Join us in celebrating 50 years of live musical performances at the Carousel Music Theater with the magic of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "Carousel!" This performance of the iconic musical, celebrated for its timeless score and poignant storyline, is a concert performance of the classic love story between a carnival barker and a mill worker. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the filming of the movie musical right here in Boothbay Harbor, making this performance a special occasion for locals and guests alike. 

Summer reading isn’t just for kids! Join Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and our partners for an exciting community-wide summer read. “The Summer Read” invites the Boothbay Region to read the same book during the summer and join a book club discussion with other community members.   

Open the door to the 40th Student Art Show at Boothbay Region Art Foundation, and enter a world of exploration through color, technique, history, and imagination that has led to some thought-provoking work. All (approximately) told, 450 works of art are displayed! Yes, you’ll be there for a while … and not even realize time is passing!

Maybe it was the rainy weather, maybe the need for good cheer. Whatever the reason, folks were elbow to elbow at the opening of Maine Art Gallery’s (MAG) “Whimsy: Flights of Fancy” exhibit on Saturday, May 10. Everyone seemed to be smiling and laughing. Some humorous words from Tim Sample, noted Maine humorist, added to the gaiety.

The Center for Teaching and Learning hosted Kim Bernard, a nationally-recognized sculptor and installation artist, as a visiting-artist on Friday, May 9. While instructing a course at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in 2023, Ms. Bernard presented about her “recycled, kinetic, interactive art installations” that she created in Maine communities, with a special emphasis on “transforming plastic waste into sculpture using her portable recycling machines.”

"Spring Arrivals - Three Centuries of American and European Art"  will open on Saturday, May 24, at the Wiscasset Bay Gallery in celebration of the gallery's 41st season.

Featuring works by prominent 19th and 20th century American artists as well as European realists, impressionists and modernists, the exhibition will include a diverse array of subject matters from marine paintings, city views, genre scenes to landscapes.

Midcoast-based anti-trafficking organization Friends of Thai Daughters is celebrating its 20-year anniversary and is inviting friends old and new to a free video screening Saturday, June 14 at the Harbor Theater, 185 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor to mark the occasion.

Golden Oak will be returning to The Waldo Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m., with support from Keenan Hendricks (Rigometrics).

The Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset is offering classes in June and July for all skill levels — even for those individuals who have yet to discover their inner talent. Space is limited, so you are encouraged to check the website for complete details and sign up soon.

Prepare to be inspired! The Boothbay Region Art Foundation (BRAF) Gallery is set to burst with youthful creativity as it hosts the annual Boothbay Region Student Art Show. This vibrant exhibition, a beloved spring tradition, will showcase a breathtaking array of artwork created by talented students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The show opens with a reception on Friday, May 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Gallery, located at 1 Townsend Ave. in picturesque Boothbay Harbor.

Volunteers ... Could as much be accomplished within communities and organizations without them? Case in point: Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days, a beloved festival that truly takes a village.

As of 2025, the event has been led by Friends of Windjammer Days, an all-volunteer group that has grown the festival to a seven-day, jam-packed happening since 2014. The group formed the previous year following Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce's announcement it would be outsourcing the festival after managing it since 1962, the year it was founded.

On Monday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Coastal Senior College “Village Volunteers” Steve and Mary Gifford will lead Coastal Senior College members on an expedition in South Thomaston along Route 131, a one-mile walk in the Georges River Land Trust’s Riverview Hayfields Preserve. Afterwards, the group will visit the Finnish Heritage House and the Finnish Congregational Church to learn about the Finnish community in the Midcoast.

The Skidompha Strummers, ukulele ensemble of Skidompha Public Library, will offer a “Springtime and Ukuleles” concert in the library’s atrium on Thursday, May 8 at 4 p.m. All are welcome, and the concert is free.

Songs chosen for this program depict aspects of life that can make people happy: dancing, peaceful places, love, affection, family, friendship, nature, food, and making music. Most are songs that many people know, but some will be new.

River Arts of Damariscotta is pleased to announce a call for artists for an upcoming Members’ Show. Running from May 27 through July 5, all current and new members are invited to submit one piece for this non-juried exhibition. This is a great time to become a member and join the River Arts’ community.

The featured Artist of the Month this May and June at the Southport Memorial Library is Ramone Hanley-Warren. Her two-month show is called "Breathe, See, Paint." 

Ramone states: "I am drawn to the salt marshes and tidal areas especially, but not always. Certainly the natural world around me and all the beauty it encompasses is what tells me to breathe, see, paint."

Big changes are coming to one of this year’s Windjammer Days boat parades, and they’re designed to make the event bigger, better, and safer for everyone involved!

What was once known as the Lighted Boat Parade and Harbor Aglow has evolved into the Windjammer Days Decorated Boat Parade, an exciting transformation that invites more creativity and more opportunities to join the fun—without the issues of navigating in the dark.

"Black Bag" - (R; 1 hour, 34 minutes) -  Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett stars as a seasoned CIA agent whose final assignment spirals into a deadly game of espionage, betrayal, and survival. Known for her precision, control, and cold resolve, her character is a master of the spy world—until a mission in Eastern Europe goes catastrophically wrong. Tasked with recovering a mysterious black bag linked to a rogue nuclear threat, she uncovers a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of global intelligence.

The first weekend in May is pottery weekend in Maine! The annual Maine Pottery Tour, set for Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This beloved event invites pottery enthusiasts, art collectors, and curious adventurers alike to experience the creativity and craftsmanship of Maine’s thriving pottery community.

"The Penguin Lessons" - (PG-13; 1 hour, 50 minutes) - Inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down. Final showtime Thursday, May 1 at 2 p.m.

"Whimsy: Flights of Fancy," the upcoming show at the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset, will surely lighten your day. With an invitation to let their imaginations soar, the exhibiting artists liberated themselves from traditional notions of representation in order to take a journey into the world of emotion, memories, and dreams.