JANE'S WALK ME 2024

Mark Your Calendar for Saturday, May 4th

Maine Preservation is excited to be collaborating with Friends of Congress Square Park, Greater Portland Landmarks, Maine Downtown Center, and Portland Downtown to bring Jane's Walk to communities across Maine. Last year, nearly 40 walks were held in 26 cities and towns, such as:

• A Walk Through Two Wars, in Castine
• Cochrane's Gem of Monmouth: Cumston Hall and its Community
• Create Your Own Museum in the Streets of Stonington
• Engineering, Stormwater Design, and Trails in Our Downtown, in Westbrook
• Exploring the Historic Middle of Middle Road & the Middle of Parsonsfield in the Middle 1800s
• My Queer Portland: A Walk Back in Time to the 1980s & ‘90s
• Of Cows and Crabs: the Evolution of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm
• Walking on Coals: Farmington's Great Fire of 1886
• Wild and Delicious Houlton
• And DOZENS more!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 4, and stay tuned for more news about free walks near you!

LEAD A JANE'S WALK

Free to Participate

Anyone can lead a Jane’s Walk—including YOU! Whether you are affiliated with an organization or an impassioned individual, Jane’s Walk is an opportunity to share your knowledge and experience with your community. Deadline for submission is March 31.

Ellsworth, ME.

 Portland, ME.

CELEBRATING PLACE

What is Jane's Walk and Who Was Jane Jacobs?

Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May, in more than 200 cities and towns around the globe. 

Jane Jacobs was a community activist and writer who lived from 1916-2006. She is best known for galvanizing her neighbors to stop a highway from being built through their community. She believed in the power of individuals to influence the places they live. Today, her principles represent the participatory planning approaches that have been embraced in communities around the world.

SUPPORTING WALK LEADERS

New Resources to Expand Jane's Walk ME

The 2024 festival in Maine is supported by Sappi North America as part of its Ideas That Matter program and will incorporate the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Working with designer Willy Wong, coordinating partners have expanded Jane’s Walk Maine by creating a core festival identity and platform, designing a new organizer outreach campaign, a walk leader training toolkit, as well as marketing and promotional efforts to support the festival—all towards the goal of engaging more Mainers in this annual tradition and empowering them toward social impact.