"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 2022
The Golden Age of Maine Pizza is Now!, Brian Kevin
The Golden Age of Maine Pizza is Now!: Standing Pat, Joe Ricchio
"The Kind of Meat My Camera Likes", Brian Kevin
The State of Maine v. Parole, Will Grunewald
The Ultimate Maine Summer Guide, Joyce Kryszak, Adrienne Perron, Bridget M. Burns, Mira Ptacin, Brian Kevin, and Will Grunewald
The Wolf of State Street?, Peter Andrey Smith
Timeline: Old Soles, Adrienne Perron
Uncertain Ground, Kate Olson
Wader Fabricator, Adrienne Perron
What a Maine Road Trip Taught Eleanor Roosevelt, Kate Ver Ploeg
Where Have All the Phalaropes Gone?, Willy Blackmore
Where Have All the Phalaropes Gone?, Willy Blackmore and Jada Fitch, illustrator
Where to Stay Now, Brian Kevin and Adrienne Perron
White Mountain Majesties, Down East staff writers
White Mountain Majesties: Notch Your Average Towns, Brian Kevin
White Mountain Majesties: Old Whites Guys, W. G.
White Mountain Majesties: Only Show in Town, Joel Crabtree
Submissions from 2021
6th Annual Down East Reader Photo Contest, Down East editorial staff
70 Over 70: A Bit out of the Oar-dinary, Monique Brouillette
70 Over 70: Art is Long, E. A. B.
70 Over 70: Breaking the Cycle, Jesse Ellison
70 Over 70: Dancing Queen, A. P.
70 Over 70: Dawnland Defender, A. P.
70 Over 70: Don't Call it a Granny Shot, Adrienne Perron
70 Over 70: Double Vision, J. K.
70 Over 70: Faith, Love, and Legacy, M. W.
70 Over 70: Fifty Years, Seven Acres, and the Sea, Joyce Kryszak
70 Over 70: Find Him at the Helm, Edgar Allen Beem
70 Over 70: Fit as a Fiddle, Busy as a Bee, W. G.
70 Over 70: Friendship That Floats, Peter Van Allen
70 Over 70: Giving Peace a Chance, W. G.
70 Over 70: Harboring Ambition, Genevieve Morgan
70 Over 70: Home is Where the Heart is, Caitlin Gilmet
70 Over 70: In Good Faith, B. K.
70 Over 70: Katahdin Peaked His Interest, Joel Crabtree
70 Over 70: Lady of the Lake, Amber Kapiloff
70 Over 70: Lobstering Oliver Life, Brian Kevin
70 Over 70: Love at First Light, Monica Wood
70 Over 70: Making his Peace, B. K.
70 Over 70: Many Years of Beers, Lyn Mikel Brown
70 Over 70: Millking It For All It's Worth, Ron Joseph
70 Over 70: Peachy Keen, Kaitlyn Schwalje
70 Over 70: Plenty Left in the Tank, Catie Joyce-Bulay
70 Over 70: Remembering Her Roots, J. E.
70 Over 70: Senior Portraits, B. K.
70 Over 70: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and Many Other Clothes), J. C.
70 Over 70: Still Unstill, E. A. B.
70 Over 70: Tales from the Trail, Sarah Stebbins
70 Over 70: The River Runner, Ann Pollard Ranco
70 Over 70: Triple Threat, M. B.