Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Through the Years- 45 years of Music and Memories!

1979…The first time any of us here at Thomas Point had ever even heard Bluegrass Music, right here in our own backyard…life hasn’t been the same!
1979 (and 1988, 2015, 2017, 2021) Brunswick’s Naval Air Station’s Blue Angel Air Show the same weekend as Festival! Yikes!!!
1980…First Hot Air Balloon Rides.
1981…First of several weddings at the festival. (on the stage)
1982…Bill Monroe’s First TPB appearance. Maine’s Governor Joe Brennan made a guest appearance.
1983… “The White Dress”
1983…Our first Annual Sunday Morning Worship On the Beach.
1984… Pati’s son Michael was born.
1985…Orange stickers first appeared on your windshield.
1985…We built our very own stage!
1986…First “June” Festival (2 Festivals held in ‘86)
1987…Second (and last) “June” Festival held (2 Festivals held in ‘87)
1988…Bluefish were in the bay by the “Zillions” and we were ALL fishermen!
1988…The Transformer Blew!! (During the Clog Dancing at 1:40 PM Sunday, Central Maine Power Company replaced it in 1 hr. 46 minutes!!)
1989…All the “Legends of Bluegrass” appeared here.
1990…Monkeys (Real Monkeys) here.
1990…The Year of the “Pogie Patrol” (A Penny a Pogie!?)
1991…Added 37 acres to the Park and we got a New Road.
1991…1st annual Bluegrass Fan of the Year, awarded to Ray & Alice Waters.
1994…Brand New Shower Building!!! (First, it was hoses outside of windows, then cold water outdoor showers, then…finally, HOT showers!)
1995…Fires were Banned state-wide. (“Class 5” conditions, worst since 1947)
1996…TPB made the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. (Article written by Rick Lang and Photos by Sterling Keller)
1997…The tragic loss of Princess Diana, August 31, Saturday night of the festival. Bagpiper marched the streets Sunday morning in respect and sorrow.
1997…Streetlights went up on Access Rd.
1997…Shari gave birth to beautiful twin daughters, Kendra and Alexis, just weeks after working (at 33 weeks and advised bed rest) the entire festival.
1998…The first animal carving of our famous “Maine Woods Band”. “Tommy P.” Banjo Bear. 1999…“Trudy P.” Bass Bunny, 2000…The wailing guitar playing coyote “Toby P.”, 2001…“Trixie P.”, our fiddle playing fox-on-a-box, 2002… “Tallulah P.”, our giant and gentle Mandolin Maestro Monroe Moose. All animals carved by Tim Pickett of Eliot, Maine. All done completely by chainsaw and each done from start to finish during the 4 days of each festival. Each animal has the initials “T.P.” representing their homeland of “Thomas Point” and wood carver “Tim Pickett”.
1999…Festival featured by Willard Scott on the TODAY SHOW
1999…The start of our annual Martin Guitar Raffle, won by Myron “Otie” Harrington.

2001…TPB featured in Yankee Magazine Editor’s Pick for “Best in Region”.
2001…First Synchronized Swim. (Noteworthy)
2002…Thomas Point celebrated 25 years of Bluegrass!
2002…Michael Mulligan became an Eagle Scout.
2003…Official Festival Hiatus…the birth of the “Non-Festival”…the music played on!
2004…Life changed, Michael headed to college and the festival “got back on track.”
The Ryders In the Sky played on without power and with flashlights.
2005…The Legendary Earl Scruggs appeared at TPB and Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. With collections from the audience and matched by Thomas Point, a gift of $4800 was donated to the American Red Cross for the victims relief effort. My Mom, Marion, made her debut appearance singing her favorite song “The Old Rugged Cross” during the weekend closing jam. Beautiful!
2006…Thomas Point Beach Park celebrated its 50th Anniversary of “Family, Friends and Fun”. The TPB float won 1st Place in the “Individual” category in the Bath Heritage Days Parade. Zach Summers, Boy Scout and son of Jenna and Dana Summers, helped with the Official Opening, jumping in for Michael who missed his Opening for the first time in 22 years. The festival “Pick Me Up Award” was established.
2007…Charlie & Doris of Classic Collections retired at the end of the weekend after a long festival career.
2008…After thirty years of producing one of the finest bluegrass festivals in the country, the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival retired.
2008 ...Our 2007 festival is nominated for “Bluegrass Event of the Year” by the International Bluegrass Music Association and received the award!
2009-10… There was no official Festival, but you all came anyway and the pickin’ continued…
2011 … The “Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Special” made its debut and Bluegrass Music was reborn at beautiful TPB!
2012…Michael married the love of his life, Jen Wolfe in a beautiful ceremony in Bethel, Maine.
2014… White Mountain Bluegrass was reunited on the Thomas Point Stage and Hazel McGee made her final stage appearance.
2015… The Blue Angels flew overhead and Pati wore a flight suit on stage in their honor. Valerie led the charge to raise money for the American Cancer Society in her lobster costume.
2016… A Celebration of Life for Pati Crooker was held in lieu of a festival. Pati lost her battle with cancer on June 12, 2016. Hundreds gathered together Labor Day Weekend to celebrate her legacy and her spirit.
2017…The Thomas Point Bluegrass Festival made it’s re-entry on the festival scene under it’s original name led by Michael and Jen Mulligan, with assistance from Shari Elder, Jenna Summers and the Thomas Point Beach Festival Family.
2019…The Festival celebrates 40 years of bluegrass music & memories at Thomas Point Beach with a bonus “Maine Night” event, a Mega-Jam and Cake!
2020…The COVID-19 Pandemic caused us to have to cancel the festival, but we were still able to hold a Corona-cation Bluegrass Camping Weekend.
2021… We returned with almost a complete roll over of our highly anticipated 2020 line-up! The festival was honored to be nominated for the IBMA Event of the Year Award.
2022… We expanded our stage to give our performers more space. Folk legend Jonathon Edwards joined the Rock Hearts on stage for a few songs! That was a treat!