On June 28, the Miss Maine Scholarship Program hosted the 2025 Miss Maine and Miss Maine Teen Competitions at the Donald M. Gay Performing Arts Center at Edward Little High School. The winners were Miss Maine 2025 Paige Lessard (Biddeford, Miss York County) and Miss Maine Teen 2025 Alana LaCourse (East Boothbay, Miss Boothbay’s Teen). The titleholders will now represent Maine at community events and competitions on the national stage.

Step into a topsy-turvy world of whimsy and wonder at Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library’s 2nd annual Storybook Ball: "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" happening Saturday, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Carousel Music Theater. This event is generously presented by Ryder Systems, Inc. and R.M. Davis Private Wealth Management.

Your ticket includes a festive cocktail hour with charcuterie for grazing, a catered dinner with wine service, dancing, dessert, and a lively live auction, plus the joy of supporting free library services for our region. The Storybook Ball is a 21+ event.

With the coming of 2026, Around Boothbay Harbor will have seen the arrival of 25 new years. That has to be a record!  

Unique to each calendar is a letter from photographer and publisher Robert Mitchell with personal observations; news of his busy, close-knit family; and a photo (this year’s by Kevin Kiley shows them all, bundled up as they take in a New Year’s Eve sunrise from the rocks at Ocean Point).

Sylvan Gallery is proud to present an evocative new exhibition featuring the masterful landscape paintings of Paul Batch, on view July 1 - 31. The public is invited to a reception to meet the artist on Thursday, July 31, from 4 - 7 p.m., coinciding with the evening of the Wiscasset Art Walk. In conjunction, the gallery will also be displaying new work from its regular roster of contemporary fine artists.

Organizers of the 12th annual OBD Williams-Fossett Vintage Car Show announced that registrations of all types will be free once again this year, provided by Bristol Township.  

Beginning July 3, Southport artist Ed Parker and Damariscotta artist Lyn Asselta open new shows at Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor. Both Lyn and Ed will be present at the opening reception on Saturday, July 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. The public is cordially invited to stop by the gallery, have a glass of wine, and chat with the artists. Lyn's show, titled "The Poetic Coast," runs through July 29, as does Ed's, titled "Painted Stories."

Kerr + Jones Fine Art & Craft celebrates its fourth season in East Boothbay with a remarkable new roster of contemporary Maine artists. Join us this summer for a series of special events showcasing inspiring—and at times thought-provoking—works of art.

"Elements of Art – Paint, Clay, Wood and Metal" - New Artist Reception Wednesday, July 16, 5–7 p.m.

"Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" - (R; 1 hour, 38 minutes) - A charming contemporary romance that blends literary nostalgia with fresh, French flair. Directed by Laura Piani and starring Camille Rutherford, the film follows Agathe Robinson—an aspiring writer stuck in a quiet life of routine at Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris. Haunted by past trauma and paralyzed by self-doubt, Agathe yearns for the sweeping love stories she devours in books but struggles to write her own.

Eighty-seven years to the day James Weldon Johnson died in a car-train crash at the Main Street, Wiscasset railroad crossing, gatherants June 26 unveiled signs naming the crossing for the civil rights advocate, U.S. diplomat and "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" writer.

A salute to the Coast Guard was the main theme of the annual Windjammer Days Street Parade and several floats sported signs, T-shirts and more to thank the Guard on Wednesday afternoon, June 25.

The parade was filled with three Kora Karts units, the longtime participants The Sailing Masters of 1812 from Essex, Connecticut and the Boothbay Region Community Band, several non-profit groups and lots of kids — many who squirted the onlookers with water, cooling them off in the high heat and humidity.

Have you wondered what would happen if the Waltons met the cast from 90210? "First Light" allows readers a peek into the foundation of the families who make up Jerry Farnham’s "Red at Night" series, a mixture of mystery, romance, and drama with a bit of Maine humor. While this book has been preceded by "Red at Night" and "Red in the Morning," "First Light" will afford readers the opportunity to learn the back story of their favorite characters in the series; who doesn’t love Jack Finn and Melissa Andrews, Boothbay Harbor’s power couple?

The Shortridge Coastal Foundationfrom Bates College will be the topic at the Thursday, July 10 “Summer Series” talk at the Popham Beach Library.In concert with the Bates Morse Mountain Conservation Area, Shortridge Coastal Center has served faculty, students, and resea

“A treat for the eyes and the heart,” remarked visitor Caroline Janover of Damariscotta about the exhibition "Fiore at 100: Maine Observed" which opened at the Maine Art Gallery (MAG) on Saturday, June 21. The Wiscasset gallery is marking the 100th anniversary of the artist who was an active member in the 1960s and 1970s, and a summer resident of Jefferson.

River Arts is delighted to showcase the artwork of Judith Schuppien in the solo show, “Treasures of Our Local Land Trusts,” in the River Room at River Arts Gallery in Damariscotta. Schuppien’s show will run from June 26 to July 16. Schuppien’s lush and lyrical paintings pay tribute to Maine Land Trusts. Meet the artist at an opening reception on Saturday, June 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Two delightful watercolor painters at the Pemaquid Gallery, Cindy Spencer and Bob Vaughan, are long familiar to regular Gallery visitors.  Their styles have evolve

The Second Congregational Church located at 51 Main St. in Newcastle has long been a bastion of community spirit, a place where people gather not only to worship, but also to celebrate the arts. In the spirit of fostering a deeper connection to music and culture, the church proudly presents its season’s final community concert to be held Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. featuring regional favorite, the DaPonte String Quartet.

It’s not too late to take a chance on six spectacular raffle prizes, in Heartwood Theater’s annual Raffle Fundraiser, available at www.raffle.heartwoodtheater.org. Ticket sales closing June 28, and the odds of winning each prize is updated online daily.

The most popular and unique of the prizes is a 7-night stay in an original 200 year old thatched roof cottage, lovingly restored and modernized interior, in rural Northern Ireland. The offer is good for 2 years, and photos are available at raffle.heartwoodtheater.org. 

Get ready to immerse yourself in a celebration of local artistry! The Boothbay Region Art Foundation (BRAF) is thrilled to open its doors to the July Members Exhibit, welcoming you to explore a stunning collection of works from Wednesday, June 25 through Sunday, July 20.

Come and enjoy the magical and whimsical work of Elisabeth on Earth, Elisabeth Ladwig. She is an award winning artist living in the Hudson Valley. Her artistic career began as a graphic artist in the New York City music industry, which presented the opportunity for her to create designs for recording artists like Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow, Patrick Stewart: for Broadway shows, and for major motion pictures. 

Since the partial fire on July 9, 1962, when lightning struck the steeple of Head Tide Church, the pilasters, which are flat columns built into the façade, have been missing their plinths, or bases. After restoring the steeple to its original specifications last summer, the Friends of Head Tide Church addressed this longstanding omission. Structurally, plinths provide a stable base and protect the pilasters from moisture and damage. Visually, they ground the skyward-reaching pilasters.