The Ogunquit Museum of American Art will close for the 2026 season on Sunday, November 1. That is two weeks earlier than it had planned. The Ogunquit Playhouse ends its run of Small Town on the same day. OgunquitFest fills the weekend before, October 23 through 25. The museum's fall used to run into mid-November. Now the town's whole arts calendar has to fit into the 25 days between today, October 7, and that Sunday.
The museum's change is what pulls everything together, so it comes first.
Why the museum gave back two weeks
OMAA announced the earlier closing on September 2. It said the extra winter time is for "a measured renovation and modernization" of its existing building. The work centers on the original 1952 building. Architect Charles S. Worley designed it as a purpose-built home for American art overlooking the Atlantic. The planned upgrades cover climate stabilization, gallery lighting, security and other systems that protect the collection. They also affect the museum's ability to secure loans for future exhibitions.
This is the next step in a longer plan. In 2024, Kevin Daly Architects and Reed Hildebrand produced a concept plan for renovating the museum. OMAA has since chosen which of its current needs to tackle first. Executive Director David Cunningham tied the timing to an anniversary that is still two seasons off:
"As we approach our 75th anniversary in 2028, we have an opportunity to preserve what is distinctive about OMAA while preparing the Museum for the future."
The museum plans to reopen on April 23, 2027. Until then, the building and its three-acre sculpture park are closed to visitors.
Three exhibitions, and one lost more than the others
The museum's 2026 exhibition announcement still lists November 15 end dates for all three current shows. That page was published last November, before the renovation schedule changed. November 1 is now the last day to see any of them.
The cut doesn't hit each show equally. American Conversations and Maggie Strater: In Her Own Light both opened April 10, so they keep most of their planned seven months. Carl Sprinchorn: All the World is a Painting opened August 6, which makes it the season's latest arrival. Its run drops from about 14 weeks to about 12. For anyone who meant to wait for the quiet weeks after Columbus Day to see it, those weeks are now the last ones.
Here's what is still on view:
- Carl Sprinchorn: All the World is a Painting is a show devoted to Sprinchorn's work.
- American Conversations is drawn from the collection and pairs works by Marsden Hartley, Lois Dodd, Philip Guston, Alexander Calder, Jack Whitten, Rasheed Johnson and Stephen Hopkins Hensel.
- Maggie Strater: In Her Own Light focuses on the artist Maggie Strater, born Margaret Conner. The museum itself was founded by a group of artists and supporters led by Henry Strater, who lived from 1896 to 1987, so this show sits close to the institution's own history.
The last scheduled program before closing is the Arts Learning Exchange for Maine Educators on Wednesday, October 28, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. It is open to Maine arts educators, including classroom teachers, working artists and museum educators.
The Playhouse ends its season on the same Sunday
Small Town would draw attention in any month. The Playhouse bills it as a world-premiere John Mellencamp musical. It is set in the 1980s and tells a story of family and community through 23 of his songs, including "Small Town," "Hurts So Good," "Cherry Bomb," "Pink Houses," "Paper in Fire" and "Jack & Diane." In January, the Portland Press Herald reported the premiere as part of the Playhouse's 94th season.
The schedule matters more than usual this year. Matinees are at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Evening shows are at 8:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Sundays have no evening performance, so the 2:00 p.m. matinee on November 1 is the last performance of the run. The show runs 2 hours and 40 minutes and is rated PG-13, with bright lights and loud noises.
The one extra on the calendar is a cast talkback after the 2:00 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, October 14. A midweek afternoon in mid-October is also probably the easiest time to get to 10 Main St. before the festival and closing weekends arrive.
OgunquitFest lands one weekend before closing
The 23rd annual OgunquitFest runs October 23 through 25. The Chamber sets it by a fixed rule: the second weekend after Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend. In 2026, that rule puts the festival exactly one weekend before the museum and Playhouse close. The festival's Saturday and the final museum Saturday are seven days apart.
These times come from the Chamber's schedule, updated October 6.
| Day | Event | Where | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 23 | Downtown trick-or-treating | Downtown Ogunquit | 5–7 p.m. | |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Spooktacular Fun in Perkins Cove parade | Perkins Cove | 10:30 a.m. | Trick-or-treating at participating Cove businesses follows |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 18th Annual Classic Car Show | Main Beach | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Weather permitting; $20 registration at the gate, free for spectators |
| Sat, Oct 24 | DogtoberFest Costume Parade | Main Beach | 2 p.m. | Registration 1:15 p.m., judging 2:15 p.m., rain date Oct 25 |
| Sat–Sun, Oct 24–25 | OgunquitFest Artisan Craft Fair | Dorothea Jacobs Grant Common and the Dunaway Center | Sat 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | 50+ local crafters |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Frannie Peabody High Heel Dash | Perkins Cove | 3 p.m. | Registration 2:30 p.m.; heels at least 2 inches; $20 adults, $10 children under 12, who run without heels |
An older listing for the craft fair shows Saturday hours ending at 5 p.m. It dates from August 2025. The Chamber's October schedule gives 4 p.m., so use the later time.
The festival's Saturday is spread out but stays on foot. It starts at the Cove in the morning and moves to Main Beach by midday, with the craft fair in between. A Playhouse matinee at 2 p.m. overlaps the DogtoberFest parade. An 8 p.m. show leaves the whole festival day open.
Dinner on Shore Road, with two new entries
Shore Road has changed since last fall. Five-O has been an Ogunquit restaurant for 25 years. A fire in March 2025 kept it closed for that entire season. It reopened June 19 at its new home, 261 Shore Road. Co-owner Gary Pucciarelli described the goal simply: "We wanted it to feel the same, just in a different place."
Five-O's old space at 50 Shore Road has a new tenant. Portland Food Map reported in late August that Chophouse Grille had opened there. So anyone heading to a show at 10 Main St. this fall has two Shore Road addresses on the list that weren't on it a year ago.
Neither restaurant has a confirmed late-season schedule in anything published so far. The Chamber's town-wide "who's open" list was last updated April 29 and notes that hours can change. Call before you count on a table, especially once November starts.
The closing weekend, in order
Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1 are the last two days for both institutions. On Saturday, the Playhouse has two shows. On Sunday, it has only the matinee. Here's one way to cover everything that ends that weekend:
- Saturday, Oct 31: See the museum's three exhibitions and the sculpture park while they are still open.
- Saturday evening: Catch the 8:00 p.m. Small Town, the last evening performance of the run, or simply dinner on Shore Road.
- Sunday, Nov 1: Go to the 2:00 p.m. Small Town matinee, the final performance. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, it lets out in the late afternoon.
- Sunday, Nov 1: This is the museum's last open day until April 23, 2027.
After that, the Chamber lists one more big date this year. The 40th annual Christmas by the Sea runs December 11 through 13. Its 2026 schedule and map haven't been released yet.
Changes like OMAA's renovation shape a town's calendar over years, not just this season. The museum's work on its 1952 building is groundwork for the 2028 anniversary and for the exhibitions it hopes to borrow after that. Brick & Barn Real Estate follows this side of the Seacoast closely. If you want to talk about how Ogunquit's seasons, from OgunquitFest to the quiet months before April, fit the way you live here or the way you plan to, Contact Us.