Community Calendar

Seal Cove Auto Museum Announces New Exhibition: The Collector's Eye
Opening May 1, 2025

Seal Cove, Maine — The Seal Cove Auto Museum is proud to announce the opening of its new exhibition, The Collector's Eye: What, Why, and How We Collect, on May 1, 2025. This captivating exhibition invites visitors to step into the mind of the collector and explore the many ways history, beauty, preservation, and passion converge through the world of antique automobiles.

The Collector's Eye features three thought-provoking exhibits that each offer a unique lens into automotive heritage:

London to Brighton Veterans Automobiles
Discover the pioneers of motoring through a group of pre-1905 automobiles that participated in the legendary London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. These remarkable machines tell the story of the earliest days of travel by motor, where innovation outpaced infrastructure and daring drivers embraced the future.

Preserve, Conserve, or Restore
This exhibit explores the crucial decisions collectors face when caring for historic vehicles. Should a car be preserved in its original condition, conserved to halt deterioration, or fully restored to its former glory? Visitors will gain insight into the philosophy and ethics behind each choice, guided by examples from the Museum's collection.

Collectors, Collections, and Museums
Dive into the personal stories behind the passion. This portion of the exhibition showcases vehicles from a number of collectors, each offering a glimpse into what motivates an individual to gather, protect, and share pieces of the past. It's a celebration of vision, obsession, and the art of curation.

The Seal Cove Auto Museum invites the public to experience this immersive exhibition beginning May 1st. Admission includes access to The Collector's Eye and the rest of the Museum's extensive early automobile collection.

The event will begin on the library lawn with the Presentation of the Colors to honor the troops by the members of the Massabesic High School Band, led by retired Navy Captain Douglas Howell and Chief Joseph Lipp; members of the award-winning Biddeford High School Band, led by Michael Murphy, will accompany the Massabesic Color Guard. Both groups will be introduced by Biddeford's Mayor Martin Grohman, with no other speeches & no seating, and will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather.

The ceremony will be followed immediately by Capt Don Chretien's talk in the Library's Community Room, titled "A Vietnam History of Occupation, Warfare, & US Involvement."

Attendees may bring memorabilia and will be invited to share a brief remembrance to honor those they know/knew who served. The Event will conclude with the playing of Taps by a member of the Biddeford HS Band.

Two general notations:

Nicole Clark is the recently appointed Adult Services Supervisor and Interim Director of Biddeford's McArthur Public Library.

Biddeford native Don Chretien lived through the Vietnam War as a Marine helicopter pilot who flew 560 missions, came home to an indifferent or even hostile reception, and has lived to see a much more appreciative public now open to revisiting that collective experience.

The event begins on the Library's lawn with the Presentation of the Colors by the Color Guard of Massabesic High School with military music performed by members of the award-winning Biddeford High School Band. This will be followed by a talk given by Capt Don Chretien, a native of Biddeford who flew 560 combat missions as a pilot of a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter. Q&A will follow.

Come out to the Seashore Trolley Museum on Saturday, May 3 for our 2025 Opening Day and help us kick off the season! Guests with a Maine driver’s license get in for $2.07, and all guests 16 and under get in free. The pump car will also be operating for guests to enjoy.
All guests will get a free ticket to enter a door prize raffle for a chance to win prizes donated by the local community. It’s going to be a GREAT day–you won’t want to miss it!

The Jonathan Fisher House and Blue Hill Historical Society will be co-sponsoring a “Jane’s Walk” walking tour on Saturday, May 3rd at 11 AM beginning at the Blue Hill town hall. Join us for a captivating journey along Union Street in Historic Downtown Blue Hill, where we’ll explore the enduring landmarks left by some of the town’s most notable figures. From ship captains and artists to doctors and community leaders, Union Street is steeped in stories that reflect the vibrant history of Blue Hill.

As we stroll through this storied street, we’ll uncover the legacy of individuals like Jonathan Fisher — Blue Hill’s first settled minister, renowned artist, mathematician, and craftsman. Fisher's passion for capturing the world around him through art, writing, and invention left a lasting impact on the community. Through historic photographs, documents, and anecdotes, we’ll bring the past to life and celebrate the people and places that shaped Blue Hill.

This immersive walking tour is perfect for history enthusiasts and curious minds alike. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a visitor eager to learn more, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to step back in time and experience the town’s rich heritage.

We recommend comfortable footwear and weather-appropriate clothing for this outdoor experience. Come ready to listen, learn, and discover the fascinating stories that await! This event is co-sponsored by the Jonathan Fisher House and the Blue Hill Historical Society.

Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. Learn more from Maine Preservation.

To live a life of liberty, we have to find the nature and substance of liberty, which is spiritual, purposeful, unburdened, and given to all. To do that you have to know where to look, to the source of liberty — God, good itself, all-inclusive.
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In this talk, Nichole will examine liberty from a Biblical perspective; and show how real people today find their freedom from all kinds of physical, emotional and circumstantial restrictions that seem clearly beyond their control so that they may Be Set Free.

North Star Baroque will close its debut season with a program that features Bach’s Coffee Cantata, a comedy from a time when coffee and coffee houses were first becoming all the rage in Europe. It tells the story of a comical dispute between a young girl who loves her coffee and her strict, blustery father who feels it isn’t proper for a girl to be drinking it. With three singers plus instruments, this little drama is the closest Bach ever came to writing an opera. The concert will also include a brilliant Vivaldi Concerto for Two Violins, as well as music of Corelli and Rameau.

Maine's First Ship invites you to a Maypole Celebration, rain or shine! Free and open to the public

Right along with having the first English ship built in the Americas, the 1607 pinnace Virginia, the Midcoast Region of Maine can claim America’s first maypole dance. Over 400 years ago, in 1622, Thomas Weston’s fishing ship Sparrow of London, was headed to the Plymouth Colony. They made landfall too far north and came ashore to the established fishing station at Damariscove Island. Phinehas Pratt, a member of Sparrow’s crew, recorded in his journal “The men that belong to the ship, there fishing, had newly set up a maypole and were very merry.”

Join members and friends of Maine’s First Ship on Saturday, May 10, 2025 in the boatyard outside the Bath Freight Shed for our second annual Maypole Celebration. We are also celebrating the return of Virginia to Bath. In the case of rain, the dancing will be inside the freight shed.

11am: Musicians Sharon Pyne and Kaity Newell and friends will arrive and potential fairies (the public) will gather at the freight shed. For those without festive garb, volunteers will help to create costumes from provided components.

Noon: The wild rumpus will begin with a procession around the yard ending up at the maypole. Fairy wranglers will help get the little ones going in the right direction.

1pm: Lemonade and cookies will be provided to refresh the dancers and entourage.

In the 1930s, Portland was home to over 600 Jewish households, with kosher markets, clothing stores and three synagogues dotting the streets of the diverse neighborhood. Decisions made by city government and the practice of “red-lining” in the early part of the 20th century, however, changed Portland’s East End forever. Houses and businesses surrounding the area were torn down to make way for new buildings and traffic patterns, and the streets that once connected the community were severed.

Join us for a Lunch and Learn Panel Discussion on how the major changes to the layout of Portland’s streets made a drastic impact on the century-old patterns of Portland’s Jewish life. Bring your own lunch (vegetarian to be respectful of our synagogue please).

Photo Credit: Maine Historical Society, 1924 Tax Records, 59 Franklin Street

Excellent variety of sun and shade plants, perennials, annuals, houseplants, and lightly used gardening items. Support the Hampden Garden Club and its effort to care for the historic Harmony Hall building.