SUMMERTIME!

Wiscasset’s waterfront festival, Schoonerfest, will provide a day of free dockside fun this Saturday, Sept. 21 from noon until nightfall, concluding with a fireworks display over the Sheepscot River.

Delight in the final Wiscasset Art Walk of the 2024 season on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. Enjoy the Village collection of fine galleries, one-of-a-kind shops, a variety of excellent food stops including MAZU food truck, and lots of sidewalk activities. 

Village galleries continue their stunning exhibitions and live music accompanies the art. Shops introduce their new seasonal wares. Local community groups and craftspeople inhabit the…

The first dreadnought (or D-sized) guitar made the scene in 1916 and was built by C.F. Martin & Co. Since then, this large sound acoustic guitar grew in popularity, and is still much sought after today. Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Curt Cobain and Lennon and McCartney are but a few of the musicians who have played a Martin dreadnought. And, according to CountryInstruments.com, it is a symbol of country music.

Luthier Rob Dmitrieff…

Sept. 2 was the 10th Bands for Books, and it exceeded expectations. The members of the Fundraising Committee of the Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library started planning in the early winter months and their diligence and hard work was evident. Party-goers filled Lakehurst Lodge in Damariscotta for an evening of music by the Salty Dogs, appetizers, and a silent auction. The dance floor was crowded throughout the evening. A recent tradition has been to acknowledge those who have gone before…

In July, the 38th sculpture on the Boothbay Region Sculpture Trail/Sculpture Boothbay was installed at Kerr+Jones Gallery in East Boothbay. Trail board members and sculptors Bill Royall, Andreas von Huene and Joseph DiMauro, with the artist Chris Lewis, installed the white marble sculpture “Seed.”

“Seed” is one of the original four sculptures Lewis created in Italy in 1996 while studying with Andrzej Lemiszewski in Pietrasanta that spring. Here in the States, he has studied at San…

Chicken wire, sticks, and dried hydrangeas, put to an artful purpose, are the tools of the trade for dried floral designer Maria Salcines. During Wiscasset Art Walk on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 4 to 7 p.m., Salcines will install a cascading arrangement of dried florals in Wiscasset Village. Although much planning will have gone into the presentation, Salcines will be improvising the installation throughout the evening. Visitors are welcome to stop by to watch, ask and enjoy…

First Congregational Church of Wiscasset is offering to the public a free pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25 in Fellowship Hall. Regular and gluten-free pancakes, juice, coffee and tea, fruit, and real maple syrup are on the menu.

All are welcome. The First Congregational Church is an Open and Affirming Church at 28 High St., Wiscasset.

This year’s August First Friday was just as hot as it was in 2023 – and not just because of the weather. The participating galleries – Boothbay Region Art Foundation, Gold/Smith, Studio 53, Joy to the Wind and Gleason Fine Art – all had high numbers of visitors – and sales, to boot!

John Vander and Karen Swartsberg’s winter trip to Sicily is remembered in John’s exhibition at Gold/Smith Gallery entitled, “Postcards from Sicily.” Each of the 20 paintings on paper intrigue and charm,…

Bands for Books is the major annual fundraising activity for The Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library. This year, we will celebrate our 10th anniversary and are planning another special evening. We are able to keep ticket prices at a pre-sale price of $20 each and $25 at the door the evening of the event. Look for our…

Get ready for a day of fun, friendly competition, and community spirit at the 4th annual Boothbay Cornhole Classic, a fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics Maine and the Bath Area Family YMCA Unified Champion Club. This rain or shine charity event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Boothbay Railway Village Museum.  

The Boothbay Cornhole Classic, professionally organized by Wicked Cornhole Events, promises to be the premiere event of the summer, offering a great way for…

The Maine Antiques Dealers Association (MADA) is holding its 25th annual Maine Coastal Antiques Show on Wednesday, Aug. 14 in a new location at Medomak Middle School, 318 Manktown Road, Waldoboro

The show runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature a wide array of antiques and art being offered by MADA members. The show will be air-conditioned. Food and onsite catering will be available.

“We are excited to have the 25th anniversary of our Maine Coastal Antiques Show in…

Mark your calendars for the highly anticipated Midcoast event of the year! Bands for Books will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 2 at Lakehurst Lodge. The “…

Come join us for an evening of food, fun and frolic and, as a contestant, be as creative as you like!

The Woolwich Community Picnic is Saturday, Aug. 10 from 11:30 to 2 p.m. on the Woolwich Historical Society lawn, rain or shine, an announcement on the town’s website read.

The free community picnic has hamburgers, hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream and “toe-tapping music by The Montsweagers,” the announcement stated; also during the event, the historical society will have a bake sale and open house!

The OBD Williams-Fossett Vintage Car Show, now in its 11th year, has changed locations over the years for differing reasons.

The annual show was welcomed in its first year by the Bristol Consolidated School with only 11 participating vehicles, then moved to Fort William Henry, relocated to the former Harbor Room restaurant lot due to a restrictive culture at the park, then invited back to the school by principal Jennifer Ribeiro in 2023 with more than 40 cool vehicles doing the show.…

Sun, the usual fun categories and some nose to nose greetings marked the dog parade at First Congregational Church of Wiscasset’s Summerfest July 27. 

It seems like everyone is fascinated by wild mushrooms, from foraging and eating, to medicinal use and the use of psychedelics to improve learning and address depression. The only thing standing in the way is acquiring the knowledge and confidence to tell the good mushrooms from those that can sicken someone. The good news is that there are a handful of common, easily identified, great edibles or medicinals that can satisfy most peoples hunger for mushrooms. Maine is home to a number of…

On Thursday, Aug. 8, “White Beards,” a classic rock group, will be performing on Wiscasset Common from 6 to 8 p.m. They will be performing their usual mix of oldies which always gets the audience singing and dancing.

The Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library will be holding a bake sale special event on the grounds of the Library that evening beginning at 5:30 p.m.  Look for us outside the Used Book Room. The band performs “oldies” and we have decided to open the Used Book Room that…

Can whole communities live sustainably? Can we avoid devouring all the world’s resources? These are questions filmmaker Jim Merkel asked after witnessing the destructive international impact of U.S. military hardware he helped design. “Saving Walden’s World” is his answer, an absorbing documentary powered by the kind of curiosity we need more of.

“I was destabilizing countries, … pumping up factions that were favorable to U.S. business interests,” said Merkel of his days in the…

On Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. at Wiscasset Middle High School, individuals and families will gather to participate in the third You Are Deeply Loved Color Run. The run is held in memory of Gavin Clark and Alex Taylor. They were best friends from the day they met each other at Wiscasset’s Summer Camp program before their kindergarten year. The boys were silly and sensitive, impeccably polite, and could often be seen waving at drivers as they skateboarded all over town. They were even known to…

The members of the Fundraising Committee of the Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library have been meeting since January planning their annual fundraising event, Bands for Books. This will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 2 at Lakehurst Lodge in Damariscotta. We are…

If it’s mid-July at Boothbay Railway Village, antique cars from around the state will be motoring there. This year, BRV’s 60th anniversary year, the Antique Auto Show was July 13. About 40 members of Maine Obsolete Auto League (MOALS) drove their treasured, vintage vehicles to 586 Wiscasset Road.

According to a 2014 press release for Antique Auto Days, author and historian Jordan Dingley of  North Yarmouth met BRV founder George McEvoy at Nasson College. Both loved the early cars like…

When I first saw David Dupree’s colorful, detailed paintings at Studio 53, I was blown away. The energy produced by the techniques this self-taught artist used including pointillism (painting small dots and/or brush strokes) and impasto (created with a thick application of paint and a palette knife to create texture and a fabulous 3-D effect). David’s use of brilliant color paired with the techniques created paintings you can look into for hours. I particularly like using a magnifying glass…

Our annual Lobsterbake and More returns to the Lincoln Home on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 4 to 7 p.m. Get your tickets early for a fun summer evening under the tent on the shores of the Damariscotta River. The Sandy River Ramblers Bluegrass Band returns for some toe tapping music and after dinner dancing. Enjoy fresh Damariscotta River oysters, appetizers, salads, clams, corn, lobsters and chicken with delicious blueberry desserts and ice cream. 

The event will be under a large tent and…

Edgecomb’s 250th Birthday Committee has arranged a self-guided Shop Crawl to celebrate Edgecomb’s creative artisans and the extraordinary handcrafted work they produce. 

On Saturday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., the public is invited to visit Open Houses at selected shops and artisans’ studios—each showcasing exceptional handcrafted work that is produced onsite. 

Armed with a map (see below) of participating studios, a sense of curiosity, and an interest in the…

The hurdy-hurdy is a very complex instrument. According to Wiscasset’s Laurie Rousseau, a hurdy-gurdy performer, it has components of the violin, guitar, piano and bagpipe. 

Rousseau had been playing early music for almost two decades when she first heard the hurdy-gurdy while listening to some recorded early music. Through a process of elimination, she determined that the unfamiliar sound was a hurdy-gurdy. Fascinated by its history dating back…

The Waldo Theatre is pleased to bring back the Heather Pierson Trio on Sunday, July 28 in a 7 p.m.  An annual favorite during the holiday season, this will be her first show featuring her original music, as well as well-loved standards and classics.

Heather Pierson is a New Hampshire based singer/songwriter, pianist, song leader, and performer with a passion for cultivating joy, both onstage and off. With a toe in each of the realms of New Orleans jazz, blues, and folk, her multi-…

Every now and then, life offers up occasions when you need to gather with more people than your home can hold. And if you're visiting Boothbay Harbor, finding a spot for private events can be challenging.

Will your guests have enough elbow room to mingle? Will they roam a too-large ballroom like lost sheep? Will the setting be memorable? How close to the inner harbor will everyone be? Can we have our choice of caterer or are we limited by the venue?

Sally and Bob Maroon, owners…

On Thursday, July 18, the “Salty Dogs” will be performing on Wiscasset Common from 6 to 8 p.m. They will be performing their usual mix of oldies which always gets the audience singing and dancing.

The Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library will be holding a …

The breeze was as strong as the sun during 2024’s Windjammer Days’ Artists Alley down to Whale Park June 27 and 28. Coordinating this event the past two years, is Friends of Windjammer Days member Mary Wawro.

And what a great lineup of artisans she brought to the Park:  Calli B (jewelry), Chris Cambridge (scrimshaw), Stephanie Crossman (handmade fish netting sculpture and paintings), Eric Darling (oil and up-cycled rope paintings), Dianne Horton (watercolors), Laura Kowacki (jewelry…

Boothbay Region Garden Club (BRGC), 93 years strong in 2024, has been preparing for a summer extravaganza of a different kind: the Boothbay In Bloom Summer Fair, coming to Boothbay Common on Saturday, July 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What happened to the Home & Garden Tour? Old Man Winter paid the coast a harsh visit in mid-January and sidelined the Club’s highly popular event.

“We had set up the tour for this year in East Boothbay,” explained BRGC…

Captain Rusty Court of East Boothbay and his son Eben Court were at the Farnsworth in Rockland on Friday, July 5 for the opening reception  of Jamie Wyeth’s new exhibition, “Unsettled.” The exhibition runs through Sept. 29. 

From the venue website, “This exhibition traces a persistent vein of intriguing, often disconcerting imagery over the career of renowned artist Jamie Wyeth (born 1946). Frequently countered and…

The six private homes and a carriage house featured during Wiscasset Homes on Tour, Saturday, July 13 from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. were built from 1799 to 1898. Each is unique and fascinating, and each presents an aspect of Village life in the 19th century.

A once-modest farmhouse, built in 1805 or earlier, exemplifies what was once rural living on the outskirts of town. The farmhouse today is colorful and comfortable. As visitors enter through the sun porch, an updated…

The 11th annual OBD Williams-Fossett Vintage Car Show volunteers report that 2024 trophies have already arrived due to quick action by the Bristol Town Office staff. Six trophies will be awarded by popular voting including first, second and third place, outstanding motorcycle, staff pick and the coveted “kids pick” trophy decided by young attendees, twelve and under.

Vintage Show volunteers report that a cadre of interesting vehicles are already registered for the event on Saturday,…

In addition to shopping at a giant yard sale, visitors to Summerfest will also be able to browse the many tables featuring jewelry and accessories, treasures, books, handmade craft items, and homemade goodies. The highlight of the silent auction will be a Sunbrella hammock and stand. The always favorite dog parade will take place at 10 a.m.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and beverages will be available as well as adult beverages provided by Water Street Kitchen and Bar…

Many thanks to Wiscasset photographer Bob Bond of 40 Federal Studio for capturing these patriotic and other moments from Wiscasset’s Fourth of July parade, fireworks and more.

Many people are looking forward to fun festivals this summer. As usual, scammers are taking advantage of the building excitement. This time, they are cashing in with phony tickets—and even fake events.

How the scam works

You see a fantastic deal on tickets to a summer festival in your area, usually through a link on social media. The event promises live music, all-you-can-eat meals, craft beer or wine, or other fun activities.

When you click the social media link, it…

The day before his last day as priest-in charge at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Wiscasset, Tom Junkert wore a green hat from Goodwill with fake strawberries wife Jane had added. Tom Junkert was helping at the Hodge Street, Wiscasset church’s Strawberry Festival. Besides the ones on the hat, festival t-shirts and the sign on nearby Route One were the real ones – by the box or by the dish with whipped cream and more. 

Against Saturday morning’s white sky, parts of the building…

Damariscotta’s Salt Bay Chamberfest (SBC) celebrates its 30th season in August. To mark this auspicious milestone, the 2024 festival has chosen the theme of “Music in Blue,” spotlighting historical and contemporary works that show the influence of blues and jazz on classical chamber music. Concerts will also include music inspired by the blue seascapes found in abundance here in Maine. Concerts will take place from Aug. 6 to 17 at the Lincoln Theater, in the heart of…

“The Comedy of Errors” is Shakespeare’s hilarious farce about two sets of twins who end up in the same town, each unaware of the other. This show will have a lot of music, singing, clowning, and funny business.

“It is probably Shakespeare’s most fun show to perform, and least Shakespearean,” says director Stephen Legawiec. This play has it all: madcap comedy, mistaken identity, seduction, slapstick, bad puns, and a family reunion beyond belief.…

The grand opening for the public of the Gulf of Maine Discovery Center, formerly the site of the Maine State Aquarium, was held Wednesday, June 26 during the 62nd Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days Festival. 

People were greeted by Beth Trussell, Boothbay lab lead administrator, and Sunny Hong, Boothbay Lab administrator, at the welcome desk/ticket counter. 

DMR’s Education Division Director Dottie Yunger said 630 adults and children came to check out the Discovery Center. “People…

The grounds of the historic Pownalborough Court House in Dresden will be filled with the sounds of a perfect summer day on Sunday, July 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. This annual free event, open to everyone, features horse and wagon rides, goat petting, live music by Halfmoon Jug Band, face painting, fanciful balloons, food by Dresden Fire Department, and vendors with local items for sale.

Dresden Summerfest is hosted by Lincoln County Historical Association, a non-profit organization that…

Saturday, Sept. 7, Midcoast Conservancy will hold the 12th annual Live Edge Music Festival at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson from noon to 6 p.m., a fun-filled day of live music, great local food and beer and cider set in the midst of HVNC’s 1,000 acres of trails, pond shore frontage and bogs.

This year’s all-Maine musical line-up includes Primo Cubano, The Cowboy Angels, The Dooryarders, and Papa Tim and the Whiskey Throttle Band. 

The…

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 27 to attend the annual fundraising fair at St. Giles Episcopal Church in Jefferson. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the church grounds under the tall pine trees at 72 Gardiner Road in Jefferson.

It will be a fun day with many activities planned, including for the second year a sale of treasured items, donated by parishioners and others. These include glassware, a child’s rocking horse, a stroller, art work and much more. In…

Bruce John Riddell, landscape architect and author, has just released his second book entitled: “Seal Rock.” This book is his first foray into the Science Fiction Genre. In 2023 Riddell penned and released his first hardcover book entitled: “LandART- From Acadia to Zen,” printed by Friesens Press of Canada. LandART is an anthology of his landscape design philosophy and features plans and photographs of many of the gardens he has designed and built throughout Maine in his 40 year career. His…

The Waldo is ready to rock the Midcoast with The Rebels- A Tom Petty Tribute on Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. The Rebels, America’s premiere Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band, is made up of five seasoned musicians from Massachusetts with decades of experience between them.

“Tom Petty has been a major influence on my singing, guitar-playing, songwriting- all of it.” says lead singer Mike Golarz. “He was just such a talented musician that wrote so many great songs that we love to play as…

The Lincoln Home in Newcastle is hosting a lawn party to celebrate the fourth of July from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., with premium fireworks viewing at dusk.

Dance on the lawn to the fun music of The Boneheads and enjoy delicious barbecue burgers, sausages, hot dogs and veggie burgers that will be available for purchase, along with home made strawberry shortcake and ice cream.  Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available from Sadie the Bar Car.

Kids will have fun dancing on the lawn…

Come as you are to Wiscasset Village on Thursday, June 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of this pretty, vibrant and historic town center along the Sheepscot River.

Galleries welcome visitors to see work by contemporary New England artists, paintings from the 18th-19th centuries, quirky assemblages, sculpture, and prints. On the sidewalks, local artists and artisans display their latest creations for purchase.

Wiscasset’s Laurie Rousseau is this…

Summer has officially arrived, and with it a return of St. Philip’s annual family-friendly celebration of the luscious red strawberry that signals the start of summer. Remember the homemade biscuits swimming in minimally crushed berries and piled high with real whipped cream or locally made ice cream? Mmmm. They’ll be waiting for you between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 12 Hodge St. in Wiscasset on Saturday, June 29.

Pardon our work in progress on the beloved historic church. Be mindful…

The Lincoln County Democratic Committee (LCDC) will host its annual Family Fun Day Lobster Bake on Sunday, Aug. 4, from noon to 3 p.m. at Cider Hill Farm, 785 Main St., in Waldoboro.

“Each year – for over 40 years now – year-rounders and summer residents, Democrats and Dem-leaning voters alike, have come together to celebrate Democratic ideals with a summer’s afternoon of fun, fellowship, and great food,” said Geoff Bates, organizer of this year’s event. 

Folks in the Boothbay region already know what a community asset their local cinema is. Harbor Theater members also know what a great deal their discounted $8 tickets are. Starting July 1, their discount just gets better. The theater board made the decision this spring to raise the adult ticket price for non-members from $10 (one of the lowest rates in the state) to $12, and non-member child (under 18) ticket to $10. Member tickets will remain $8 for adults and $6 for children. 

Part…