Session One: Saturday, June 22, 2024 • Registration: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Session Two: Saturday, July 13, 2024 • Registration: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Please check in at Osher Hall, #77 on this map. GPS address is 30 South Street, Brunswick, ME 04011.

Session One: Saturday, July 13, 2024 by 10:00 AM
Session Two: Saturday, August 3, 2024 by 10:00 AM

• Car: Direct your GPS to 30 South Street (Check In), Brunswick, Maine 04011.
• Bus: Two bus services drop off in Brunswick: Concord Trailways and Greyhound. The Bowdoin Campus is within walking distance of the bus stop. Alternatively, you could take the bus to Portland and then connect to Brunswick via taxi or the Metro Breez.
• Train: The Amtrak Downeaster has service from Boston’s North Station to Brunswick.
• Plane: The Portland International Jetport, PWM, is the closest airport to Brunswick. Participants can also fly to Boston’s’ Logan Airport, BOS, or Manchester, New Hampshire, MHT.
• Airport Shuttle: The Festival offers van shuttles to and from the Portland International Jetport. Spots are limited — please reserve a spot here.
  • Airport pick up times will be 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM on 6/22 and 7/13
  • Airport departure times will be 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM, and 10:00 AM on 7/13 and 8/3
• Accommodations: If a parent is accompanying the student to Brunswick, we recommend staying at OneSixtyFive: The Inn on Park Row, the official Inn of the Festival, or The Brunswick Hotel. Both are within walking distance of the Bowdoin College campus.

Festival participants are responsible for travel arrangements to and from the Festival.

You may bring musical instruments as carry-on or as checked baggage. To help passengers who are traveling with instruments, the TSA has partnered with musical organizations around the country to understand the challenges of transporting musical instruments, and recommend the following:

1. Check with your airline prior to your flight to ensure that your instrument meets the size requirements for their aircraft.

2. Pack brass instruments in your checked baggage.

3. Bring string instruments, within carrier size limitations, as carry-on items.

Visa Info

You may be eligible to travel without a visa. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.

If you are not eligible to travel without a visa, you will need to apply for a visa. Accepted participants are able to attend the Festival under a B-2 tourism visa. For documentation and verification of this program status, please contact the Festival and we will provide you with a letter explaining our classification as a “festival” as opposed to a “school” (you may need this letter for your visa application). It is important to establish that you are here for a temporary stay and show evidence that you will return to your home country. You should have no trouble if you bring the following documents with you:

• Bowdoin Program Status letter (mentioned above – please contact the Festival to receive a copy of this letter).
• A copy of your acceptance letter.
• A copy of your Participation Agreement forms and final invoice.
• Evidence of continuing ties to your home country. This may include school records that indicate your status as a continuing student, a letter from an employer, or a letter from your parents indicating that they expect you to return at a particular time or for a specific purpose.
• Evidence of overseas residence – school correspondence, rental agreement, canceled mail with your current address on it.
• Evidence of sufficient funds and/or financial support to travel to and remain temporarily in the U.S. – bank records or a letter from your school or family that states their support for your trip.
• A round-trip ticket.

If you are not a U.S. citizen but are traveling to the Festival from within the U.S., you may need to have your current visa updated. Please confirm with whoever is supporting your visa.