"The goal of Down East has always been to hold a mirror up to Maine — its storied past and lively present — and to celebrate its flinty, independent character and unhurried way of life. As Maine has changed with the times, however, so has Down East. Today the state has come to embrace its future as well as its past. Accordingly, the magazine now focuses more on contemporary Maine life and what the future might bring and less on historical background and quaint rusticity. Booming circulation and advertising gains demonstrate the wisdom of this editorial shift."
Portland Public Library's collection of Down East is complete, and begins with the first issue, August 1954. The hard copies are available in the Portland Room.
Submissions from 2023
Food and Drink: Full of Beans, Sarah Stebbins
Food and Drink: Off-Beet Idea, Katy Kelleher
Food and Drink: 'Wich Craft, Will Grunewald
Good Things From Maine: Animal Crossing, A. P.
Good Things From Maine: No Skin in the Game, Monique Brouillette
Good Things From Maine: Picks of the Litter, Adrienne Perron
Maine Fauna A to Z, Down East staff writers
Maine Fauna A to Z: A is for Arctic Char, Brian Kevin
Maine Fauna A to Z: C is for Caribou, Ron Joseph ["as told to"]
Maine Fauna A to Z: D is for Dogs, Kathryn Miles
Maine Fauna A to Z: H is for Hagfish, Virginia M. Wright
Maine Fauna A to Z: J is for Jackson Laboratory, Peter Andrey Smith
Maine Fauna A to Z: M is for Moose, B. K.
Maine Fauna A to Z: P is for Puffins, Derrick Z. Jackson
Maine Fauna A to Z: S is for Sturgeon, Scot McFarlane and John Lichter
Maine Fauna A to Z: W is for Whitetails, Nora Saks
My Favorite Place: James Francis: Mud Pond Carry, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Brian Kevin
North by East: Amphibious Assault, Will Grunewald
North by East: Beak Outlook?, Mary Pols
North by East: Candid Cameras, W. G.
Rambles with Rover, Aislinn Sarnacki
Room with a View: Still With Us, Philip Conkling
Submissions from 2022
1972: The Year That Changed Maine, Down East staff writers
A Connecting Place, Adrienne Perron
A Few of Their Favorite Things, Adrienne Perron, Brian Kevin, and Arielle Greenberg
"A Larger Bridge", Michael Colbert
A Refuge Remembered, Bridget M. Burns
A Spin on the Chilly-Go-Round, Joel Crabtree
A Village for All Seasons?, Virginia M. Wright
Best of Maine 2022, Down East staff writers
Best Places to Live in Maine (2022), Will Grunewald, Adrienne Perron, and Brian Kevin
Catch & Release, Franklin Burroughs
Cheney, Matthiessen, and Me, Scott Bane
Ciao Chow, Will Grunewald
Corduroy Cameo, A. P.
Down East Americana, Benjamin Williamson [photos] and Brian Kevin [text]
Economy of Scales, Katy Kelleher
Eric Hopkins's 115th Dream, Brian Kevin
Face the Music, Will Grunewald, Brian Kevin, and Adrienne Perron
Flipping Good, W. G.
Food and Drink: A Very Buona Notte, Brian Kevin
Food and Drink: Back on Top, W. G.
Food and Drink: Barn Again, Catie Joyce-Bulay
Food and Drink: Claws and Effect, W. G.
Food and Drink: Clear Alternative, Brian Kevin
Food and Drink: Cooking: Square Meals, Will Grunewald
Food and Drink: Did Shrimp Lose the Squid Game?, Will Grunewald
Food and Drink: Eating Their Words, W. G.
Food and Drink: Fill 'Er Up, Jesse Ellison
Food and Drink: Fish/Tacos, W. G.