Saturday, Aug. 30 is International Play Music on the Porch Day, and the Skidompha Strummers, the ukulele ensemble of Skidompha Public Library, will mark the day with a public concert under the portico at the library’s front door. 

Their program will begin at 10:30 a.m. It’s free and open to all, and will include a variety of familiar popular songs. The library is located at 184 Main St. in downtown Damariscotta.

Cordula Mathias, administrator of the Bettinson Art and Literary Trust, will present a PowerPoint presentation slide show with information about the genesis of the Brenda Bettinson Ravensbrück Series at Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, 4 Oak St. in Boothbay Harbor on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m. The talk will take approximately 45 minutes with time for a Q & A portion afterwards.

Join author and poet Maggie Dewane for a nature-inspired poetry workshop and reading from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Community Room at the Rockland Public Library at 80 Union St. on Friday, Aug. 29.

David’s new show “Reengaged” marks his return to fulltime painting after after two years (one as president) working with the 50-year-old nonprofit, Union of Maine Visual Artists. During that commitment, which ended in October 2024, there was simply no time to paint. But he’s back with a few new pieces, and newly completed re-worked paintings.

As is the case with all of David’s work, really, his paintings are provocative, colorful, and, in most cases (for me, anyway) – mesmerizing. Let’s dig into just four, OK, six, of the ​​20 paintings in this show running through Aug. 31.

Coastal Senior College, serving Lincoln and Knox counties, is accepting registrations for its fall courses. Classes will begin in mid-September. Two art classes will be offered this fall term, one in person and one on Zoom. 

“I Can’t Even Draw a Stick Figure!” will be offered in person at St. Andrew’s Church in Newcastle on Tuesdays from Sept. 16 to Nov. 4, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., led by instructor Susan Morley. There will be one skip date on Oct. 7.

The Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset opens its last exhibit of the season on Thursday, Aug. 28 includes works by Jim Farnam of East Boothbay and John Butke of Boothbay. “Made in Maine,” which runs through Oct. 18, is the annual members’ show of works in painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture, photography and assemblage.

An opening reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. coincides with Wiscasset’s Art Walk. Refreshments will be served, with music by singer/songwriter Jud Caswell. Regular gallery hours are Thursday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The 6th annual Maine Book Festival (formerly the Maine Authors Book Festival) will be held Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Thomaston Public Library, and is sponsored by Maine Authors Publishing. The “Maine Woods & Water” theme will focus on celebrating the natural beauty and outdoor heritage of Maine.

There’s a slice of middle-earth in East Boothbay. It's a favorite of onlookers who wander down King Philips Trail, stopping their cars to take pictures of the armor-plated home rising from the greenery.  

Saturday, Aug. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m., Brady’s will host Maine’s own blue-collar author, Jerry Farnham, as he launches his third book of the "Red At Night" series, "First Light." All are welcome to attend.

"First Light" is the prequel of the series with the backstories of main characters, native Mainer Jack Finn and PFA (person from away), Hollywood actress Melissa Andrews.

Craig Ferguson will be performing in his only Maine appearance on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. at The Waldo Theatre. Ferguson is a multiple Grammy nominated, Peabody, and Emmy Award-winning actor, writer, producer, director and comedian with a diverse career that encompasses film, television and the stage. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has recorded numerous standup specials for Netflix, Epix, Comedy Central and Amazon.

Approaching Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor you are greeted by lush, colorful gardens, statuary, and stone benches. Paintings of all media blend with sculpture in an atmosphere that is at once modern and classical. Exhibit rooms are open with a fresh look that lead visitors through the 19th – 21st centuries. Through style and composition the artists represented stimulate the senses, entreating a visitor’s psyche and imagination to travel through time.

Saturday, Aug. 30 the Opera House celebrates Labor Day weekend with the seasoned musicians who collaborated with Gordon Lightfoot on his world-famous recordings and toured extensively with him here in North America and internationally for many decades. The Lightfoot Band is touring this year celebrating the music of their bandmate, Gordon Lightfoot.

Veggies to Table is pleased to announce an upcoming Mushroom Walk and Foraging Workshop with renowned mushroom author and educator Greg Marley on Sunday, Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Veggies to Table farm in Newcastle.

Summer days fly by all too quickly, and the exhibit of works by Joseph Fiore (1925-2008), a significant painter of the Maine landscape will end on Aug. 24. Also coming to a close on that day is a sale of plein air paintings by Maine artists who created their art during the month-long “Paint it! Maine” event that began in early July.

Since the Boothbay Region Historical Society’s mission is to promote interest in the history of the Boothbay region, the upcoming evening on Sept. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Leach House on Sawyers Island will allow attendees a rare chance to step back in time.

In searching through the files at the Museum, I came across a Feb. 8, 1920 article from the Portland Sunday Telegram titled "OLDEST HOUSE NOW STANDING IN THE STATE."

Juggling, unicycling, balance acts! Welcome to the world of Maine Youth Circus, performing during Wiscasset Art Walk on Thursday, Aug. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m., on the sidewalks of Wiscasset Village.

The next Ocean on Tap is Thursday, Aug. 21 starting at 6 p.m. at Footbridge Brewery, 25 Granary Way in Boothbay Harbor. Science writer Leah Campbell of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences will be sharing about what causes — and how to prepare for — tsunamis, rogues, and other massive waves! Join us for a thrilling conversation!

Ocean on Tap is an informal, ocean-centric speaker series organized by researchers from Bigelow Laboratory and hosted by Footbridge Brewery.

Coastal Senior College (CSC), serving lifelong learners in midcoastal Maine from Wiscasset to Camden, opens registration for its 16 fall courses set to begin the week of Sept. 15.

Sylvan Gallery is pleased to present new works by Neal Hughes and Crista Pisano, on view from Aug. 19 through Sept. 28. Both artists are celebrated for their plein air mastery, and together they offer contrasting yet complementary visions of the landscape - from expansive coastal views to intimate studies of light and atmosphere. Whether in Hughes’s richly rendered harbors or Pisano’s award-winning nocturnes, each painting invites the viewer into a distinct moment in time.