"We wanted it to feel the same, just in a different place," Gary Pucciarelli, a co-owner of Five-O, said this summer. Five-O had been an Ogunquit staple for 25 years when a fire in March 2025 kept it closed for that whole season. It reopened at 261 Shore Road on June 19, 2026. Its old address didn't sit empty for long. On August 21, Zach Crosby and Donovan Fraser opened Chophouse Grille at 50 Shore Road. Both cooked at Five-O years ago, and they've owned Caffé Prego next door since 2020.
The handoff shows a pattern that runs through this whole fall. A lot of what will look different in Ogunquit next spring is being decided, designed or built while the town is at its quietest. A museum, a harbor footbridge, a Perkins Cove restaurant damaged by fire and a downtown piano bar all fit the pattern. The closing dates at the end of October mark when that work begins.
The Last Week of October Sets the Clock
Several of Ogunquit's best-known places reach the end of their 2026 seasons within about a week of each other.
| Date | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| October 23–25 | OgunquitFest | Downtown and Perkins Cove |
| October 24 | Ogunquit Fire Department open house marking 125 years | 15 School Street |
| October 25 | Barnacle Billy's last day of the season | 70 Perkins Cove Road |
| November 1 | Barnacle Billy's, Etc. last day of the season | 50 Perkins Cove Road |
| November 1 | Final performance of Small Town | Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main Street |
| November 1 | Ogunquit Museum of American Art closes for the season | 543 Shore Road |
The Chamber updated the OgunquitFest schedule on October 2. It includes downtown trick-or-treating, the 18th annual car show, a craft fair, the Perkins Cove costume parade, DogtoberFest and the High Heel Dash. The fire department open house on October 24 marks the department's 125th anniversary.
At the Playhouse, the last show of the season is Small Town, a new musical by John Mellencamp in its world premiere. It runs through November 1. On their website, the Barnacle Billy's restaurants list their 2026 closing dates but no reopening dates.
Why the Museum Is Closing Two Weeks Early
The Ogunquit Museum of American Art had planned to stay open into mid-November. On September 2, it announced it would close on November 1 instead, two weeks earlier than planned, to give itself more of the winter for renovation.
The work centers on the museum's original 1952 building. The architect Charles S. Worley designed it as a home for American art overlooking the Atlantic. The renovation will update climate control, gallery lighting, security and other systems that protect the collection. According to the museum, those upgrades also affect whether it can borrow important works for future exhibitions. The plan builds on a 2024 concept by Kevin Daly Architects and Reed Hildebrand, narrowed down to what the museum needs now.
"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," said Executive Director David Cunningham. The 2026 exhibitions and the three-acre sculpture park stay open through November 1. The museum plans to reopen on April 23, 2027.
For anyone who hasn't seen this year's shows, that leaves four weeks from today. When the doors open again next April, the building will have been updated.
Last Winter Worked the Same Way
The museum's schedule follows a model local restaurants used last winter.
Scott Vogel owns three restaurants and a 16-room inn in Ogunquit and chairs the HospitalityMaine board. Last winter he used the off-season to renovate two of his restaurants and kept the third open. The Front Porch Piano Bar & Restaurant at 9 Shore Road reopened on March 27 after a three-month renovation. The work expanded the kitchen, reconfigured the upstairs bar and seating, and made the building accessible. The outdoor tiki bar was due to be finished in May. Coastal Alchemist at The Trident Inn had its own winter renovation and was set to reopen in March. Meanwhile CREW, his all-day bar and restaurant, stayed open for winter visitors and the town's roughly 1,200 year-round residents.
The longer projects in Perkins Cove are on a slower track, and each is at a different stage:
- The Oarweed. A fire in Perkins Cove in December 2024 severely damaged the restaurant, a cove landmark since 1963. The Ogunquit Planning Board approved rebuilding it on May 11, 2026.
- The Perkins Cove footbridge and Harbormaster House. The town gave early notice in June of a plan to replace both, at 98 Perkins Cove Road. It cited the bridge's poor condition and pedestrian safety. Because the work is in a floodplain, it needs an environmental review. The drawbridge got stuck after a mechanical failure in July and was open to walkers again by July 3. WMTW reported that about $2.75 million in federal and state money has been secured. The project is in final design, and permits and approvals are still needed before construction can begin.
- Smaller moves around the cove. In May, four new tenants were announced at Hutchins Common on Perkins Cove Road: Alchemy Handcrafted Jewelry & Gifts, The Maine Pooch, Fiafia Smoothie Shop & Cafe and Bar Harbor Cheesecake Company. Bobbles & Lace moved from Perkins Cove to 20 Shore Road downtown.
No start date has been announced for the footbridge. Until there is one, how you get around the cove this winter shouldn't change.
Where the Lights Stay On
The rebuilding goes on around a smaller group of places that stay open. CREW has the strongest record. The Press Herald confirmed it stayed open last winter, and its website now lists hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with brunch daily until 1 p.m. A winter guide published in February 2026 also named Clay Hill Farm and MaineStreet Ogunquit as open in the colder months.
- MaineStreet Ogunquit lists hours of 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends.
- Clay Hill Farm advertises winter dining in igloos on its website but doesn't post public winter hours.
- Five-O at 261 Shore Road opens at 4 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Thursday. Its site includes a co-owner's statement that the restaurant works as hard in the off-season as it does in summer.
- Chophouse Grille lists Monday and Thursday dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It hasn't posted a winter schedule.
- The Front Porch lists 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday. The tiki bar is seasonal.
Caffé Prego, at 44 Shore Road, hasn't posted winter hours. Chophouse Grille's first winter is still ahead of it, so its posted hours may change once the season turns.
For shops, the Chamber's "Who's Open" list was last updated on April 29, 2026. It showed Flip's Shoe Shop, Harbor Candy, Kiki's, Liquid Dreams Surf Shop and On The Main open daily, Abacus open Thursday through Monday, and Village Toy Funatic open Thursday through Sunday. The Chamber recommends calling ahead. Those hours were recorded last spring, so the winter schedule may differ.
The Marginal Way in Its Centennial Year
The Marginal Way turned 100 in 2026. In March, Seacoastonline marked the centennial with a report on $1 million in storm repairs and the Preservation Fund's work to protect the path. The Marginal Way Preservation Fund's storm page says the path has reopened to walkers and that an engineering assessment found 31 places needing repair. That page isn't dated, so check it for the latest status before you go. The Fund says the path is open all year but isn't maintained in winter, so expect ice and snow on the colder mornings.
The last fixed date of the year is Christmas by the Sea, December 11 through 13. The Chamber says the 2026 schedule and event map will be released later. Year-round renters and residential property owners can apply for 2026 resident parking passes, which cost $40 for the first pass and $50 for the second.
If your own home is due for some winter work, the timing could match the town's. Great Seacoast Homes can tell you which updates on an Ogunquit property buyers notice most by April. Request a Personalized Home Valuation, and we'll give you a clear figure to plan your winter projects around.
