On Tuesday, Sept. 8, festive season fans can start to purchase tickets and plan their fall and winter activities, starting with Maine’s favorite: Gardens Aglow. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens invites guests to “Gather, Glow, and Celebrate” with this year’s “Gathered in Maine” theme.

The Waldo thinks you won’t be able to help falling in love with Dan Fontaine and the Memphis Sun Mafia’s tribute to Elvis: Viva Las Elvis on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. Dan and his award-winning band will be singing all the hits of "The King!" 

About the bluegrass band Chicken Wire Empire, a reviewer said, "These musicians must enjoy what they do because their joy translates through their instruments." Hailing from Wisconsin, the band has partnered with dozens of artists from all corners of the bluegrass genre, from Sam Bush and Peter Rowan to Vince Herman and Keller Williams. Their forthcoming album features guest appearances from Grammy-winning artists Jerry Douglas and Kyle Tuttle.

Sick of Swiping (SOS) is a Maine-based series of offline dating events designed to help people get off of dating apps and into real-life connections at some favorite local spots. There's an upcoming SOS event at Coastal Prime in Boothbay Harbor Saturday, Sept. 12 from 2 to 5 p.m. SOS hopes to provide a fun afternoon for singles in the Midcoast.

On Saturday, Sept. 12 Heartwood Regional Theater Company will hold low key auditions at the Poe Theater, 81 Academy Hill Road, Newcastle, from 10 a.m. to noon.  

The First Friday Art Tours in our Boothbay Harbor region date back to 2000 when it was Art Along The Avenues. Artist Lynne Seitzer, co-owner of Joy to the Wind Gallery, shared its evolutionary history, some years ago, but for the sake of this column, here's a much abbreviated version:

Southport Memorial Library is pleased to welcome Claire Ackroyd as the guest of the next author talk on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. She will talk about her second book, "Body in the Blueberry Barrens." 

Claire Ackroyd is a landscape designer, independent organic inspector, educator and writer.  She grew up in rural England in a big garden with pets and ponies and now resides in Orono. 

The Waldo welcomes comedian Forrest Shaw to the stage on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. The former marine biologist turned comedian, gives a voice to the ocean—and trust us, it has some things to say. "The Ocean Hates You!" dives straight into pollution, overfishing, climate change, plastic, and all the many ways humans have managed to trash the most important ecosystem on Earth.

A little bit of Nashville is coming to the Maine coast this September when rising country artist Cam Shelton headlines Hearty Roots’ Hootenanny: Ho-Down Southern Social at Glidden Point Oyster Farms in Edgecomb.

The family-friendly fundraiser will take place Thursday, Sept. 3, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., bringing together live country music, oysters, a Southern-style pig roast and the Midcoast community in support of Hearty Roots’ work with young people across Lincoln County.

Long Branch headlines the Wiscasset Art Walk on Thursday, Aug. 27, along with live music in galleries and pubs, and so much more to entertain visitors. Making a repeat sidewalk performance, the country/bluegrass/rock n’ roll sounds of Nanci Stein, Bill Donovan, and John Fabreau, playing as Long Branch, create the outdoor ambiance for a great evening of active strolling.

Visitors to the Maine Art Gallery, 15 Warren St. in Wiscasset, will find two shows running concurrently this month. The gallery’s main floor is filled with impressions of our woods, lakes, streams and coastline created during the recent “Paint It Maine” event, while the second floor offers “Art of Alchemy: Collage/Mixed Media,” a modern fine art technique in which wild and wonderful compositions are created by overlapping pieces of material, such as photographs, fabric, colored and textured paper and other types of mixed media. 

What happens when the secrets of Boothbay Harbor finally rise to the surface? "Last Light," the much anticipated fourth novel in Jerry Farnham’s beloved 'Red at Night' series, delivers a gripping and emotional finale that fans have been waiting for. Blending mystery, romance, and the unmistakable humor and grit of coastal Maine, "Last Light" shines a revealing beam on the Finn family who readers have come to love—especially Jack Finn and Melissa Andrews, Boothbay Harbor’s iconic power couple.

Join Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and the Harbor Theater for the final event in the Unearth a Story Summer Speaker Series. Osihkiyol (Zeke) Crofton-Macdonald, Tribal Ambassador for the Houlton Band of Maliseets, will present “The Watertown Treaty of 1776: A Wabanaki Perspective” on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Harbor Theater (185 Townsend Ave).  

The Waldo is excited to welcome back MaMuse to the stage on Monday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. MaMuse has spent nearly 20 years building a devoted audience through unforgettable harmonies, exceptional songwriting, and performances that leave listeners feeling more connected to themselves and one another.

Sheepscot Chorus invites you to join in as the group begin rehearsals for the Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6 Boothbay Harbor holiday concerts. The featured work: Joseph Haydn's charming "St. Nicholas Mass," performed with orchestra, and conducted by artistic director Linda Blanchard.

St. Cecilia Chamber Choir is holding auditions for all voice parts as we begin preparing for our highly-acclaimed December concert of "Lessons and Carols" for the Christmas season. Drawing inspiration from the world-famous King’s College Cambridge "Service of Lessons and Carols," our program blends carols both sacred and secular with seasonal readings, accompanied by a professional string quartet and performed in the beautiful Bowdoin College Chapel and Damariscotta Baptist Church.

Back in 1969 Jackie DeShannon sang these words: "Think of your fellow man, Give him a helping hand, Put A Little Love In Your Heart."

DeShannon's song played over and over in my head after I attended Maine State Music Theater's current show, "Come From Away," book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Given the state of our world right now, this show couldn't be staged at a better time: It demonstrates our capacity for kindness,  compassion, empathy, all of which are sorely needed now.

Want to hear fascinating stories, see exquisite 18th century furnishings and objects that will make you smile? Come to Historic New England’s 1762 Bowman House in Dresden for this special extended tour Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon. Whether you are new to the house or have already taken the regular tour, here is your opportunity to take it slower and really get a chance to look at things and ask questions. Join Site Manager Peggy Konitzky for a leisurely, two-hour tour of this stunning house.