Maine’s First Ship announces the first of two Full Moon Dinners for 2023.  The first dinner, on the night of the Sturgeon Moon, Tuesday, Aug. 1, features Chef Mollie Jellison of Long Reach Kitchen & Catering who is planning a contemporary Italian menu with a wine pairing for each course. The evening celebrates fresh local food and will begin at 6 p.m. 

This event is a fundraiser for Maine’s First Ship and will be held at the Bath Freight Shed, 27 Commercial Street in Bath. Space is limited to 60 guests. Tickets are available on the Events page of the MFS website – mfship.org/events -- or by calling the office at 207-443-4242.  Most credit or debit cards and PayPal are accepted. Tickets are $85 per person for dinner including wine flights or $65 for the dinner alone. Water, iced tea, and lemonade will be included, and there will be a cash bar. Ticket sales will close Wednesday, July 26.

Born and raised in Bath, Chef Jellison returned after traveling around the country and working in restaurants in several states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Here she established Long Reach Kitchen and Catering with her father Terry Geaghan at the Bath Golf Club. LRKC specializes in “fresh, seasonal and locally inspired food” making for a perfect fit for a Full Moon Dinner.

Jellison’s menu for this meal highlights her varied experience, especially time as part of the team at Del Porto, one of the premiere Italian inspired restaurants in the greater New Orleans region. Dinner begins with charcuterie of cured Italian meats and cheeses, and house-made focaccia crostini paired with Prosecco and Lambrusco and finishes with Maine Blueberry, Thyme & Lemon Napoleon paired with A. Mano Primitivo, Puglia 2019. A detailed menu is available in the Events section of the Maine’s First Ship website. 

“These dinners are very popular in the community and we are pleased to continue this tradition,” says MFS Co-President and dinner organizer Lori Benson.  ”The evening will bring together community members to enjoy finely crafted local food. Our volunteers serve the meal family style and it’s a pleasure to see people connecting with one another over the course of the evening.”

For Main Street Bath’s Winterfest Jellison instituted the popular Maritime Cocktail Contest as part of the  Maine’s First Ship Baked Bean Supper. The Full Moon Dinner tradition began in the summer of 2013, originally hosted by the Bath Freight Shed Alliance. The reconstruction of Virginia, the pinnace built by the Popham Colony in 1607-1608, will be visible at her dock outside.

Well-known for playing Maine’s traditional nautical music as well as that of the British islands, Castlebay will be the musical guest. Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee have loved and researched traditional music for most of their lives and blend history, legend, and experience into their personable performances. They performed for those involved with the archaeological dig at the Popham site and have been active with Maine’s First Ship for years.

Mission: Maine's First Ship strives to use our reconstruction of the 1607 pinnace Virginia to immerse the public in an exploration of the region's early history, craftsmanship, and relationships, and their impact on our community and environment today.