The Sacred and Profane on Peaks
Fall on the island is pretty spectacular. For some reason everything seems a bit more dramatic. The tides are high – the sunrises epic. The trees are on fire with color. Peak peeper season is here. The smell of campfires wafts along the Backshore, with residents and visitors alike trying to eek out the last bits of outdoor time before the big freeze.
It’s around this time every year that the island hosts the Sacred and Profane. This event, shrouded in mystery and intrigue, takes place at Battery Steele, an old WWII installation just a spit away from our house. It’s an irreverent gathering of Portland’s freaks and geeks, artists and illusionists. They take over the Battery and fill it with installations meant to haunt and inspire. I liken it to Burning Man meets arthaus meets classy haunted hayride. It draws lots of Maine College of Art (MECA) students and off-islanders, who build elaborate experiences and art installations deep inside the Battery.
It’s a Secret Event on an Island
The Sacred and Profane isn’t boastful about its attractions. Word of the event tends to travel via whisper rather than press release. And that’s part of the charm. Last year, when looking for more information, I experienced firsthand how hard it was to get a straight answer about the event. People are cagey about the details, almost like a secret society at Harvard or Yale. But after several unanswered inquiries and coy responses on NextDoor, I was able to pin down a date. We brought Quinn – who managed to hold his own as he walked hand-in-hand along the candle-lit interior tunnels of the old fort. While he avoided the dank interior antechambers filled with scenes straight out of Eyes Wide Shut, he loved the musicians (appropriately dressed in hazmat suits and gas masks) at the entrance to the fort.
See You Next Year
Due to COVID, the Sacred and Profane isn’t happening this year. It’s just another one of the island traditions (justifiably!) put on hold because of the pandemic. I’m holding out hope that by next year we can return to the Battery – and celebrate this weird, wacky place called Peaks Island.