity to set a goal and push themselves to achieve it.

6. Shows

As the summer winds down, campers get the opportunity to take the stage. Final theater productions can be elaborate, with campers showcasing their talents in acting, singing, dancing, musical instruments, costuming, makeup, set design and more.

Dance shows are another popular camp tradition, giving campers the chance to perform routines they have created and practiced throughout the summer.

Whether a camper has dreamed of being onstage for years or simply decided to try something new at camp, these performances are a chance to celebrate creativity, confidence and the courage to put yourself out there. And there is something pretty special about watching your friends perform in front of the entire camp community.

Art shows are another way campers express their creativity and share their talent. From showcasing painting and pottery to photography and videos, it’s a great feeling for campers to see their creations on display and have others admire the work they’ve made.

7. Cabin Plaques

At camp, cabin plaques become a piece of history. Campers create plaques featuring their names, a theme, an inside joke or something that captures the personality of their cabin and their summer together. Years later, campers can return and see their names hanging alongside those of campers who came before them. It is a simple tradition, but a meaningful one: a permanent reminder that I was here. This was my summer. This was my cabin.

8. Banquet/Lobster Dinner

There is something special about a big camp dinner. Banquet is often a happy, celebratory night when the entire camp comes together to eat, laugh and enjoy one another’s company. At some Maine camps, that celebration even includes a true Maine tradition: lobster. The Dining Hall is decorated festively. After weeks of activities, trips, and everyday camp life, everyone gets a chance to enjoy each other. It is a delicious way to celebrate the summer and the community that made it special.

9. Final Campfire and Candlelight Ceremony

This may be one of the toughest nights of the summer, but it is also one of the most meaningful. Every camp has its own traditions for this special evening. At some camps, the oldest campers walk down to the campfire first, followed by each younger age group. Candles line the pathways and decorate the stage or dais.

Older campers may give speeches about what camp has meant to them over the years as they prepare to pass the torch to the next generation. Directors reflect on the summer and share what these campers have meant to the fabric of the camp community.

Campers from different age groups may speak, light candles or share memories. At some camps, candlelit boats are launched onto the lake. There are speeches, songs, hugs, tears, laughter and plenty of appreciation.

It is a night that reminds everyone that camp is more than the activities. It is the people, the traditions and the generations of campers who have become part of something bigger than themselves.

10. Departure Day

In all truth, Departure Day is tough. Campers are often exhausted after a summer filled with activity, and many have stayed up late the night before telling stories, laughing and squeezing in every last minute with their cabinmates.

Then comes the early wake-up, the final breakfast, and the journey home. Many campers and counselors write bus notes for their cabinmates to read on the trip home, filling them with inside jokes, memories and messages that may be treasured long after the bus arrives. The hugs goodbye are hard. There are tears. And there is often a lot of looking back as the buses pull away.

The saying “Smile because it happened” couldn’t be more true. The sadness of saying goodbye simply means that camp mattered. And before campers have even made it all the way home, many are already thinking about next summer and counting the days until they can do it all again.

And So Many More… Of course, these 10 events are just part of the summer. There are so many memorable moments: Arrival Day, July 4/Fireworks, Brother/Sister Days, Visiting Day, Celebration of the 5+ Year Club of returning campers and staff, Trip Days, Traditions Days, campfires, talent shows, tournaments, regattas, and countless camp-specific traditions that make each Maine camp summer unique.

That may be one of the best things about camp: every camp has its own traditions, and every camper has their own favorite. But whether it is racing across the lake during Color War, singing an original song at Sing, earning your name on a Lake Swim plaque, eating lobster with your friends or hugging your cabinmates goodbye, these signature events become the moments that campers carry with them long after summer ends. They’re part of what makes camp, camp.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child? Try out our helpful Select-A-Camp 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 contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.