AUGUSTA

Archives opens to public

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Maine State Archives will offer a rare opportunity for members of the public to tour the archives at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and at 10 a.m. Oct. 31.

A limited number of visitors will be allowed into areas not normally accessible to the public.

Visitors will view the 50th anniversary exhibit, historic original documents, the humidification chamber, the imaging center and more during a one-hour tour led by an archivist who can share insight into the important work the bureau undertakes to maintain Maine’s history.

Space is limited. To reserve a spot on a tour, call Kristen Muszynski at 626-8404.

BATH

Autumnfest coming up

The city will celebrate the arrival of fall with its annual Autumnfest from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at various downtown venues.

The daylong event will include scarecrow making, fire truck rides, a fiber arts open house, a 5K road race, live music, a farmers market, a Halcyon Yarn open house, a story time, free flu shots and a fall trunk show.

For a schedule of events, times and fees, go to visitbath.com.

BETHEL

Blanco to host free reading

Gould Academy and poet Richard Blanco will host a free reading and book signing with guest author and poet Richard Hoffman at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Gould Academy’s Bingham Auditorium.

Hoffman is author of “Half the House: A Memoir” and the poetry collections “Without Paradise” and “Gold Star Road,” and is the winner of the 2006 Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize and the 2008 Sheila Motton Award from the New England Poetry Club and Emblem.

For more details, call Darcy Lambert at 824-7778 or email lambertd@gouldacademy.org.

BIDDEFORD

Musician to discuss new film

Musician Tonya Shevenell will talk about the making of her first documentary film, “The Home Road,” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at McArthur Library at 270 Main St.

The film details Shevenell’s great-great-great-grandfather Israel Shevenell’s 200-mile journey from his home in Quebec, Canada, to Biddeford to find work.

Shevenell also will talk about the recent journey made by her father, Ray Shevenell, which retraced his ancestor’s steps.

She also will talk about the many resources she used for historical and genealogical research.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more details, call the library at 284-4181.

KENNEBUNK

Halloween fashion for dogs

The Animal Welfare Society will sponsor the Atria Canine Fashion Show at 2 p.m. Saturday at Atria, 1 Penny Lane.

The Halloween-themed fashion show will feature dogs from the AWS Mobile Adoption Team. For more details, call the Animal Welfare Society at 985-3244.

BRUNSWICK

Audubon hosts field trip

Merrymeeting Audubon will sponsor a Big Sit field trip from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Wharton Point.

Considered a tailgate party for birders, the outing offers bird watchers an opportunity to sit in one spot for the day and count all the bird species they see or hear.

Join Gordon Smith for any part or all of the day. Cider and refreshments will be available. For more details, call Smith at 725-0282.

KITTERY

Kittery’s World War II heroes

The Kittery Recreation Department will sponsor the three-part free lecture series Kittery’s Men & Women Who Won World War II beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Star Theatre at 120 Rogers Road.

James R. Lawson will lead the talks detailing the war experiences of Kittery veterans.

This week’s presentation will be Kittery’s Airmen and Women of World War II. The other talks are Kittery’s Secret Warriors of World War II at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 and Kittery’s Warriors of World War II, Battle of the Atlantic at 7 p.m. Oct. 21.

The lectures are free and open to the public. For more details, call 439-3800 or visit kitterycommunitycenter.org.

PORTLAND

Travel lecture on Germany

The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association will begin a Travel Lecture Series with a presentation on Germany at 7:30 p.m. Monday at McAuley High School Auditorium, at 631 Stevens Ave.

This program focuses on the history and landmarks of Hamburg, Heidelberg, Berlin and Munich.

For more details, call Pat at 773-8396 or email to mcma1857@gmail.com.

Book club discusses ‘Waiting’

Maine Charitable Mechanic Association’s First Tuesday Book Club will be held at noon Tuesday in the library at Mechanics’ Hall at 519 Congress St.

The selection this month is “Waiting” by Ha Jin.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a lunch; tea or lemonade and sweets will be served. All are welcome to attend and pre-reading of the book is not required.

For more details, call Pat at 733-8396 or email mcma1857@gmail.com.

Talk on working in prison

Author Rob Reilly will give the talk “Life in Prison: 8 hours at a time” during a Brown Bag Lecture Series at noon Wednesday in the Rines Auditorium at Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square.

The talk details Reilly’s 13 years of struggling in the music business, his experiences of working in a prison and his life since leaving the Department of Corrections in 2007.

The talk is open to the public. For more details, call Rachael Weyand at 871-1700 ext. 723.

Math club for kids starting

The Crazy 8’s 4-H Club, a new after-school recreational math club designed to get kids fired up about math, will kick off from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Portland Public Library’s Sam L. Cohen Children’s Library at 5 Monument Square.

Geared to ages 7 to 12, and led by a 4-H ambassador, some of the club’s activities will include glow-in-the-dark geometry, toilet paper olympics, spy training and flying marshmallows. The club will meet on Wednesday afternoons for six weeks. Space is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

SCARBOROUGH

Stonecutter’s work in focus

The monthly meeting of the Scarborough Historical Society will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the society’s museum and meeting room at 647 Route 1.

Following a brief business meeting, guest speaker Ron Romano will present a program about the work of Portland stonecutter Bartlett Adams, who lived from 1776 to 1828.

For more details, call Bruce Thurlow at 883-5445 or email thurlow@maine.rr.com.

WELLS

Wells Reserve’s offerings

Wells Reserve at Laudholm will host the following programs this week at 342 Laudholm Farm Road:

A Fall Foliage Walk will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday with naturalist, writer and teacher Eileen Willard. Cost is $5 to $7.

The DaPonte String Quartet will perform from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday in the barn. Advance tickets are available at wellsreserve.org/music for $15 to $25.

An Owl Prowl Guided Walk with owl banding will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday with master bird bander June Ficker and her research crew. It is geared to ages 8 and older. Cost is $5 to $7.

Registration is required for the programs by calling 646-1555 or going to wellsreserve.org.

Teen Crafternoon focuses on clean fun

Wells Public Library will host the following programs this week at 1434 Post Road:

Teen Crafternoon will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday featuring a soap making workshop. Supplies will be provided for this free event.

An 11 a.m. Wellness Wednesday sesssion will focus on the Affordable Care Act. Health care navigator Robin Hewett Bibber will discuss all aspects of the program, also known as Obamacare. Questions and handouts will be provided.

“Gardening with Jolene: Cooking with Fall Harvest Foods” will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday to taste test appetizers and desserts, all made using fall harvest foods.

For more details, call Kristi Bryant at 646-8181 or email kbryant@wellstown.org.

CAMDEN

Investigate mystery photos

The Camden Public Library will host the talk “Mystery History Photos” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, as part of its series of speakers and an exhibit celebrating Discover History Month.

The Maine Historical Society will lead the session and invites attendees to bring mystery photos they need help with to discover people, places and events.

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

Learn about risk of falling

A new eight-session A Matter of Balance class will begin Tuesday at Quarry Hill Retirement Community at 30 Community Drive.

The class will run from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 29 to address concerns that people have about the risk of falling and detailing the steps they can take to reduce that risk.

To register, call Jennifer Fortin at 620-1657 or email Jfortin@spectrumgenerations.org.

Children’s author hosts event

Children’s author Liza Gardner Walsh will read excerpts from her new book, “Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows?” from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Sherman’s Books & Stationery at 14 Main St.

Gardner Walsh also will sign copies of her book.

For more details, call the store at 236-2223.

UNION

A close look at photographer

Deanna Bonner-Ganter, curator of photography, art and archives at the Maine State Museum, will give an illustrated presentation on the work of Finnish-American photographer Kosti Ruohomaa at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at a meeting of the Union Historical Society at the Old Town House on Town House Road.

Refreshments will be served. The talk is free and open to the public.

For more details, call Alison Metcalfe at 785-4531.