GORHAM

Magic show to benefit child at Safe Passage

A magic show featuring national touring magician Norman Ng will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at First Parish Church at 1 Church St.

The show will feature a fusion of magic, comedy and audience participation.

Tickets are $10 and available for purchase at the door.

The public is invited.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the church’s support of a Guatemalan child at Safe Passage.

For more details, call Linda Webb at 222-4414.

SACO

Christian bands to perform at Funtown SOULJAM

Worship FM has teamed up with Funtown USA to present SOULJAM 2014, a full day of fun, rides and performances by six Christian bands, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the amusement park, 774 Portland Road.

Scheduled to perform are the Andy Needham Band, Jaime Jamgochian, Chasing the Light, Joe Frey, The Founded Trio & Band and The Blacksmiths.

Tickets are $29 per person with discounted admission for groups and children.

Tickets are available at Worship Radio Network and iTickets.com

For more details, call 622-1340 or (888) 825-1344.

WINDHAM

Annual Legion food drive to benefit local food pantry

The American Legion will hold its fourth annual Memorial Day Food Drive, benefiting the Windham Food Pantry, on Saturday.

A truck, provided by the Maine Air National Guard, will be parked in front of Walmart on Route 302 to collect donated food items from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The vehicle will then travel to the Windham Food Pantry, at 377 Gray Road, about 3:30 p.m. to unload.

For more details, call Don McCormack at 892-3931.

DAMARISCOTTA

Annual festival set to celebrate fish ladder

The Seventh Annual Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration Festival will be held Saturday, Sunday and May 26, to celebrate the return of the alewives and the restoration work completed to date.

Festival events will take place in many locations around Damariscotta Mills, including at the fish house at the bottom of the ladder, Mulligan’s Smokehouse, along Ladds Hill Road, at the top of the ladder, at Alewives Fabrics on Main Street and on Town Landing Road.

Look for signs pointing the way to activities and maps showing the location of all events, that will include specialty foods, children’s activities, a hootenanny and an antique car show, which will include Model T rides.

For more details, go to www.damariscottamills.org or call Deb Wilson at 380-6997 or email deb.wilson@roadrunner.com.

GRAY

Annual plant sale set to benefit wildlife park

The Friends of Maine Wildlife Park will hold their annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day, May 26, at the park, located at 56 Game Farm Road.

This year plants will be sold in the parking lot Saturday and Sunday, with no admission fee required.

On May 26, plants will continue to be sold, but will be set up inside the park at the Friends Snack Shack.

Learn more about the Friends’ ongoing projects and enjoy great bargains on spring plants, including annual and perennial flowers, vegetables and floral baskets grown in their own greenhouses.

For more details, call 657-4977 or go to www.mainewildlifepark.com.

Fiddlehead program center to hold an open house

Fiddlehead Art & Science Center will host an open house from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at 25 Shaker Road.

Educators will be on hand to discuss Preschool FiddlestArts, kindergarten, afterschool, Children’s Discovery Center and private lessons.

For more details, call 657-2244.

RICHMOND

Birder David Ladd to guide Swan Island bird walk

A Guided Bird Walk on Swan Island will be offered from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

Experienced birder David Ladd will lead the walk to explore the many habitats on Swan Island, situated along the Kennebec River and featuring riparian flats, flood plains, forest, open meadow, interior wetlands and many varieties of spring migrants.

The cost is $8 per person and space is limited to just 20 people.

To reserve a spot, call 547-5322.

Participants will meet at the Swan Island dock in Richmond promptly at 9 a.m.

Bring binoculars and cameras if you have them.

KENNEBUNK

Seacoast Garden Club to hold annual plant sale

The Seacoast Garden Club of Kennebunk & Arundel will hold its annual plant and pie sale at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Port Hardware, on Route 35, Lower Village.

Selections will include perennials, annuals, seedlings, vegetables and herbs.

Money raised will support the club’s programs and its community contributions.

In case of rain, all activities will take place at the Washington Hose Company Firehouse, located just next door.

For more details, call Lynn Jourdan at 967- 8784.

Music duo to perform for museum’s new exhibit

Two Old Friends, the music duo of Jim Prendergast and Emery Hutchins, will perform music of the World War II era at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center at 117 Main St.

The concert will be presented in conjunction with the museum’s newest exhibit, “Vitamin V: How Food Fought the Second World War.”

Tickets are $3 for members and $5 for all others at the door; children under 10 get in for free.

For more details, call 985-4802 or go to www.brickstoremuseum.org.

Performances to highlight open house at New School

The New School, an independent high school located at 28 York St., is hosting a public open house and LEAP Night event, beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The“LEAP,” (Learning, Exhibitions and Performance) event will feature a presentation from an astronomy class, readings from the marathon writing class, food from the cooking and culture class, readings from the nature writing class and an art show.

For more details, call 985-3745 or go to www.tnsk.org.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Bottle drive to benefit Community Animal Watch

Community Animal Watch will hold a bottle drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Old Orchard Beach Fire Station on Saco Avenue.

Those wishing to donate may drop their returnables off or call Beverly for pickup at 934-1677.

Luminary Nite proceeds to benefit veterans park

The Veterans Memorial Park Committee will sponsor an “Honoring Our Veterans” Luminary Nite from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park at 11 First St.

Community members are invited to honor a loved one by decorating a luminary bag and placing it along the walkways throughout the park.

All bags will be lit at sunset and remain lit for about one hour.

Bags will be available in the Town Hall, the town library and other area businesses or by contacting Tina Kelly at 838-8462.

All proceeds benefit the Veterans Memorial Park.

PORTLAND

Top teacher, superintendent to discuss education topics

Portland Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk and Karen MacDonald, Maine’s 2014 Teacher of the Year, will lead a discussion of the book “21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times” by Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel, at 7 p.m. at Longfellow Books in Monument Square.

This meeting is free and no registration is required.

Bone up on Ireland by attending lecture series

The Maine Irish Heritage Center will sponsor an “Ireland 101” discussion at 7 p.m. Thursday detailing Ireland’s geography, politics, slang, culture and art.

Louise O’Shea, former program director for the Irish Cultural Centre of New England, will present the lecture, which will be the first of an ongoing series about the Emerald Isle.

Born and raised in Ireland, O’Shea will share insight on common Irish phrases, pastimes, the country’s government and its infrastructure and transportation.

The lecture is geared toward those who love Ireland, have traveled there or hope to visit the country. The event is free for MIHC members and $5 for non-members.

For more details, call 780-0118 or email irishhc@maine.rr.com.

YORK

Attend a Poetry Evening to get all the ‘dirt’

York Public Library will host a Poetry Evening at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 15 Long Sands Road.

Attendees should bring poems to share, either original or favorite poems written by others.

The focus for May is “dirt,” and is open for interpretation.

Readings occur in round table format and are facilitated by Priscilla Cookson.

For more details, call 363-2818.

ROCKLAND

Gizmos from the past to challenge history buffs

The Rockland Historical Society will host a “Gizmos and Whatchamacallits” event from 2 to 5 pm. Saturday at the Lincoln Street Center at 24 Lincoln St.

A panel of four experts will try to identify the purpose and use of a variety of mysterious items from the past that attendees bring in.

Search out your attics and barns for something to challenge the experts.

Stump the panel and win a prize.

Refreshments will be served.

Admission is free, though donations are appreciated.

For more details, call 594-6193.

THOMASTON

Veterans to be honored at Knox Museum event

Knox Museum will kick off its 2014 season with the third annual “Boots on the Ground,” a Memorial Day weekend community event honoring America’s veterans and active military personnel and their families.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday on the grounds of Montpelier House, off Route 1.

The event will include a dress parade, featuring color guards, rifle units, veterans, active military, reenactors, scouts, drum and bugle corps and costumed Montpelier docents.

After the parade, a color guard raises the flag, soloist Harry Grant performs the national anthem, and some brief speeches, prayers, and tributes will be given.

Ret. Captain Brian D. Perkins, USCG, will give the keynote address.

Midcoast Community Band, under the direction of Joanne Parker, will provide the musical entertainment, and there will be lawn games set up for children.

“Boots on the Ground” will go on rain or shine, and attendees are asked to bring a blanket or lawn chairs.

Some seating will be provided.

For more details, go to www.knoxmuseum.org or call 354-8062.

WALDOBORO

Original Lone Ranger art on display at museum

Fawcett’s Maine Antique Toy & Art Museum opens for the 18th season Saturday on Route 1.

The museum will display one of the finest collections of original Lone Ranger art in the United States, including original paintings by known artists, original newspaper comic strip art by Charles Flanders, the original mask and Western clothing worn by Clayton Moore, as well as 1930s Lone Ranger radios, premiums, pistols, dolls, toys and books.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Columbus Day. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For more details, call 832-7398.

TRESCOTT

Oodles of activities on tap at birding festival

The 11th Annual Down East Spring Birding Festival will be held Friday through May 26 at the Cobscook Community Learning Center. Events will include guided bird walks, boat rides, and presentations for advanced, intermediate and beginning birders.

Highlights on Friday will include hikes, canoe paddles and a boat trip to Machias Seal Island to observe puffins, razorbills and murres.

On Saturday, a full day of free family activities starts at 10 a.m. and will include include presentations by the Chewonki Foundation, a kayak paddle, a boat trip out to Machias Seal Island, and an evening presentation on birds, to be accompanied by a supper of homemade soups, breads and desserts.

The festival continues through Memorial Day weekend with events spread across the region to allow participants a chance to experience the area’s diverse bird species and varied terrain and topography.

For more details, go to www.downeastbirdfest.org or call the center at 733-2233.

CAMDEN

Busy week scheduled at the public library

Camden Public Library, 55 Main St., will host the following programs this week:

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, a songwriters session in the Picker Room in preparation for the coffeehouse on June 5.

• 7 p.m. Thursday, the presentation “Vital Signs: A Citizen Science Initiative to Document Maine’s Biodiversity” led by Dee Kopesky and Hildy Ellis.

• 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Partners in World Health presents an illustrated talk on their work to collect medical supplies for volunteer work in Bangladesh and their project to build the William “Chip” McLellan School.

For more details, call Ken Gross at 236-3440.