Brunswick's Longfellow Days Returns for 22nd Year, Celebrating Finding Your Voice

Longfellow didn't just inspire Brunswick's monthlong poetry festival. He studied at Bowdoin College before writing the poems that made him a household name, and for the 22nd consecutive year, Brunswick is marking that connection with a full month of readings, workshops, tours, and open-mic nights that cost nothing to attend.

Longfellow Days 2026, themed "Finding Your Voice," is coordinated by the Brunswick Downtown Association alongside Bowdoin College, the Pejepscot History Center, Midcoast Senior College, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, and the Nathaniel Davis Fund. The Senter Fund, Thornton Oaks, and Bath Savings Bank are among the additional financial supporters that allow the festival to hold the line on access: the BDA states plainly that all events are free and open to the public.

For a day trip from Bath or Topsham, the programming maps onto three natural stops. Bowdoin College traditionally hosts readings and workshops on campus, including sessions suited for writers at multiple skill levels. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick anchors an interfaith service and community readings that connect Longfellow's work to civic themes. The Pejepscot History Center ties the literary calendar to regional history. Tours are listed on the 2026 schedule as well. The month closes with a festive open-mic celebration on Longfellow's birthday, open to anyone who wants to read original work alongside visiting writers and local poets.

Families can bring children; the festival is built for all ages, with classroom visits and school-focused readings running parallel to the public events. Some workshops carry limited capacity and may require advance registration, worth confirming before the drive up.

Before or after an event, the festival's own sponsors double as spending destinations: The Brunswick Hotel and Tontine are both named supporters, as is Wilburs, and all three sit in the downtown corridor the BDA credits with staying active through late winter and early spring. The full 2026 schedule is available on the Brunswick Downtown Association website and through partner pages at Bowdoin College and the Pejepscot History Center.