A music workshop, snowflake scavenger hunt, tree and wreath sale and arts and crafts sales are just a few community events planned over the next few weeks as part of Yarmouth’s Hometown Holidays.
317 Main Community Music Center is hosting a a week of music workshops as part of Yarmouth’s Hometown Holidays. Rachel Vitello / The Forecaster
The annual event hosted by the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce is a “long-standing Yarmouth tradition” to encourage residents to shop local, said Adrienne Nardi, the chamber’s executive director.
“A few years ago, we started to look at it as a month-long activity that could be used to highlight different businesses and nonprofits in our town that do things throughout the whole holiday season,” Nardi said. “We always want our businesses to succeed with what they’re putting out there and have a great holiday season, whether that’s sale-wise or with their community involvement.”
317 Main is hosting its annual community music workshops Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. All of the workshops are via Zoom except for “Meet the Cukes” with 317 Main’s ukulele ensemble Nov. 30. The workshops – free for 317 Main members, or $20 for for non-members – include rock ‘n’ roll ukulele, improvisation through musical language, a crash course on classical piano composers, how to be a confident singer, and a fiddle tune jam session.
The workshops vary in appropriate age and skill levels, said Melia Coletta, 317 Main’s marketing and communications manager Melia Coletta, but there is something for everyone available.
“One of the reasons we host this is to encourage musicians to meet other community members and meet one of our 30-plus teachers who they maybe haven’t worked with before. There’s a lot you can learn from them,” Coletta said. “The teachers also have the opportunity to teach something different that they’re excited to do. We hope that individuals will learn something new and won’t be afraid to try different things.”
317 Main will also host its annual “Songs of the Season” holiday concert online at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17. Tickets for the workshop week and the holiday concert can be found at 317music.org.
Merrill Library will hold a snowflake scavenger hunt Dec. 3-4. Multiple clues will be given for participants to find 10 snowflakes hidden throughout the library. The first person to find all 10 will win a small prize.
“We hope that once families get in here, they’ll remember they can check out books, too,” Youth Services Librarian Jill O’Connor said. “This is meant to be a community-building event, so I hope people have a fun and interactive experience with the library.”
Hidden snowflakes will be scattered during additional “snowstorms” every Friday in December just for the fun of finding them.
The Lions Club’s tree and wreath sale begins Sunday, Nov. 28, at 200 Main St., and will continue every Saturday and Sunday in December until the stock runs out. All proceeds from tree sales will go towards Yarmouth High School’s scholarship fund. Over the past decade, the Lions Club has raised $75,000 for this scholarship fund. All wreath sales proceeds will go to a heating assistance program for Yarmouth residents.
Maine’s Fastest Mile, a 1-mile virtual race from Nov. 20 to Dec. 11, is the primary fundraiser for the Yarmouth Rotary Club. Money raised will help Rotary projects both in the community and around the world, from youth leadership opportunities for Yarmouth High School students and a boardwalk project in Riverfront Woods to hemotherapy clinics in India and leadership scholarships in Ecuador. To register, go to bit.ly/3qWLFbB.
Dec. 4 is the day for art and crafts sales, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Log Cabin Artisans will be selling holiday gifts at its new location, 41 Railroad Square. North Yarmouth Academy will host its annual holiday craft fair with over 60 vendors from across the state. Artascope will sell fine arts and crafts at 48 Railroad Square. Delany Arts will have ceramics, paintings, jewelry, knitwear and holiday mini photo sessions available at 20 Center St. Maggie Mae’s will serve hot cider starting at 10 a.m. and offer a 10% discount on gift purchases.
Also that Saturday, the town tree lighting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in front of Town Hall.
“I think people are excited to get back out there and enjoy the holidays the best we know how,” Nardi said. “Let’s hope for an even better year next year.”
A full list of Hometown Holiday events can be found at yarmouthmaine.org/hometown-holidays.
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