"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 2017
Guide; Dining; Mason's Brewing Company: Brewer, Brian Kevin and Mark McCall Photographer
Guide; Dining; Musette: Kennebunkport, Joe Ricchio and Douglas Merriam Photographer
Guide. Dining: Oxford House Inn, Joel Ricchio and Douglas Merriam, photographer
Guide. Dining: Salt Pine Social, Joel Ricchio and Douglas Merriam, photographer
Guide; Dining; Swig of the Month; Fernet Michaud: Liquid Riot Bottling Co., Benjamin Williamson
Guide. Dining: Tipo, Joe Ricchio and Douglas Merriam Photographer
Guide. Dining: Tulsi North, Joe Ricchio and Douglas Merriam, photographer
Guide; Event; Midnight Menagerie: At a natural history museum in Hinckley, the living meet the dead with the lights turned out, Joel Crabtree
Guide. Events: June’s Blooms, Down East staff writers
Guide. Events: School's (Not) Out for Summer, Will Grunewald
Guide. Events: Thrills and Chills, Down East staff writers
Guide. Goods: Martha's Maine Must-Haves, Martha Stewart
Guide; Making it in Maine; Hangin' with Mr. Cooper: Portland Barrel Company's Ed Lutjens is New England's only cask maker and he's anxious to roll out more barrels., Tina Fischer and John Benford Photographer
Guide. Music: American Classic, Will Grunewald
Guide; Music; Hanukkah Hootenanny: A Portland-based klezmer band hammers out a toe-tapping tradition, Joel Crabtree
Guide. Music: Lady Lamb the Mystery, Will Grunewald
Guide. Music: No Second Fiddle, Joel Crabtree
Guide. Music: Reclaimed Timbre, Nick Schroeder
Guide. Reads: Gonzo Journal List, Nick Schroeder
Guide; Swig of the Month; Hardshore Distilling Company
Guide. Theater: Culture Clash, Sara Anne Donnelly
Guide. Theater: Fringe Benefits, Nick Schroeder
Guide. Theater: Unlikely Impresarios, Will Grunewald
Guide: What to Do in Maine This Month, Virginia M. Wright and Douglas Merriam Photographer
Healers in the Sky, Jesse Ellison and Gabe Souza, photographer
Hoppy Days Are Here Again! Harvest season is the most wonderful time of year for beer lovers, Will Grunewald
Keepers of the Trail, Kathryn Miles and Michael D. Wilson Photographer
Labor of Love: A father designs an accessible, energy-efficient home for his quadriplegic daughter, Sara Anne Donnelly and Jared Kuzia Photographer
Liberty's Prison: In Maine's maximum security lockup, Warden Randall Liberty is offering inmates gardens, therapy, and a sense of purpose, Jesse Ellison and Molly Haley Photographer
LOL #207EVA, Virginia M. Wright
Making Art, Making a Life: Midcoast "nature people" Kate and Jonathan Mess push boundaries in the gallery, keep it real at home, Edgar Allen Beem and Molly Haley Photographer
Mess with a Classic: Orthodoxy isn't the point when world-class performers play Mount Vernon's Independence Day pops concert, Will Grunewald
Mother Hen, Virginia M. Wright and Greta Rybus, photographer
Mountain Maven, Joel Crabtree
Mountain Maven, Joel Crabtree
Mountain Maven: Aislinn Sarnacki's Climb from Copy Desk Intern to Maine Trail Guru, Joel Crabtree
North by East. A Festival for the Birds, Joel Crabtree
North by East; All Hail the Curry King! Arif Shaikh has designs on a midcoast curry empire., Will Grunewald
North by East. Aprés Ski?, Will Grunewald
North by East. At the Helm, Martha Stewart and Maria Simpson
North by East. Aw, Shucks!, Down East staff writers
North by East. Ball Canto, Rob Sneddon
North by East. Boy Oh Boycott: Checking Our Ego about an Embargo of Dirigo, Brian Kevin
North by East. Cabin Fever, Sarah Stebbins
North by East. Don't Hate the Player: Maine's Hardest-Working Rapper Levels Up on Your Smartphone or Tablet, Brian Kevin
North by East; Down East Dispatches
North by East; Down East Dispatches