Community Calendar

Beginner workshops are perfect for you to grab your friends, grab a drink and come make tiny trees! We’re bringing the awesome art of bonsai out of the hedged in gardens and into the streets! Or at least into your favorite bars/breweries/pubs. Bonsai Bar is a night of fun you don’t want to miss. Learn the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while enjoying a night out with friends! Our teachers will introduce core concepts and guide your experience as you pot, prune, and design your very own bonsai tree! Our Guarantee: These tiny trees are so hardy we guarantee you can keep yours alive, or we’ll replace it.

This workshop will be hosted at Apres. At Après, we’re hellbent on offering craft beverage enthusiasts a unique way to enjoy what they love. Our passionately-made small batch drinks celebrate the traditional and progressive flavors of the Maine lifestyle and are served up in a space filled with friends — both already made and soon to be.

Our naturally calorie-light hard seltzer and gluten-free hard cider call out to the adventurous, inquisitive drinker who cares about fresh ingredients and sustainable living.

Come see us today for a drink at our bar or patio — or grab an ice-cold 4-pack to enjoy at home.

Under 21 policy: Please contact Apres for details regarding underage entry

For more about Bonsai Bar and what to expect at our classes, visit our website at: https://bonsaibar.com/products/apres

Happens on the following Dates:
Aug 20, 2025, 6:30pm to 8:30pm Timezone: EDT
Sep 17, 2025, 6:30pm to 8:30pm Timezone: EDT

Maine Public is a media sponsor of the DaPonte String Quartet’s concert series. For 34 years the DaPonte String Quartet has been engaging audiences across Maine with their intimate performances. This year they will perform Beethoven and Korngold in several locations along the mid-coast from August 24^th to September 14^th.

Maine Public members are eligible for 15% off tickets, please use the code MainePublic15.

More information on concert venues: https://dapontequartet.org/events/category/concert/

Hike to one of Acadia’s iconic summits AND help Acadia National Park’s efforts to restore native vegetation!

Acadia National Park, in collaboration with Friends of Acadia and Schoodic Institute, invites tenacious hikers to bring bags of soil to the summits of Penobscot and Sargent Mountains. You’ll get to choose how much soil you’ll carry – carrying as little as five pounds (about the size of a large freezer ziplock bag) is a huge help! This soil is integral to the ongoing summit restoration efforts in Acadia National Park.

Cushing-based artist Vic Goldsmith will have a show of work entitled “Transition” on display in the upper and lower levels of the Rockport Public Library, Sept. 3-29. The exhibit will feature Goldsmith’s improvisational wood carvings and abstract colored pencil drawings he calls “pencil paintings.” An opening reception will be held at the library on Friday, Sept. 5, from 3 to 5 p.m.

“In both my sculpture and drawings, I use abstraction and the surreal to see and express alternative patterns in the ordinary elements of our world,” says Goldsmith. During the past three years, arthritis has necessitated a transition to pencil drawing as Goldsmith’s primary means of creative expression. With the drawings, “color and shading add another layer to the choices I make in moving the work forward, a significant difference from the generally monochromatic wood sculptures.”

Victor Goldsmith grew up in New York and took an inspiring sculpture class with Jack Squier while studying architecture at Cornell University. He entered the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) as a graduate assistant in sculpture, receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1979. While his career ultimately focused on architecture and construction consulting, Goldsmith recalibrated after retirement and resumed working on wood sculpture full-time in 2001. His work has been shown in New York, Rhode Island, Portland, Maine, and locally in a number of Rockland galleries.

If you're a community member eager to keep on learning as the years go by, check out the Belfast Senior College’s fall semester schedule. With eighteen courses to choose from, there's something for everyone, from hands-on learning, to discussions and lectures. There's no tests, no homework and opportunities to interact with other learners. Registration opens on Tuesday, September 2, and classes start on September 22. Belfast Senior College (BSC) welcomes all who are ages 50 and over to become a member to enjoy this community of learners.

A new weekly program is coming to the Children’s Room! Starting August 20, join us every Wednesday at 10:00 am for Beach Baby Boogie.

Bring your toddlers to get their wiggles out at the library with some fun tunes and lots of laughs! This program is free, open to the public, and no registration is required.

On The Rise : Art Exhibition
Join us for On The Rise. An art exhibit from the 2026 calendar and previous editions currently running until January 2026.

Join us for Maine Craft Weekend Oct 4th & 5th 2025. The Alan Claude Gallery gallery will be open 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. ART TALK with Alan Claude (about a 10 minute presentation) is at 11am and again at 2pm. Complimentary refreshments on Saturday and Sunday. Best Art Gallery in Maine by Down East Magazine 2025

Join us for Bumps & Babies on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday every month starting June 4th from 10:30am to 11:30am in the Children’s Department.

Bumps & Babies is a support group that provides a safe, compassionate space for individuals navigating the emotional and physical challenges of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Members can share experiences, receive encouragement, and connect with others facing similar struggles, such as anxiety, depression, or the joys and adjustment to parenthood.

The group is often facilitated by a trained professional and may include resources on mental health, self-care, and infant care. It’s a place to feel seen, supported, and less alone during a deeply transformative time.

The Bumps & Babies program is in partnership with Community Concepts, WIC Maine, Western Maine Community Action, Maine Families and Public health Nursing.

Free. No registration required. Siblings are welcome.

For more information contact the Children’s Department at (207) 513-3503, LPLKids@lewistonmaine.gov

Richard Boyd Art Gallery opens September with a group exhibition of paintings and sculptures in a range of styles created by a group of national and internationally renowned visual artists with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and styles.

The exhibit is comprised of a magnificent selection of fine art that offers viewers a visual narrative of feelings expressed in color, depth, detail, and texture. From the calming beauty of a foggy landscape to the immersive experience of a surrealistic dreamscape, art takes viewers on a personal journey of exploration. Art is an international language we all understand, offering viewers adventure and discovery.

The exhibition presents an exceptional collection of paintings and sculptures created from the soul of the artist. Each work is a well-rendered expression of emotion, passion, and feelings. The exhibit includes works by Deena S. Ball, Tim Eaton, Patricia Chandler, Randy Eckard, Richard H. Eyster, Laura Freeman, Jane Herbert, and HM Saffer II.

Stop in and see this great exhibition open free of charge from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily from September 2nd through September 28th, 2025. For more information the gallery by phone (207)-712-1097, email info@richardboydartgallery.com or visit the gallery’s website www.richardboydartgallery.com .

For exhibit updates follow the gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardBoydArtGallery and on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/richardboydartgallery9327 .

Image of "Early Morning Fog” a 20” x 30” acrylic on canvas painting by Jane Herbert.

Rebecca Hayes ‘From Maine With Love’
New Paintings Inspired by Vintage Scenes

Through her stunning photo-realistic paintings, artist Rebecca Hayes takes us on a journey through Greater Portland history finding forgotten moments and cherished memories. In collaboration with historian Paul Ledman, author of “Walking Through History: Portland, Maine on Foot” and “Portland, Maine: Connections Across Time”, Hayes has brought her sharp brush work and eye for color to iconic locations including Harbor Fish Market, Red’s Dairy Freeze, and Congress Square. Each painting will be accompanied by text from Ledman for historical context.
Additional paintings of contemporary paintings of Greater Portland will be on view in the gallery.

Rebecca Hayes is an artist based in Portland, Maine. She grew up in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Opening Reception: Thursday August 8th, 5-7pm