Community Calendar

Come with us on a journey through our Milky Way! Together we will fly to places where
no human being has ever been before. We start at our Sun, look at our galaxy from the
outside and plunge into the starry center. In the process, we will address exciting
questions: How does a galaxy form and function? And where do all the stars come
from?
Using current scientific data and simulations have been implemented for the
planetarium, audiences will experience our home galaxy as vividly in new ways!

Beloved by generations, Magic of Christmas blends classic carols, contemporary favorites, and a dash of comic surprise. Featuring kaleidoscopic lighting, the mighty Kotzschmar Organ, PSO Children’s Chorus, Magic of Christmas Chorus, the full sound of orchestra, and Maine’s own American Idol star Julia Gagnon - bringing her powerhouse voice home for the holidays - Magic of Christmas is a must-see celebration that ushers in the season like nothing else.

Believed to have originated in the 9th or 10th century A.D., Tholpavakoothu is a sacred art form performed annually in temples as a festival dedicated to Goddess Bhadra Kali. This mesmerizing shadow puppet play is based on the Kamba Ramayana and is traditionally performed in Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English. Rooted in Indian mythology, Tholpavakoothu is believed to have been created for Goddess Bhadra Kali, who missed witnessing the battle between Sree Rama and Ravana due to her own fight against the demon king Darikasura. To appease her, Lord Shiva directed that the Ramayana battle be enacted on earth through puppetry a tradition that continues to this day.

This rare and unique blend of shadow puppetry, narration, and music brings to life the timeless stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, portraying the eternal struggle between good and evil. Rahul Koonathara, an accomplished artist and a 12th generation shadow puppet practitioner, has dedicated his life to preserving and showcasing this extraordinary art form on national and international platforms.

The Half Moon Jug Band is a 21st century jug band rooted in the Downeast humor and dry wit traditions of their home State O’ Maine.

Belfast welcomes something new and exciting this winter. The Speed of Sound, the latest musical endeavor from longtime Maine musician Spencer Albee, whose decades-long career has shaped much of Maine’s live music scene, will perform at The Underground Lounge on Friday, December 19, 2025.
The band marks the beginning of a fresh musical chapter for Albee (lead vocals, vintage keyboards, and rhythm guitar), whose decades-long career has shaped much of Maine’s live music scene. He's joined by Zachary Bence (lead guitar and background vocals), Owen Markowitz (drums and background vocals) and Caleb Sweet (bass and background vocals). “We’re stepping into a new chapter - different energy, same heart,” says Albee. “I’m eager for longtime fans and new listeners to hear what we’ve been working on."
The Underground Lounge, a beloved DIY basement-theatre venue located under the Basil Burwell Theatre at 17 Court Street, is known for intimate shows, community-driven spirit, and a warm, unpretentious atmosphere. Admission is $10–$20 at the door (cash only). Seating is limited, so early arrival is recommended. Food and drink will be available by donation.

Midcoast Community Band Tidings of Joy: Part 2
The Midcoast Community Band will offer its second winter concert – Tidings
of Joy: Part 2 - on Friday evening, December 19th, 2025 at the Thomaston Baptist
Church at 212 Main Street. The concert will begin at 7:00 P. M. under the direction
of Jo Anne Parker, who is wrapping up her 38th year fronting the band. Members
of the band are from all over the midcoast area, and is made up of members young
and old, from ages 15 to 84 – a true community band.
 
    The program will feature Christmas music - a blend of familiar and not so
familiar tunes, including the popular audience sing-along of favorite carols.
Parker’s voice student, Ashley Corbett of Cushing - a senior at Oceanside High
School, will sing “Grown-Up Christmas List”, accompanied by the band, and will
also lead the singalong. Other pieces on the program will be “My Dancing Day” (a
traditional English carol), “Divinum Mysterium” – a beautiful setting by James
Swearingen of the Advent hymn “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”, “A Canadian
Brass Christmas Suite”, “Christmas Through the Ages” – a blend of classical music
with Christmas songs, “On This Day Earth Shall Ring” by Gustav Holst, along with
the Leroy Anderson favorites “Sleigh Ride” and “A Christmas Festival”. On a lighter
note, the program will include “Santa Baby” and “Feliz Navidad” (with lots of fun
percussion).

Next year, the band will be celebrating its 40th year of music making, with
lots of special events in the works already.
 
    Admission to Friday’s concert is free, but donations for the band will be
gratefully appreciated. For further information, please contact Jo Anne Parker at
knitmusic@roadrunner.com.
 
Jo Anne Parker
372-6737

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
DECEMBER 4-23 (Thu 7pm, Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 2pm... Mon & Tue, Dec 22nd & 23rd, 7pm)
Step into the magic of the season with this thrilling, live stage production of Dickens’, A Christmas Carol! Join the ghosts of Marley, Christmas Past, Present, and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a life changing journey. Starring award-winning actor Michael J. Tobin, this hauntingly unique production is full of immersive special effects, music, and the magic and joy of the Dickens holiday classic like you’ve never experienced it before. A haunting, heartwarming holiday must-see for the whole family!

The Bagaduce Chorale and the GEM Ensemble Orchestra present a program of joyuous music for the holiday season. Works by Franz Biebl, Elaine Hagenberg, John Leavitt, Craig Courtney, Jacob Narverud, Sarah Quartel and Karl Jenkins create a dazzling tapestry of seasonal moods: quiet comtemplation, hopeful yearning, thankful praising and exubertant rejoicing. And exciting settings of familliar carols brings the program to a rousing joyful finale. To see the concert program and order tickets visit bagaducechorale.org

What will now be an annual favorite, in 2024 TMCK have a holiday album, Christmas in a Minor Key. With their signature two part harmony the “Kids” have not been here since 2014, and we are so happy they will be back with us for the holidays. With pure tones, moving voices, entwined acoustic guitars and rootsy songwriting, The Milk Carton Kids know how to capture the quiet dynamics of a song to weave a spell that has been captivating audiences from coast to coast since 2011. The twice Grammy Award-nominated indie-Folk duo featuring Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are artists of the finest kind.

Stock up on BOOKS at great prices — 50¢ to $3! Shop Saturday mornings at the APL Bookstore 9:00-12:30 for gently used books, ever-changing inventory, wide selection of children’s, fiction and non-fiction books, plus DVDs and puzzles. Auburn Public Library, lower level, 46 Spring Street, Auburn.