Local author and former Alna resident Joan Gregoire will give a presentation on her recently published book, "The Lydessy: Lydia Keene’s 1899 Voyage Around the World in her own words," chronicling her grandmother’s historic voyage on a merchant schooner in 1899. Stormy seas and high winds, becalmed in extreme heat, shipwreck, and being one of only three women on a ship full of robust sailors, stories of this adventure give a wonderful insight into life aboard ship at the end of the 19th century.

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.

"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.

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.

Maine State Historian Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. will present an illustrated talk about the old meetinghouses of Maine at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at Puddle Dock Village School, 275 Head Tide Road in Alna.

Shettleworth will explore the cultural and architectural heritage of Maine’s preserved 18th century meetinghouses. Alna’s nearby 1789 meetinghouse will be open to visitors following the presentation, with docents available to answer questions.

Wiscasset Feed Our Scholars has had such fun with past paint parties in St. Philip’s Lippiat Hall at 12 Hodge St. in Wiscasset, that the group is holding another, but this time attendees will be shifting from painting on canvas to painting on glass.  

Students and parents poured into The Maine Art Gallery (MAG) on the afternoon of April 17 for the opening of the annual Wiscasset Student Art Show. Over 100 works in all mediums are represented by the students in elementary school art teacher Elizabeth Proffetty’s classes and Shalimar Chasse’s middle and high school classes.

Friends of Wiscasset Public Library support our library by organizing and financing special projects for the benefit of the Library, and by promoting WPL’s services in the community. We are currently planning the 11th annual Bands for Books which will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 1 at Lakehurst Lodge.

"Snow White" - (PG; 1 hour, 34 minutes) - A bold reimagining of the timeless fairy tale, Snow White (2025) brings a fresh perspective and musical magic to the beloved story. Rachel Zegler stars as Snow White, a spirited and kind-hearted young woman who dreams of a better world. After her jealous stepmother—the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot)—plots to eliminate her out of envy and fear, Snow White flees into the enchanted forest, where she encounters a band of unlikely companions.

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust will host its seventh annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour at 7 p.m. on May 15 at the Lincoln Theater with a curated selection of 10 short films.

"OOOOOK-lahoma! Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain, And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet, When the wind comes right behind the rain..."

Join the BRHS drama club in a production of "Oklahoma!,” Friday, May 2 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 3 at 1 and 5 p.m. 

Kicking off the Waldo's "David Lynch In Memoriam series," Waldo After Dark brings you one of the original midnight movies - "Eraserhead." Screening on Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m.

Henry (Jack Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple's baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won't stop wailing.

Join us for a special free screening of PBS’ “Free for All: Inside the Public Library,” a powerful documentary celebrating the people behind America’s public libraries.

"Black Bag" - (R; 1 hour, 33 minutes) - A gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country. Starring Cate Blanchett. Final showtime Thursday, April 17 at 2 p.m.

"The Penguin Lessons" - (PG13; 1 hour, 50 minutes) - Steve Coogan stars as Tom Michell, a disillusioned British teacher who takes a post at an elite boarding school in 1976 Buenos Aires, hoping for a quiet escape. Instead, he finds himself in a nation teetering on the brink of political upheaval—and in a classroom full of unruly, disinterested students. During a brief vacation to Uruguay, Tom impulsively rescues a penguin in a misguided attempt to impress a woman. When his romantic plan fizzles, he tries to release the penguin—but fate has other ideas.

Sonic Alchemy: Gongs and Didgeridoos is coming to The Waldo Theatre Sunday, April 27 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.  Join instrument maker and sound worker, Jim Doble, on a large array of gongs; sound worker and intuitive, Maleine Gargurevich on gongs, percussion, and voice; and sound worker and master player, Forest Weston, on an assortment didgeridoos, for an afternoon of diving deep into the potential of sound as a therapeutic force.

On Thursday, April 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., The Peace Gallery in Damariscotta will host a free screening and community discussion of "Elisif’s Story," a powerful 36-minute video that traces one young woman’s journey through substance use disorder and death, and her family’s experience of love and unimaginable loss.

According to the calendar, spring /Ostara /the vernal equinox was March 20, but here in Maine we know this season is never ruled by the calendar! 

If you yearn for signs of spring right now, head for Gleason Fine Art where a celebration of spring is well underway. Artists whose colorful work is being featured by the Gleasons are: Andrea Peters, Michael Vermette, Maurice Freedman, Jean Swan Gordon, Phil Barter, Charles Reid, Cecile Belle, Carl W. Peters, Philip Little and Peter Rudolph.

The Center for Teaching and Learning is putting on productions of “Twelfth Night” and “The Tempest” on Wednesday, April 16. Students in CTL’s middle school, grades 5-8, have been hard at work learning their lines and rehearsing. Additionally, students have showcased their strengths and taken on responsibilities for tech and sound set up, costumes, props, and set design.