The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Old Port and features six stages of music, activities, food and a Maine arts and crafts section. The free festival is for all ages and is held rain or shine.
The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. with a parade starting at the top of Exchange Street and features local mascots, music, dancers, giant puppets, stilt walkers and more.
Festival organizers describe the Old Port Festival as the largest one-day festival in northern New England, hosting more than 30,000 people.
“The Old Port Festival is the official start of summer for locals and visitors alike. People come out to explore the many offerings the festival presents as well as visit the locally owned shops, restaurants and galleries throughout downtown Portland,” said Jan Beitzer, executive director of Portland’s Downtown District.
From noon to 5 p.m., live music will be presented on six stages throughout by the Maine Academy of Modern Music, Dispatch Magazine, COAST 93.1, 98.9 WCLZ, Today’s Country with WPOR 101.9, and Bull Feeney’s Irish Music.
A yearly highlight of the festival is the Maine Made Artist and Crafters area on Market Street. More than 90 artists from throughout the state display and sell their unique works. Supporting the best of Maine’s creative economy, people enjoy items such as handcrafted clothing, fine art, prints, pottery, photography, jewelry and more.
The diverse festival also offers activities and adventures for the whole family. The Children’s Museum and Theatre sponsors arts and crafts for kids in Post Office Park. Local musicians and performers also entertain hourly. Up on Newbury Street, adrenaline junkies can swing like trapeze artists on Summit Adventure Systems’ trapeze swing, and the Maine Rock Gym sets up a 25-foot rock wall for climbers of all ages and abilities on upper Market Street along with a bungee trampoline that launches people two stories in the air. Traditional amusement rides are located on Federal Street with a train ride, “spin the apple” and pirate ship rides, plus the fun house, balloon dart and more.
Old Port shops and restaurants offer their unique wares and food along with classic festival food vendors and ethnic options for every taste.
For a schedule of events, activities and performers, visit portlandmaine.com.
‘Madame Butterfly’ gala event planned
SOUTH PORTLAND — PORTopera, Maine’s only opera company performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, will host a gala on June 8 to benefit its 18th Festival Season production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.”
The gala will be held at the Marriott at Sable Oaks in South Portland beginning with cocktails at 6:30 p.m., followed by a four-course Japanese dinner, a live auction for prizes such as a walk-on role in “Madama Butterfly,” a St. John condo vacation, antique jewelry, opera trips, and more.
The gala has been planned in collaboration with the Japan America Society of Maine, and the Bob Charest Band will play for dancing throughout the evening. Tickets are $130 each. For reservations, call 879-7678.
Performances of “Madama Butterfly” are July 25 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium.
Tickets for opera range from $41 to $105 and are available online through porttix.com or in person at the PortTIX box office, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For more information, visit www.portopera.org.
Charm City Devils join Taproot at Asylum
PORTLAND — Charm City Devils will be performing at The Asylum as support for Taproot and Hurt on Sunday. Beyond the Fall will also perform.
Charm City Devils — singer John Allen, guitarist Vic Karrera, bassist Anthony Arambula, guitarist Nick Kay and drummer Jason Heiser — is touring the U.S. to promote their forthcoming sophomore album, “Sins,” which was released April 10. It’s the follow up to 2009’s “Let’s Rock-NRoll” debut albumn.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. The show starts are 8 p.m.
The Asylum is located at 121 Center St., Portland. For more information, call 772- 8274. The show is ages 21 and older.
According to a news release, “Sins” finds Charm Cirty Devils adding harder, edgier tones to their bluesbased roots. “The result of the band’s life experiences over the past few years, ‘Sins’ features an aggression and energy that hits you right between the eyes. From the first note of ‘Spite’ to the last cymbal crash of ‘Unstoppable,’ ‘Sins’ showcases the bands power, directness and new found energy and intensity.”
For sound clips, videos, and more, check out www.charmcitydevils.com or www.facebook.com/charmcitydevils.
Ballet school plans free drop in classes
PORTLAND — Portland School of Ballet will offer a week of free drop in classes for teens and adults from June 4 to 9. PSB offers this free week of classes annually as a thank-you to current dancers and an invitation to the curious, providing an opportunity to experience a class at no cost, states a news release.
PSB studios are located at 517 Forest Ave.
Visitors can choose from the following list of teen and adult drop-in classes:
— Beginning ballet, Monday 6 to 7:30 p.m.
— Beginner/intermediate ballet, Thursday 6 to 7:30 p.m.
— Intermediate ballet, Tuesday 6 to 7:30 p.m.
— Advanced ballet, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 to 10:30 a.m.
— Intermediate/advanced mixed-level ballet, Saturday 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Drop-in classes will continue to run during the summer on these days and times and are normally $15 per class (or eight-class cards for $105). All drop-in classes are free next week.
For questions regarding summer programs or registration, please contact Portland Ballet at 772-9671 or visit www.portlandballet.org.
Standard Issue set to record live album
SOUTH PORTLAND — Rob Schreiber’s Standard Issue will record their debut CD “Live” at Gingko Blue (www.gingkoblue.com), on Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m.
There is no cover for the 21 and older show. The group includes Colleen Clark on vocals, Emmett Harrity on piano, Nick Merriam on acoustic bass and Schreiber on the drums.
Gingko Blue is located at 455 Fore St.
Weather permitting, the South Portland CD release will take place at the South Portland Historical Society’s annual Fourth of July celebration located at the entrance of Bug Light Park. Standard Issue will perform from 11 a.m. until noon. The event is free and open to the public of all ages. Proceeds of each CD sale will go to the South Portland Music Boosters.
Shaker Village hosting sacred singing session
NEW GLOUCESTER — The fifth annual Shaker Meetinghouse and Francis Bliss Birthday Singing session will be held on Saturday from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Singing will take place in the historic Shaker Meetinghouse at Sabbathday Lake. Participants will use the Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson edition. Books will be available for loan or purchase.
This is the only active Shaker Community and they have offered the opportunity to sing in their building.
“This is a space that was built for singing,” states a news release. “Some have even called it the ‘Holy Grail’ of singing spaces. If you would like to make a day of it, you can bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it on the grounds or come earlier to take a museum tour or visit their gift shop.”
For more information, visit www.shaker.lib.me.us/index. html. The first tour of the day starts at 10:30 a.m. and lasts approximately 75 minutes.
There will be a potluck meal after the Saturday singing, so please bring a dish to share. Please pack foods to keep them hot or cold as needed and mark dishes and serving utensils. Foods should be ready to serve because there will be no use of the Shaker kitchen.
At 6:30 p.m., the singing will move 10 minutes north to the Maine State Building in Poland.
On Sunday, the public is invited to worship with the Shaker Community at 10 a.m.
Also on Sunday, the monthly Portland Singing will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the New Church, 302 Stevens Ave. in Portland.
For information about sacred harp singing, call 721- 9732 or email singing@mainesacredharp.org.
Tate House Museum lists summer hours
PORTLAND — The Tate House Museum will be open for the season beginning Saturday. Hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.
Tours are given on the hour, with the last one scheduled for 3 p.m.
Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors $6 and $3 for children ages 6 to 12.
For more information, call 774-6177.
Franco festival on tap at Heritage Center
LEWISTON — Festival Franco Fun 2012, an annual all-day party, will run from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday at the Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St.
Festival tickets are $10 for an all-day pass. Children younger than 12 are free with and adult ticket purchase. Tickets available at francocenter.org or by calling 689- 2000.
Food is available for an extra charge. A crepe breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. costs $6. Lunch and dinner is served from 11 a.m. to closing and ranges from $1 to $7. A bean supper is available from 4:30 to 6 p.m. for $7.
A variety entertainment is scheduled, including Dennis Labbe as Mr. Magic from 9 to 10 a.m., storytelling with Michael Parent from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Musique Tout Partout from 1 to 2 p.m., Present Company from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Joelle Morris from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Tinpanic from 6 to 7 p.m., Norm Gagnon et Le Groupe de Joie from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., and C’était Si Bon from 9 to 11 p.m.
River Arts with Pride at the Lincoln Home
NEWCASTLE — Guitarist and composer Don Pride will be performing at the Lincoln Home on Saturday at 7 p.m. with a reception to follow.
This classical concert is sponsored by River Arts and coordinated by board member Ferdinand “Dino” Liva of the DaPonte String Quartet. Pride will play music by Dowland,
Bach, Turina, Tarrega, Castenuovo-Tedesco and a Spanish Suite.
Pride maintains an active performance schedule. He is the leader of Pride & Joy, a group that has played at numerous festivals, concerts, festivals and functions throughout New England since 1995. He has performed for President George W. Bush in Kennebunk.
He currently teaches guitar and music history at St. Joseph’s College and sometimes at the University of Southern Maine. The Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra premiered his first major composition for orchestra, “One Breath,” in May 2004.
Pride has also released two albums of his own compositions. For more information, visit www.donpride.com.
This free concert is the final in a series presented by River Arts this year. River Arts is a nonprofit art center located at 170 Main St., Damariscotta, offering exhibitions, classes, poetry readings and lectures. For more information, call 563-1507 or visit www.riverartsme.org.
Farnsworth Collective hosting After Party
ROCKLAND — The Collective, the Farnsworth Art Museum’s new membership group, will host an After Party tonight for the international short film series “Rockland Shorts” at The Lincoln Street Center for the Arts and Education, 24 Lincoln St.
The party will take place from 9:30 p.m. to midnight.
This third and final Rockland Shorts After Party of the year will once again feature cocktails, refreshments and dance music by DJ Mark Kelly.
This will be an occasion to discuss the short films featured in the evening’s lineup at The Strand, and also to celebrate Lincoln Street Center’s contributions to the artistic and educational community in the Mid-coast. Lincoln Street Center for the Arts and Education is scheduled to close its doors on June 30. Preceding the after party, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Lincoln Street Center will be hosting a farewell gathering which will include studio tours and a potluck reception.
The After Party is free for Collective members, $10 for Farnsworth members, and $12 for nonmembers. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 596- 6256. For those attending the Rockland Shorts International Short Film Series at The Strand Theatre, the fee includes both the series and the After Party.
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