Bangor is hosting four major events this weekend that will drive thousands of people to the region and could jam traffic.
On Saturday, the Gran Fondo Hincapie bike race will kick off at 8 a.m. on Front Street in Bangor. Riders will turn onto May Street then Summer Street before heading over the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge into Brewer and toward Bucksport and Castine.
Just a few hours later, the Bangor Pride parade through downtown will begin at 11 a.m. and march down Main Street. The parade ends in West Market Square and the annual Pride festival will continue there until 4 p.m.
Though the bike race and pride parade happen in close proximity, Tracy Willette, Bangor’s parks and recreation director, said the two events have happened on the same day in prior years without issue. He credited this to the parade’s staging area and route not conflicting with the bike race.
Road closures are marked in red. Bangor Pride Parade route is marked with dashed line. Use +/- to zoom in on map and view additional data points. Click or drag map to change view point.
Additionally, the race and parade both have organizers and require little help from city staff.
The following day, on Sunday, the inaugural Great Bangor Marathon & Half will start at 7 a.m. at the Cross Insurance Center on Main St. The marathon route will take runners though downtown, along Valley Avenue to Broadway before turning around in the town of Kenduskeag. Participants will then follow the same path back before ending at the Paul Bunyan statue outside the Cross Insurance Center.
The half-marathon runners will follow the same course, but turn around on outer Broadway shortly after Pushaw Road.
To cap off the jam-packed weekend, the Maine Savings Amphitheatre will host Michael Franti & Spearhead for a concert on Bangor’s waterfront. The doors to the venue will open at 4 p.m. Sunday and the show is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
While the marathon and concert will both likely draw large crowds, Willette doesn’t believe the two will clash because of how they’re spaced out in the day. Furthermore, city staff have successfully coordinated events in downtown Bangor and shows in the Cross Insurance Center or Maine Savings Amphitheater before, Willette said.
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“The marathon has an early morning start which will allow for finishers to arrive back to Bangor prior to the typical time concert patrons start to arrive in the city,” he said. “Having these events hosted here brings visitors to Bangor, which benefits a variety of businesses.”
