Friends of Hope Cemetery and Woods invite the public on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. for a walk through Hope Woods. Maine Master Naturalist Gordon Collins will guide participants on the accessible trail and point out facts about the flora that grows in the woods and throughout Maine.

For registration and questions, email friendsofhcw@gmail.com or call 207-387-9100.

Community Fall Dinner offered at Holy Cross

Holy Cross Lutheran Church announced it will its Community Fall Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost is $8 per person, children younger than 4 eat free.

Half the proceeds will go to Kennebunk Community Outreach Services.

The menu includes roast pork, sauerkraut, buttered egg noodles, green beans, breads with apple crisp and ice cream for dessert. Take-out meals are available.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church is located on the corner of Lord and Storer streets in Kennebunk.

Invitation to Maine Made Artisans: Join the Inaugural Maine Made Fair in Kennebunkport

Artisans invited to inaugural Maine Made Fair

The Kennebunkport Historical Society extended an invitation to all Maine Made artisans for the inaugural Maine Made Fair, a celebration of the state’s tradition of craftsmanship and creativity. As advocates of Maine’s artisanal spirit, the society will bring together a group of artists and makers to showcase their creations.
Event details include:
• Location: Overlooking Dock Square in Kennebunkport, 8 Maine St.
• Date: Friday, Dec. 1.
• Date and time: Vendors can set up their 6×6 space starting at 7 a.m.
• Parking: While on-site parking is unavailable, drop-off areas are provided between the church and the house. Public parking is just an eighth of a mile down North Street, adjacent to the fire station.

At the fair, the historical society will curate an array of artisans and makers who share a common bond – everything they offer is made in Maine. Artisans who specialize in photography, handcrafted textiles, jewelry, literature, or any other form of artistic expression are invited to participate.

Space is limited, with room for only 15 artists and makers. Vendor applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. The cost is $75 for a 6X6 space in a heated tent. Vendors may choose to bring their own 6-foot table or rent one from the society for a nominal fee of $15.
The venue is a highly visible and heated tent on the lawn of White Columns in the heart of Kennebunkport, during Christmas Prelude.

For vendor applications and inquiries, contact Kristin Haight, executive director, at 207-
967-2751 or KHaight@KPortHS.com.

Arundel Historical Society to host ‘Vintage Grange Songs’

The Arundel Historical Society will host a musical event, Vintage Grange Songs, on Sunday, Oct. 22. It will be held at 1 p.m. in the Arundel Municipal Building and will feature a journey into the Grange movement and the songs they sang.

According to the historical society, Granges were established “as an egalitarian, nonpartisan fraternal organization founded in the wake of the Civil War to advance the interests of farming communities, the Grange (aka, the Order of Patrons of Husbandry) has had a profound influence on rural American life. It has a rich history of song, with a number of song books published starting in 1874. Katherine Rhoda collects and studies this material and will share songs celebrating agriculture, rural life, and the pursuit of the common good. There will be a brief explanation of the Grange movement and its impact on rural communities in America.”

Grange songs will be performed and old Grange songbooks will be displayed. There will be refreshments available and suggested donations are $10 for non-members and $8 for members.

McClelland Music Foundation presents Coastal Winds

The Keith McClelland Community Music Foundation will present the Coastal Winds Clarinet Quartet for its next concert event on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at Church on the Cape.

Coastal Winds Clarinet Quartet was established in 2022 and is based in Rochester, New Hampshire. The group provides musical and educational outreach through concerts and educational discussions in Maine and New Hampshire. The quartet has performed for nursing homes and for at York County Senior College. Their music selections range from classical to jazz, Dixieland to Latin, Broadway to rock. Their library allows the group to custom-design programs for dinners, wine tastings, weddings, funerals, holiday programs, social events, and recitals.

The repertoire for the Oct. 20 concert at Church on the Cape will include selections from Les Miserables, Scarborough Fair as arranged by Pentatonix, Tico-Tico, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Fly Me to The Moon.

The instrumentalists include Joan DeVittori of Hampton, New Hampshire, Ted Hagarty from Wells, Jack Kupp, of Kennebunk, and Jeff Smith from Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. They are award-winning music educators, conductors, and symphony and theater pit orchestra members.

A donation of $15 is suggested.  Church on the Cape is located at 3 Langsford Road in Cape Porpoise. The church is accessible with a ramp. There is parking on Langsford Road and behind Bradbury’s Market on Route 9 where steps lead to the back of the church.

For more information, email billsusie58@hotmail.com.

Library to host holiday wine tasting fundraiser

Kennebunk Free Library will sponsor a Holiday Wine Tasting on Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the library’s Parsons Reading Room.

Betsy Ross, owner of Kennebunk’s Wine House on Main, will inform patrons about three wines for the holiday season. Nikki Ranwell, owner of Kennebunkport’s The Port Box, will provide coned charcuterie skewers to go along with the wine. There will be time for discussion and questions, and trivia prizes will be awarded.

Participants can show their ticket at Wine House on Main to receive a 10 percent discount on the three selected wines. Suggested donation for tickets is $10. Purchase tickets to receive descriptions of the three chosen wines along with ticket to the tasting.

The program is wheelchair accessible. Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk. For more information call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Library seeks artists for 2024

Kennebunk Free Library is accepting applications for artists to exhibit during the 2024 calendar year. Since its inception in 2001, Hank’s Room Gallery – rechristened the Speers Gallery in 2010 – has offered exhibit opportunities to both amateur and professional artists. The gallery has been host to a variety of mediums including photography, textile arts and mixed media assemblages in addition to renditions in oil, pastel, enamel oil, encaustic, pen and ink, and watercolor.

The application process is open to either individual or group shows. Applications must be received by Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.

In November 2023 an art committee consisting of members from the library and art communities will convene to review the completed applications and set a monthly exhibit schedule for 2024. Upon completion of the review, applicants will be contacted regarding the committee’s decisions. Application forms are available at the library or on the library’s website www.kennebunklibrary.org.

According to the library, “offering monthly artist exhibits contributes to the Kennebunk Free Library’s mission to inspire and enable our communities to discover, learn, and connect. The library is very proud to have showcased the many talented artists who have previously exhibited and is looking forward to continuing this tradition with the 2024 exhibit schedule.”

Irish trio returns to West Kennebunk

October’s offering in the Concerts in West K series features a return visit by Fόdhla (FO-lah), the trio of Nicole Rabata (flute), Ellery Klein (fiddle), and Bethany Waickman (guitar).

“Based in Portland and Boston, Fόdhla are long-time favorites with Concerts in West K! audiences,” wrote concert organizers. “The trio brings high energy and stellar artistry to the traditional music stage. Their sound is firmly rooted in the traditional Irish melodies and ornamentation that fiddler Ellery Klein and flute player Nicole Rabata honed during years spent abroad in Ireland. Their fiddle and flute melodies are superbly supported by Bethany Waickman’s guitar work. Her inventive, tasteful chords provide driving rhythmic underpinning perfected from years of playing for contradances.”

The Fόdhla concert will take place Sunday, Oct. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. at West Kennebunk United Methodist Church, 160 Alfred Road West Kennebunk (less than a mile off the Maine Turnpike/I-95). Admission to the concert is by donation at the door, suggested at $20 per person.

The concert is part of the re-boot of the Concerts in West K! series, following a pandemic-related suspension. For more information, call Paul Wells at 207-985-2831.

Former intelligence officers meeting features Pearce

The October meeting of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers will have Maine native, Ambassador David Pearce, present different aspects of diplomacy covering extreme warlike confrontations to other factors that could affect a country’s stability due to internal problems.

Pearce has a background in history combined with 10 years in international journalism before joining the U.S. Diplomatic Service for 35 years. He has held a variety of diplomatic positions throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Europe including being the U.S. ambassador to Algeria and then to Greece. He has been involved in diplomacy, and he will discuss old and new fundamentals of strategic engagement.

The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21s and is open to the public. The meeting begins at 2 p.m. in the Economos Lecture Hall at Kennebunk High School, 89 Fletcher St., in Kennebunk. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation.

Graves Library announces October offerings

A Special Firefighter Story Hour is set for Friday Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. at Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, 18 Maine St. in Kennebunkport. October is Fire Prevention Month. The event will feature a truck, stories, and a firefighter demonstration of putting on gear in under two minutes. Children can practice with their own pink, red, or black helmet to take home. For more information, call 967-2778 and ask for the Junior Room or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

Community Art Show, 5:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13: The current pieces will hang in the Business Center through May 2024. Celebrate local talent and support community artists. Fifty percent of all proceeds benefit the library. Light refreshments will be served. The Artists at Graves Library exhibition will present a range of artistic styles and mediums including acrylic abstractions, watercolor landscapes, mixed media, and photography. Parking is available at the Village Fire Station (North Street) and Consolidated School (Route 9).

Richard Russo and Andre Dubus, III: In Conversation, Vinegar Hill Music Theater, 53 Old Post Road, Arundel, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. General admission ticket is $50. A (cash bar) cocktail hour and book sales will start at 5:30 p.m. followed by a conversation with award-winning authors Richard Russo and Andre Dubus, III, at 6:30 p.m.

Dubus and Russo are releasing new novels this fall. Dubus’ “Such Kindness,” the story of a working-class white man’s terrible fall, has been called “A powerful portrait of recovered dignity” by People magazine. In “Somebody’s Fool,” Russo returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and to the characters featured in his bestsellers, “Nobody’s Fool” and “Everybody’s Fool.”

The evening marks the first time the longtime friends will appear together in Kennebunkport. Print: A Bookstore will sell a variety of the authors’ works during the first hour of the event. Both Russo and Dubus, III, will stay after their talk to personalize any purchases.

For more information, call 967-2778 or visit our www.graveslibrary.org.

HarvestFest scheduled for Oct. 14

Kennebunk’s annual HarvestFest celebration is set for Saturday, Oct. 14. Events are planned at the Waterhouse Center, Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk Free Library, Hope Woods, the Farmer’s Market and Mousam River Sanctuary.

This years festival will feature many popular family-oriented activities including live music, games, face painting, crafters, food, inflatables and a scavenger hunt. The parade will step off at 11:30 a.m. and will host many favorites such as the Dunlap Highland Band, Coastal Cruisers, costumed marchers and more.

Those interested in participating in the parade, visit the town of Kennebunk website for the application. For more information, contact Linda Johnson at ljohnson@kennebunkmaine.us or call 207-604-1341.

HarvestFest book sale planned at Kennebunk Free Library

The Friends of the Kennebunk Free Library will have a book sale on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in conjunction with Kennebunk’s HarvestFest. The sale will be held in Hank’s Room and outside (weather permitting).

Friends support the library by raising funds that help sponsor library programs and materials including passes to local museums and parks, summer reading programs, Kanopy streaming service, OverDrive e-content, and large print books.

For more information, call the library 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Vets Day 5K benefits Honor Flight Maine

The Wells Chamber of Commerce will host its 10th annual Wells Veterans Day 5K on Saturday, Nov. 11. Proceeds  benefit Honor Flight Maine.

Registration is $20 for adults 18 and older, $15 for students 11-17. There is no registration fee for children 10 and younger. The first 100 paying registrants will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt. The race begins at 10 a.m.

Honor Flight Maine is a nonprofit organization created to honor America’s veterans for their service and sacrifices. Honor Flight Maine transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to tour, experience and reflect at their memorials.

The run/walk starts and finishes start at the Wells Elks Lodge at 356 Bald Hill Road. The 5K loop winds through remote back roads of Wells.

For more information or to register, visit www.runsignup.com/Race/ME/Wells/VD5k.

Arundel funeral  home opens

Jeffrey Dobson has opened Dobson Family Funeral and Cremation Services, located at 782 Alfred Road, in Arundel.

According to an Oct. 9 news release, Dobson, of Biddeford, is a funeral practitioner with 15 years of experience serving families throughout southern Maine. Dobson previously worked at funeral homes in Portland, Saco, Boston, Massachusetts, and Dover, New Hampshire. He is a licensed funeral director in Maine and New Hampshire, and a member of the Maine State Board of Funeral Service.

Dobson Family Funeral and Cremation Services provides a range of services such as cremations, burials, and green burials. For more information, visit dobsonfuneralservices.com

York County Audubon presents small mammals session

According to York County Audubon, small mammals play an important, but often unseen role in forest regeneration and the movement of trees and dispersing the seeds of the towering forests in Maine. While this role is known at the species level, unique individuals display varying personalities, with some consistently acting more boldly than others or consistently showing higher activity levels. Personality in the mice and voles of our forests has consequences for where small mammals are living, how they are foraging, and what they are doing with the seeds they find. Small mammals with contrasting personality traits are contributing to ecosystem services such as seed dispersal in different ways. Their behavior is influencing forest regeneration.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon will host Maisie Merz and Ivy Yen, second year doctorate students at the University of Maine. Their presentation will include slides and night video.

The program will be presented in-person in the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and will also be viewable via Zoom. To view via Zoom, register in advance at www.yorkcountyaudubon.org via the registration link. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Community Harvest offers curbside pick-up, delivery for Thanksgiving

Community Harvest, a local nonprofit organization, will host its 25th annual Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday, Nov. 23, at St. Martha’s Church on Route 1 in Kennebunk.

In 2022, volunteers prepared more than 560 Thanksgiving meals for individuals and families, including dozens of first responders working on the holiday.

“Because of its success in reaching people all across southern Maine, we will continue to offer curbside pick-up and delivery options only rather than a gathered meal,” said Kerry de Bree, Community Harvest executive director, in an Oct. 9 press release.

“Last year we were able to deliver meals to families in need from Westbrook all the way to Kittery, said Head Chef Mario Barros. “To help so many people and offer a delicious home cooked holiday meal continues to be our number one goal.”

“We’re also looking for more volunteers to sign up and help prep, box up and deliver our Thanksgiving dinners,” said de Bree. “This is an amazing opportunity to give back to your neighbors and get into the holiday spirit.”

People who want to volunteer for the Community Harvest Thanksgiving dinner and help us make this holiday season special for everyone can sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BA9AB2AA5FAC25-44821851-community#/.

Meals will be provided cold, with heating instructions. Community members should reserve their complimentary meals by calling 207-967-1911 or visiting communityharvestmaine.org. All meal reservations must be made in advance by Sunday, Nov. 12. Once signed up, community members will be assigned a time for pick-up on Thanksgiving Day.

Community Harvest is a nonprofit organization of the Kennebunks that meets the needs of its neighbors through food sharing, fellowship, and financial assistance.

Applications available for holiday help

Secret Santa of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel has been helping families in need by providing Christmas and holiday gifts to children in the three towns for over 35 years. Applications for parents and/or legal guardians in need of help this year may be picked up at all three town general assistance offices or can be found online at the town websites:

*Kennebunkport: www.kennebunkportme.gov/public-health-department/pages/general-assistance.

*Kennebunk: www.kennebunkmaine.us/269/Social-Services.

*Arundel: https://arundelmaine.org/.

*Or search by town + “General Assistance.”

In order to qualify, applications must be returned to the general assistance office by Friday, Nov. 10.

All requests are strictly confidential. For more information, call the town’s general assistance office:

*Kennebunk, 985-2102, option 3.

*Kennebunkport, 967-4401.

*Arundel, 985-4201.

Resident inducted into honor society

Madeline Ryan, of Arundel, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, an all-discipline collegiate honor society. Ryan was initiated at Jacksonville University.

Hendrix featured at Mid-Week Music

Mid-Week Music continues Wednesday, Oct. 25, with Words & Music by James Marshall Hendrix. The monthly concert series is held at the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s Town House School at 135 North St. The show begins at 7 p.m.

“Obviously he was a force of nature on guitar, but I always felt that his songwriting prowess never got the appreciation it deserved,” said Ed Williamson of Jimi Hendrix. “His songs are so pure and timeless.”

To that end, Mark Gunter (keyboards, vocal), John Kumnick (bass), Dylan Kumnick (drums), and Dana Pearson (guitar, vocal) will perform an evening of solidly written Hendrix tunes, including “Crosstown Traffic,” “Castles Made of Sand,” and “House Burning Down.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit kporths.com/events, email info@kporths.com, or call 967-2751.

Historical society hosts bean supper

The Arundel Historical Society will host a baked bean and pasta supper on Oct. 14. It will be held at the Mildred L. Day School gymnasium from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Mildred L. Day School is located on the Limerick Road in Arundel.

The menu will include two types of baked beans, mac and cheese, American chop suey, hot dogs, coleslaw, cornbread/rolls, drinks and coffee and homemade desserts. Takeout is available. Suggested donations are: adults, $10; children 6-10 years,-$5 and children younger than 5 eat free.

The supper will feature historical displays, membership info, raffle calendars and merchandise. Proceeds benefit the Arundel Historical Society and all are welcome for the family-friendly evening.

Legion Post announces meeting schedule

The monthly meeting of American Legion Post 159 in Kennebunkport is held on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. All veterans and Sons of the American Legion are welcome to attend.
Legion Post 159 is located at 102 Main St. (across from the police station) in Kennebunkport. Future meeting dates:

2023 – Nov. 2 and Dec. 7.

2024 – Jan. 4, Feb. 1, March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 11, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5.

For more information, call 967-2400.

First Congregational schedules final supper of the season

First Congregational Church is hosting its monthly baked bean and American chop suey supper on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the church, 141 North St., Kennebunkport. The last First Church bean supper of 2023 will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The supper features two types of home baked beans, American Chop Suey, hot dogs, rolls, and coleslaw, topped off with a slice of homemade pie. Exact change is required: adults and children age 12 and older, $10 per person; children younger than 12, $5 per child.

For more information, call Carol at 207-710-7060.

Kennebunk Free Library announces October exhibit

Speers Gallery at Kennebunk Free Library will present a retrospective, Celebrating the Creative Process, by Kennebunk resident Linda K. Thompson that will run through Oct. 30.

The exhibit’s overarching theme is exploration of various mediums and techniques, ranging from watercolor, acrylics and collage in the Speers Gallery, and weaving, needlework, and Japanese woodblock printing in a library foyer display case.

According to a Sept. 14 news release, “Thompson believes that making art is not only about technique, but also finding a balance between that, and a passion or relationship with the subject of your creation. In Celebrating the Creative Process, the artist portrays a wide range of subjects, which reflect her curiosity in the world around her. Using a range of mediums, her art is grouped thematically, including flowers, landscapes, the ocean, the Southwest, trees, bears and collage. In the foyer the artist hopes that some of her pieces will encourage others to try different materials or crafts. A fun ‘quiz’ will be provided by the artist for adults and children.”

Thompson’s journey into the arts includes a master’s degree in creative arts and learning from Lesley University, as well as courses and workshops in Massachusetts at the Danforth and DeCordova museums, Concord Art Association and Rowe Conference Center. In Maine, she continued her journey at the Heartwood College of Art, River Tree Arts, local adult ed classes and University of Maine Senior College, where she also taught a beginning watercolor class. Particularly formative were week-long art retreats in New Mexico: Painting from the Source, and Wild Heart Art, as well as Watercolor Mandalas at the former Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford Pool. “What helps ignite my creativity is curiosity, intuition, exploration, experimentation, challenge … and playfulness,” Thompson said in an email.

The public is invited to view the exhibit in the library’s Speers Gallery through Oct. 30 at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs. For current hours and gallery access, visit www.kennebunklibrary.org.

South Congregational announces art project

South Congregational Church in Kennebunkport is inviting artists of all ages and experience levels to participate in a community art installation, called Remade in Hope.

The installation will be in front of South Church next March and April 2024, and will feature a six-sided structure that visitors may walk around and enter. On the outside, paintings will feature works that have themes of despair, grief, and struggle. On the inside the canvases will feature images of hope, renewal and joy. The public will be able to observe the transformation from the darker shades of sadness to the warmer shades of joy.

Artists will receive two free blank canvases, one for each of these two themes. Artists are encouraged to visit the website to download a Statement of Interest form and read other information: www.southchurchucc.org/about-3. Thirty-four artists of varying ages and abilities and mediums will be selected, and will have until February to finish the two canvases. An event on the themes of gloom and renewal will help provide artists a vocabulary from which to draw; that event will be held on Oct. 22, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Community House, 8 Temple St., Kennebunkport.

South Church intends to create an experience of renewal that engages the community and allows everyone to find their own personal experience of transformation.

The program is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. The program will include several events and educational experiences for the general public.

For more information, email hope@southchurchucc.org.

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