Say Hello to Blue Sky Bakery

Blue Sky Bakery
339 Water Street, Gardiner, ME

"Say Hello" is a series of posts on the ArtWalk Gardiner blog where we meet local businesses who support the ArtWalk by providing a venue for artists to display their work and greet the public. In our fourth installment, we talk with Ann Marie Mullen (aka "Sunny"), owner of Blue Sky Bakery.

Store's address & hours:
Blue Sky Bakery is located at 339 Water Street in Gardiner, just across from the post office. The building, constructed in 1864, is part of Gardiner's historic district.  A bakery has been on this site since 1922! Blue Sky Bakery's hours are as follows: open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7AM to Noon; Thursdays and Fridays from 6AM to 5 PM; Saturdays, 7 AM to 4 PM.   Blue Sky Bakery is always open for special Downtown events, including the Art Walks.   Days and hours are different during Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years weeks.

Yummy meringue cookies!

Tell us about your business:
Owned by a mother-daughter team for nearly six years , Blue Sky Bakery features over 100 different varieties of baked goods, from the most basic to the most elegant, available by pre-order or by chance. "So many choices!"   The Daughter half of the team is Kari Mullen-McLaughlin, a graduate of the culinary and business programs at Johnson and Wales University in Providence. Kari does all of the preparation and baking on-site, and also is the one who creates those award-winning show windows.   Ann Marie Mullen, whose apron reads Sunny, is a retired educator who is responsible for the front of the house.  She serves as a member of the Promotions Committee for the Gardiner Main Street program.

Sunny always welcomes you with a smile!
photo credit: Nancy McGinnis

How long have you been participating as a venue for ArtWalk Gardiner?  
Blue Sky has been a part of the Gardiner Art Walk scene since 2006.  It's a perfect collaboration of artists and downtown businesses.  On December 2, we will once again be hosting Paula Collier of Funky Designs.

What do you enjoy most about being a part of ArtWalk Gardiner?
I enjoy feeling a part of a very alive Downtown on these special Art Walk Friday nights.  The evening supports art and artists, as well as being an exciting social event for Gardiner.  We join others in appreciating the artists who cooperate in organizing, promoting, and implementing this successful series of events.

Favorite memory or stand-out moment of an ArtWalk Gardiner event at your store:
Such fun it was when we were seranaded by the wandering minstrel on some of these evenings!    But best of all has been the presence of artist Paula Collier, whose strength is in creating hands-on art, perfect for wearing or displaying, or giving as gifts.  And we all have such great fun!

Anything else that you'd like to share:
Welcome, everyone, to the Art Walk, Friday, December 2, from 5:30-9PM in Downtown Gardiner.  Please include us on your walkabout.  We'll have a cup of Carrabassett Coffee waiting for you -- and a chance to enjoy all of the art at Blue Sky Bakery.

Say hello!