Welcome to Cumberland
Peace, privacy, and space along the Atlantic coastline
Cumberland is the picture-perfect epitome of New England charm. This rural community is quiet and mostly unbothered, with many homes situated upon large plats of land ensuring peace and privacy for their inhabitants or along the water’s edge on the Foreside. Cumberland is largely surrounded by forests, golf courses, and farmlands, but the area has experienced recent growth, particularly in Cumberland’s sister community of North Yarmouth.
Once part of North Yarmouth, Cumberland was officially incorporated as its own town in 1821. In those days, Cumberland was largely a farming community, and a few of those original farms still remain today. They are popular attractions to visit and pick fresh produce. This rich, agricultural history is celebrated every year at the Cumberland Fair, one of the state’s largest and longest-running fairs. While the area continues to grow, residents still enjoy peace and privacy along Maine’s Atlantic coast.
What to Love
- Cumberland is largely rural and quiet but has seen growth on the northern edge of the community
- Homes are positioned on larger lots allowing for maximum peace and minimal intrusion
- Residents are surrounded by lush, green farms, golf courses, forests, and trails, ensuring there is always some way to spend time in the great outdoors
Local Lifestyle
Life in Cumberland is pleasant, rustic, and peaceful. A prominent farming history is still prevalent today, seen through the several shops and businesses selling handmade goods, such as creameries, candlemakers, orchards, and farms. Adjacent to the vast farmlands, locals can find a variety of outdoor recreational activities. Golf courses, trails, and reserves are abundant. While Cumberland has done a great job with leaving beautiful greenspaces untouched and wild, residents have benefited from the area’s growth near North Yarmouth and the many new businesses which have popped up in recent years.
Dining, Entertainment, and Shopping
Boasting a rural, farming past, restaurants in Cumberland strive to craft hearty fare using only the freshest ingredients from the region. Many other businesses in town also create homemade items of their own for visitors to take home after days spent out and about.
Cumberland Food Company is a cozy roadside stop for coffee, breakfast, and lunch. Sandwiches, breakfast combo plates, and an extensive selection of fresh-baked pastries and coffees have made this a routine stop for locals. Cumberland Food Company also offers a selection of homemade cookies, preserves, and more to take home.
Not far away, the Sunflower Farm Creamery churns out homemade cream cheese, yogurt, feta, and other fresh dairy products. Arguably even more famous than the shopping, are the goats. Every year, Sunflower Farm sells about 30 kid goats while the rest of the herd freely roam the farm and make friends with visitors. You might have seen this farm online where they’ve taken the internet by storm for the “running of the goats” and their baby goats in pajamas!
Other shopping for local produce can be found at the Cumberland Farmers’ Market, held each Saturday from May-October and throughout the holiday season. Sweetser’s Apple Barrel and Orchards are best-known for apple picking, homemade cider, and autumn pumpkin patches, but their market offers an array of goods for every craving. Syrups, jams, popcorn, and honey are popular choices.
For more relaxing days, shopping at Wary Myers for artisan candles is the way to go. Featured in Vogue, Elle, and The New York Times, Wary Myers has been creating hand-crafted candles, soap, and balms for years. More relaxation can be found at Lucinda’s Day Spa, the best place in town for a massage, scrub, and manicure.
Things To Do
By far, locals’ favorite way to spend free time is outdoors. Cumberland is home to several parks, forests, and preserves such as Twin Brook Park for sports games, dog friendly hiking trails, and groomed cross-country trails in winter and Broad Cove Reserve for beach fun and launching kayaks. The Val Halla Golf Course is an 18-hole course, which has been named the best municipal golf course in Maine many times. The Cumberland County Fair is another popular attraction, taking place each fall. Pumpkin and squash-weighing contests, arts and crafts, shopping, and rides have made this a popular New England event since 1868.
Schools
Students from the neighboring town of North Yarmouth attend the Cumberland schools. Some of these highly desired schools are:
- Mabel I Wilson School, prekindergarten-3rd grade; Mabel I Wilson believes in a technology-centered curriculum to help better prepare students for a more modern future
- Greely Middle School, grades 6-8; Greely Middle School is currently rated #1 in the state by US News & World Report
- Greely High School, grades 9-12; Greely High School is also currently rated #1 in the state by US News & World Report
- Friends School of Portland, preschool-8th grade; this independent Quaker day school teaches students in smaller multi-age groups
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