VILLAGE SAUNA VOLUME 1
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO
Thanks to the creativity of Lara Solomon and the kindness of her enthusiastic landlords Carmel & David, we brought our sauna to a hospitable driveway in Higgins Beach on Sunday. The warm late-September day was perfect for hosting 30 friends and sauna lovers (and curious neighbors!) who’ve been unbelievably encouraging of Village Sauna. Pleased to say the seats of our sauna have now officially been christened by the ocean!
And if you haven’t met Lara, check out the impressive work she’s doing to remove plastic from diagnostic tests!
WHAT’S UP NEXT
This Sunday after the Maine Marathon, we’ll have our first hours of operation at Bug Light Park. It’s our second time running in a four-person team relay at the marathon, and this year we’re psyched to offer post-run sauna sessions.
We hope you book a seat to join us at Bug Light Park Sunday afternoon — whether you’re a runner or just looking to sauna with a beautiful view!
FALL & WINTER PLANS COMING SOON
We’re steadily working toward announcing a long-term location to operate throughout the winter. More details to come!
For all the latest announcements, follow us on Instagram.
AND HOW EXACTLY DID WE GET HERE?
Lake Michigan | Dec 2024
We had a bit of an eye-opening experience at the end of last year while visiting family for the holidays in the Chicago suburbs. Our sister and brother-in-law booked us a time slot at a mobile sauna on Lake Michigan, and during that hour we discovered just how amazing it is to have sauna access right on the water. The socializing, the mind-over-matter exercise of jumping into 36º waters, and the comfort of sidling up to happy strangers in the sauna as lake water and sweat drop off you — we were quickly hooked on all of it. And knowing that Maine’s most beloved mobile saunas don’t operate in the Portland area, we couldn’t ignore the push we felt to build this amenity in our area.
Shortly after that, we decided to commit to building a community-oriented mobile sauna business. We found a sauna builder, constructed some of the interior ourselves, built a brand (with a logo designed by the infinitely talented and patient Lark at Seabird Studio), registered an LLC, trialed a few booking softwares, and have had many conversations with nearby small business owners about long-term sauna operation plans.
Portland Press Herald Article | Aug 2025
Early on, we worked with the city of South Portland to make sure we could properly operate in our city, and they have since passed an ordinance that lays out a clear path for non-food mobile vending businesses like ours to operate (which was a big win!) John was quoted in a Portland Press Herald article about the ordinance, and in the article we were jointly referred to as the “Hardieses” — which was a stark reminder of the clunkiness of pluralized last names that end in “s.” You win some, you lose some!
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SAUNA
We love hearing all the positive ways sauna has impacted the bodies, minds and souls of our guests! From improved biomarkers like heart rate variability tracked on fitness watches to reports of deep, whole-body relaxation, we're thrilled to offer a service that helps people feel their best. One quote stuck out to us this week:
“Fully hooked on Sauna Sundays, it’s amazing how big the impact is on relaxation and mental clarity heading into the week!”
-Denny
More sauna to come! Thanks for reading.
And if you know someone who’d enjoy learning about our business, please send them here.
Until next time,
Kylie & John Hardies
A Note From Us
If you’re receiving this email, it’s because you’ve shown love and support for our business — whether through kind words or guidance, telling friends about us, or making a helpful introduction. We named this business Village Sauna for a reason, and we’re so appreciative of the enthusiasm of the people in our corner — so thank you for cheering us on as we get this thing going!
