EVENTS: Benton Alewife Festival to be celebrated on May 17, 2025

The annual Benton Alewife Festival will be back again this year on Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the Riverfront Park, to celebrate the return of the alewives to the Sebasticook river. The alewife, also known as river herring, is one of many anadromous (migrating) fish that make their way over ninety miles from the ocean to find its habitat in the Sebasticook lake.

The first year of the festival was in 2012, but its origins were sparked by the removal of the dam in Winslow in 2008, and the first alewife harvest was in 2009. Along with the installation of a fish elevator at the Benton dam, the alewives were able to thrive and complete their life cycle by making it to Sebasticook lake. And thrive they did!

Thanks to these fish passage efforts, the alewife runs are steadily growing, with a record breaking 6.5 million fish counted at the Benton Falls dam in 2024. Along with the return of the fish, the eagles, ospreys and other wildlife that rely on these fish have also returned. It is not uncommon for people to report seeing “dozens of eagles” along the river below the Benton dam.

When the first harvests began, the town decided to have a festival to celebrate this landmark achievement. Now in its 13th year, the festival is held at the Benton Riverfront park, next to the town office. The festival will feature a number of free, family friendly activities including demonstrations, guided trail walks, tours of the dam, children’s activities, arts & craft projects, face painting and games, as well as food and live music. The highlight of the event is the tours of the dam, which can be reached by walking trail or free shuttle from the parking lot at the Benton Town Office.

Exhibitors include: Maine Rivers, L.C. Bates Museum, Arnold Expedition Historical Society, Kennebec-Messalonskee Trails, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust, Benton Historical Society, St. Joseph Nature Sanctuary, a local beekeeper, a wood carver, and Forest Rangers from the Maine Forest Service. This event will take place rain or shine!