Hundreds of Portland-area creatives drove out to Broadturn Farm in Scarborough the third weekend of August for a two-night Space Gallery event called Feastland 2025.
“I’m just drinking in the beauty, a colonnade of flowers welcoming us,” said Gabe Morte of Portland. “And what a cool collection of people.”
Indie singer-songwriter Lady Lamb — Aly Spaltro, who grew up in Brunswick — played Aug. 23 as the sun set over the flower farm, with dragonflies, barn swallows and bats adding to the ambience.
“It was magical,” said Andrew Cooke of Kennebunk.
The next night was a feast for the senses — soundscapes by DJ Red Tide, oysters by Lady Shuckers, grilled dinners by Goodfire Brewing and fresh flowers everywhere.
As guests explored the property, there was creativity around every corner: Raquel P. Miller’s fabric paintings hung outside the barn, Jodi Ferry’s installation in the greenhouse, pre-ordered bouquets in the farm stand and a pop-up performance by Tristan Koepke and Emilia Bruno of Big Boy Dance on the lawn. Heather Flor Cron of Portland Food Co-Op led a creative activity to get people thinking about seeds and regeneration, Rabelais invited guests to contribute to a Feastland community cookbook and Troy Bennett captured the old-timey feel of the evening in tin-type portraits.
Feastland originated in 2012, when Space and Broadturn joined forces for an arts-and-food celebration on the farm. But that was a one-off until last summer, when Broadturn Farm had a weekend without no wedding booked and invited Space to bring Feastland back.
The 2024 farm dinner with a side of the arts drew 250 guests and, according to Communications Manager Nick Schroeder, had “low-key country fair vibes.”
How could they top that in 2025? By adding an intimate concert featuring Lady Lamb, who told fans that she’d spent the summer writing lyrics while working on a farm.
Connections between agriculture and artistry abound when it comes to Feastland. At the recent party, a small group of guests walked across the street for an heirloom tomato seed-saving workshop led by Addison Wagner, an artist known for hyper-realistic sketches of oysters and lobster.
In a September 2024 wedding at Broadturn Farm, Wagner married Anastasia Inciardi, whose food-focused prints are found in vending machines. The newlyweds leased 3 acres from Broadturn Farm this year to start a vegetable farm and offer a CSA. For this first season, each vegetable pickup came with a piece of art.
Have you guessed the name of their farm?
Feastland.
After 14 years, Amy Paradysz has left Maine and moved out of state (at least for now). This is her last column. The Scene & Heard column will go on hiatus while we decide on next steps. In the meantime, you can reach Amy at [email protected].