I used to think the Prom was the move for sunset. Everybody does. You walk the loop, find a bench, or plop on the grass and wait for it.

And it’s beautiful.

It’s just facing the wrong way.

The Prom is a sunrise spot. For sunset, I think there’s a better, lesser-known spot. You just have to turn around and go uphill.

At the very top of Munjoy Hill, tucked off North Street, there’s a little grassy park that most people walk right past. A slope of grass, a few benches, a railing. It’s tucked just far enough away from the busier parts of the East End that it still feels a little hidden.

But once you’re up there, the whole city opens up. City Hall, the Cathedral, Back Cove, the highway running through the middle of it. On a clear night, Mt. Washington shows up way out in the distance, a hundred miles off, just a faint shadow on the horizon.

The park is officially called Fort Sumner Park. The city turned it into a park back in 1934, but the name goes back much further than that. There used to be a fort up here, the first federal fort in Maine, built in 1794 to keep an eye on Back Cove.

Nothing’s left of it now. No walls, no cannons, nothing. Just grass.

The name gets even more confusing because some people still call it Standpipe Park. That took me a while to figure out too. Turns out there was a huge water tower up here once, built in 1903 to fix Munjoy Hill’s terrible water pressure. They tore it down around 1970, but the name stuck around.

So the park has two names, and both point to something that isn’t there anymore.

That’s the little history rabbit hole. The real reason to go is the view.

Pick a clear night, get there twenty minutes before sunset, and just sit there for a while. Bring a coffee. Bring dinner. Bring someone you like. Or go alone and do absolutely nothing while the city changes color in front of you.

I keep going back because it still feels like a secret, even though it’s been there the whole time. Same hill, same benches, same sun dropping behind the same city.

The fort is gone. The standpipe is gone.

The sunset’s still there.

You hear Pride before you see it.

I live up the hill, and every year the first thing that reaches me isn’t the floats or the music. It’s the noise. Thousands of people cheering at once somewhere down on Congress Street.

The parade is Saturday, June 20th, and starts in Monument Square at 11:30 a.m. From there, it makes its way up Congress, down High Street, over Park Avenue, and eventually ends in Deering Oaks.

That route is part of what makes it feel so good. It doesn’t happen off to the side or tucked into one little corner. It cuts right through the middle of the city.

I’ve always loved how much of Portland it takes over. One minute you’re standing on the same sidewalk you use to grab coffee or walk to work, and the next there’s a motorcycle brigade, drag queens, families, kids on shoulders, dogs in rainbow bandanas, and what feels like half of Portland walking right through the middle of it.

And honestly, the participant list kind of proves it. Dykes on Bikes, the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus, Maine Roller Derby, Portland Public Library, Hearts of Pine, the Sea Dogs, breweries, churches, schools, nonprofits, bars, banks, artists, and a bunch of local groups that somehow make the whole thing feel even more Portland.

Pride is one of those days where the city lets it out. It’s loud, happy, completely packed, and easily one of the best events we have all year.

The thing that surprised me is that this is Maine’s largest Pride Parade and Festival, and the whole thing is volunteer-run. That makes me like it even more. It’s not some giant machine dropped into the city for a day. It’s people here doing the work to make the city feel like this.

If you’re planning to go, get there early. Congress Street closes, parking disappears fast, and Metro is actually making all routes free for the day.

After the parade, everyone heads into Deering Oaks for the festival, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. Food trucks, music, vendors, a beer garden, and thousands of people spread across the park. The food truck list includes Bard Coffee, Falafel Mafia, Gelato Fiasco, Vy Banh Mi, and Fred’s Fried Dough, so there are plenty of good options. Just know the food lines get very real once the parade ends. If you’re not a line person, grab something before the whole crowd pours into the park.

I’m in Deering Oaks all the time. Most days, it’s people walking dogs, playing tennis, reading on benches, and avoiding the geese. Pride is one of the few days every year when it feels like the entire city ends up there together.

If you’ve never gone, this is a good year to change that. Follow the noise downhill.

🐶 Arwen – 2 yrs
A gentle, affectionate dog who starts out a little shy but quickly becomes a loyal shadow. Loves quiet companionship and would be happiest tagging along through everyday life with her person.

🐶 Louise – 5 yrs
A sweet, kind-hearted dog who blossoms with a little patience and understanding. Takes time to warm up, but once she does, she's a loyal companion through and through.

🐱 Bellatrix – 9 yrs
A clever, affectionate cat who loves laps, window watching, and being close to her people. A little shy at first, but once she settles in, she quickly makes herself at home.

If the link doesn’t open anymore, it means they’ve already been adopted!

The Gummy Bear Monologues @ The Apohadion Theater | 7 pm | 🎟️ $16

Good Vibes Wednesdays @ Thompson's Point | 5 pm | Free

Sick of Swiping: A Marquis Meet Cute @ Marquis Lounge | 6 pm | 🎟️ $20

Knit on the Prom @ Eastern Prom | 6:30 pm | Free

Work It Wednesday @ Geno’s | 8 pm | 🎟️ $5

The Breeders @ State Theatre | 7 pm | 🎟️ $50

Laugh Shack @ Lincoln’s | 8:30 pm | 🎟️ $10

Smells Like Nirvana @ Portland House of Music | 8 pm | 🎟️ $20

Summer Sunsets Live @ Thompson’s Point | 5 pm | Free

World Cup Watch Party @ Monument Square | 3 pm & 7 pm | Free

Joe Russo's Almost Dead @ Thompson's Point | 7 pm (doors 5:30) | 🎟️ $50

Rhett Miller @ One Longfellow Square | 8 pm | 🎟️ $25

Ratboys @ SPACE | 9 pm (doors 8:30) | 🎟️ $22

Bit Brigade: Mega Man X @ Portland House of Music | 8 pm | 🎟️ $20

Fetch Tiger + Milk St. @ Bayside Bowl | 8 pm | 🎟️ $15

Rainbow Connection @ Supper Club | 9 pm | 🎟️ $10

Show and Teal @ The Hideaway at East Ender | 8:30 pm | Free

Farmers Market @ Deering Oaks Park | 7 am | Free

Portland Pride Parade @ All over Portland | 11:30 am | Free

Beats and Brews @ Coffee by Design | 10 am | Free

Kiss Kiss Pride @ DTL | 8 pm | 🎟️ $15

An Evening with Wilco @ Thompson’s Point | 6 pm | 🎟️ $62

Until next week,
— Jake Newman