Two Centuries of Craftsmanship Converge at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

For more than a decade, the Wabanaki Summer Market has served as a vibrant celebration of Indigenous artistry and resilience. This Saturday, the tradition continues at one of Maine's most historically significant sites.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester will welcome dozens of artists and crafters from the Wabanaki Confederacy for the annual market, set to run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 707 Shaker Road. Admission is free.

The gathering represents more than a commercial exchange—it's a deliberate honoring of two of Maine's oldest crafting traditions. According to Michael Graham, director of the Shaker Village, the event reflects a mutual respect between communities whose parallel paths of cultural preservation have intertwined for generations.

"The Shakers admire the production of Wabanaki crafts as a reflection of the Wabanaki people and culture," Graham said. "The market is a way of supporting the continuation of those crafting traditions."

The market, which launched in 2008, draws artists from multiple generations of several prominent families, including the Griffiths, Loves, Neptunes, and Soctomahs. Some participants can trace their family's artistic legacy back four generations. Several featured artists have previously exhibited their work at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor.

Attendees can expect a blend of time-honored techniques and contemporary innovations. While traditional forms will be well-represented, younger artists have begun introducing new designs, materials, and approaches that push the boundaries of Wabanaki art.

"That's exciting to see," Graham said of the evolution. "How it's taking to see a new turn into the 21st century."

The Burnaburnuskek Singers and Drummers will perform traditional drumming and singing at noon, adding a musical dimension to the day's festivities.

For those seeking authentic Maine craftsmanship with deep historical roots, the market offers an opportunity to engage directly with artists whose work spans centuries of cultural transmission.