A new event for 2019, Mary E’s Birthday Gala is Maine Maritime Museum’s biggest annual fundraiser and celebrates the launch of the historic schooner Mary E in the summer of 1906. Held under a tent on Friday, July 12 in the museum’s historic Percy & Small Shipyard on the Kennebec River, the evening will feature valet parking, fabulous décor, delicious food from Churchill Catering, a silent auction, fun games, and a live auction from Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ John Bottero, all topped off with music and dancing.

Funds from this event support the continued maintenance of the schooner Mary E and keep it sailing, as well as the traditional maritime skills programs at the museum--such as the Discovery Boatbuilding program for local school students grades 5-8. 

Event attendees tend to be high-net worth individuals from across New England who own and are passionate about boats and who care deeply about keeping Maine's maritime culture strong and vibrant.