Community Calendar

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

Join Tuhon Ray Dionaldo and Wandering Warriors Nor'East for an action packed seminar in Filipino Combat Systems.

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.

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.

The Playhouse At Waterville Station is so pleased to present a Villain-Themed Drag King show, presented by Big King Productions.

Friday, October 3. Doors open a 6PM.

Show starts at 7PM.Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the door.

Advance tickets available here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chillin-like-a-villain-drag-king-show-tickets-1555046980379

Tips for the performers are encouraged!

Join us for Living History Days At the Maine Forest & Logging Museum

Join us as we step back in time to an autumn of long ago, surrounded by the stunning beauty of the Maine Forest & Logging Museum nestled deep in the heart of a Maine forest. Living History Days is a two-day celebration of Maine’s unique forest history and culture, where the sights, sounds, and spirit of the past come vividly alive.

Come See:
Vintage machinery in action among the autumn colors
Blacksmiths turning sparks into art
Horse-drawn wagon rides
Civil War and Colonial encampments
Fresh-pressed apple cider
Hands-on activities for the whole family

Bring your family, bring your camera, bring your curiosity, and enjoy a full day of history, fun, and the natural splendor of the Maine woods.

When: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday, October 4th & 5th

Admission:
Adults – $10
Kids (ages 3–17) – $5
Children under 3 – Free

Come experience the clang, the clatter, and the charm of the past - and make timeless autumn memories while you’re at it. Live history with us!

The Maine Forest & Logging Museum
262 Government Road
Bradley, Maine

Step right up!

Magic that delights. Laughs that last. Meet Wes Wonder!

Step into a world of whimsy, Wonder, and wacky fun with Magic Wes Wonder, the entertainer who brings a dash of Willy Wonka, a splash of Houdini, and a sprinkle of MAGIC you'll remember forever! Wes captivates audiences of all ages with mind-blowing tricks, side-splitting humor, and enchanting charisma!

Saturday, October 4th at 2pm

$8 General Admission, $5 Kids 8 and under

AQUA CITY ACTORS THEATER in Waterville presents For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, by Michel Tremblay, at The Playhouse At Waterville Station.

This is a charming comedy about a grown man’s recollection of growing up with his loving but sometimes irascible Mother.

Featuring Andrew Smith and Liz Mannheim Davis.

Tickets: $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students

Tickets available online or at the door.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/acat-for-the-pleasure-of-seeing-her-again-by-michel-tremblay-tickets-1568457922869

Dates for the show are September 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 7:30, with matinee performances on September 21 and 28 at 2:00.

Join us for Living History Days At the Maine Forest & Logging Museum

Join us as we step back in time to an autumn of long ago, surrounded by the stunning beauty of the Maine Forest & Logging Museum nestled deep in the heart of a Maine forest. Living History Days is a two-day celebration of Maine’s unique forest history and culture, where the sights, sounds, and spirit of the past come vividly alive.

Come See:
Vintage machinery in action among the autumn colors
Blacksmiths turning sparks into art
Horse-drawn wagon rides
Civil War and Colonial encampments
Fresh-pressed apple cider
Hands-on activities for the whole family

Bring your family, bring your camera, bring your curiosity, and enjoy a full day of history, fun, and the natural splendor of the Maine woods.

When: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday, October 4th & 5th

Admission:
Adults – $10
Kids (ages 3–17) – $5
Children under 3 – Free

Come experience the clang, the clatter, and the charm of the past - and make timeless autumn memories while you’re at it. Live history with us!

The Maine Forest & Logging Museum
262 Government Road
Bradley, Maine