Putting the Free in Freeport

Free food. Free parking. Free activities. Free concert. All in Freeport, Maine. Really. No strings attached.

This weekend, L.L. Bean hosts a double header, and both events are free. Saturday and Sunday is the 27th annual Paddle Sports Festival, which takes place at the store's Lower Flying Point Paddling Center. Park at the downtown store, then hop a free shuttle to the site.

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., events include test-paddling kayaks and canoes, taking part in a GPS Techno Treasure Hunt (age limits), and kids craft sessions. Chow down at the--yes, free--oceanside cookout until 3 p.m., and listen to live bluegrass music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?). Also available for a $29 fee (reservations recommended) are 90-minute kayak tours for ages 10 and older.

In the evening, the action switches to Bean's Discovery Park, downtown, for a free concert by the swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Bring a blanket or chairs, and prepare to snag a prime spot early.