Arcadia National Bar’s Sign in Portland, Maine is Humorously Self Congratulatory

Arcadia National Bar, the amazing arcade bar that opened in Portland in 2014, hasn't been open to the public since March of 2020, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They've managed to stay afloat through it all with an SBA loan, two PPP loans. They moved from the former space on Preble Street to a much larger venue on Congress Street in the former Port City Music Hall with the help of over $56,000 raised with a GoFundMe campaign.

Work continues in the new, much larger space and they have begun the process of hiring staff with hopes of hiring within the next few months.

While construction has been going on in the new space, Arcadia has taken advantage of the digital marquee over the door that used to display dates and times for upcoming shows at Port City Music Hall. Not for any major announcements on opening yet, but messages that if you know the people at Arcadia, can only be their brand of humor.

The latest message on the marquee appears to be a response to the best of 2021 awards from PortlandOldPort.com. It's a best-of list for all of the Portland area, a yearly tradition that began with the former Casco Bay Weekly and Portland Phoneix newspapers. Readers submit their nominations for a gazillion different categories and bragging rights go to the ones that get the most votes.

Arcadia was not a winner for the 2021 Best of the Old Port, but they did win in a category not part of the list by default.

The competition was non-existent, so Arcadia wins.

Look out 2022. Arcadia National Bar is coming back, bigger and better than ever!