Community Calendar

From the remote island of Tiree to headlining festivals around the world, Skerryvore has skyrocketed to become one of Scotland’s finest musical exports. And it’s easy to see why. Their eclectic fusion of folk, rock, and Americana – with thundering drums and bagpipes, of course – is as rich as a single malt scotch. Since setting sail, Skerryvore has performed in over 25 countries and scooped up Scotland’s “Live Act of the Year” award – three times. With their distinctive mix of fiddle, accordions, pipes and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys, Skerryvore fuses outstanding musicianship with pure joy. They are one of our favorites and bet they will become one of yours too.
Sponsored by the Cowan family and anonymous fans of Skerryvore!

Portland’s First Friday Art Walk is a free self-guided tour of art galleries, art studios, museums, and alternative art venues on the first Friday of every month from 5-8pm. Its mission is to open the doors of Portland’s visual arts community by joining together and introducing a wider audience to the unique vitality of the artists and venues of Portland, promoting interest with non-exclusivity and easy-access, thereby strengthening the arts and community through diversity and celebration.

Belfast Flying Shoes presents the First Friday Community Dance and Contra Dance Series. 6:00 warm-up session for the All Comers Band, led by Willy Clemetson & Benjamin Foss and open to all musicians, instruments, and skill levels. Tune list available on the website. 6:30 Community Dance (Chrissy Fowler & Lisa Newcomb calling with music by the All Comers Band.) 8:00 Contra Dance with a guest caller & musicians (see calendar for details).

At the Fellowship Hall of the First Church in Belfast, UCC, 8 Court St, Belfast ME. Community Dance admission is $1 kids & $2 adults; Contra Dance admission is $15-20 (and includes admission to the Community Dance.) Volunteers who commit in advance get free admission. Masks available for those who wish to wear them.

For the BFS community care policy, First Friday FAQ, and more info on the contra schedule and other programs, volunteering, or other questions, visit: www.belfastflyingshoes.org or belfastflyingshoes@gmail.com.

Experience the International Seaplane Fly-in from a unique vantage point! This one-hour cruise takes you past Burnt Jacket in hope of a view of Mt. Katahdin and then returns to East Cove, offering an up close and personal view of seaplane contests.

Experience the International Seaplane Fly-in from a unique vantage point! This one-hour cruise takes you past Burnt Jacket in hope of a view of Mt. Katahdin and then returns to East Cove, offering an up close and personal view of seaplane contests.

These Community Salons are held at 6pm on the first & third Wednesdays of each month. They are free & open to all. Come with your thoughts, questions, concerns, & ideas. Network & connect with others who are working to promote equity & justice, creating resiliency within our communities. For the topics and Community Notices please sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter by emailing betterbiddeford@gmail.com.

Enjoy the natural beauty and history of Moosehead Lake aboard a 1914 steamboat with narration of the region’s rich history. The Head of the Lake cruise departs at 10:00am and returns at 6:00pm. Passengers will cruise up the length of the lake to Seboomook. On the way the boat will tuck in behind Kineo, cruising along the sheer cliffs where peregrine falcons are known to nest.

Free and open to the public. There will be a reception at 5 P.M. with good food and drinks.

After 54 years of brutal dictatorship and 14 years of merciless war, Syrians have achieved their freedom. How did the Syria get here? What challenges and opportunities lie ahead? Northwestern University Professor Wendy Pearlman explores these questions, drawing from interviews that she conducted with more than 500 displaced Syrians around the world over the past 13 years and featured in her two books, We Crossed A Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria (2017) and The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora (2024). Combining these moving personal stories with her own political analysis, Pearlman puts the stunning collapse of the Assad regime in a broader historical context and reminds us of what is at stake, in human terms.

Biography
Wendy Pearlman is the Jane Long Professorship of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University. She earned her PhD from Harvard, has studied Arabic and the Arab world for thirty years, and is the author of six books and more than 40 academic articles or book chapters on the Middle East. Since 2011, she has interviewed more than 500 Syrians around the world about their life experiences. She shares their testimonials in two books. We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria, published in 2017 and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, is a mosaic of personal testimonials chronicling the Syrian uprising, war, and displacement crisis. The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora, published in 2024, interweaves narratives of displaced Syrians on five continents reflecting on losing home, searching for home, and rethinking the meaning of home.

Girard Innovation Hall
UNE-Portland
716 Stevens Avenue
Portland, ME 04103

These Community Salons are held at 6pm on the first & third Wednesdays of each month. They are free & open to all. Come with your thoughts, questions, concerns, & ideas. Network & connect with others who are working to promote equity & justice, creating resiliency within our communities. For the topics and Community Notices please sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter by emailing betterbiddeford@gmail.com.

Portland’s First Friday Art Walk is a free self-guided tour of art galleries, art studios, museums, and alternative art venues on the first Friday of every month from 5-8pm. Its mission is to open the doors of Portland’s visual arts community by joining together and introducing a wider audience to the unique vitality of the artists and venues of Portland, promoting interest with non-exclusivity and easy-access, thereby strengthening the arts and community through diversity and celebration.