• BENEFITS

Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Race, benefits the Natural Resources Council of Maine, East End Beach, Portland. $30. nrcm.kintera.org/dipdash. 5K at 11 a.m., plunge at noon Monday.

Additional Photos

Those who enjoy an icy dip in the Atlantic in winter will have two opportunities to dive in – and for a good cause, to boot. The Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Race, benefiting the Natural Resources Council of Maine, is Monday at the East End Beach in Portland. And the Lobster Dip to support the Maine Special Olympics is Tuesday in Old Orchard Beach. Pictured, the scene at the 2012 Plunge. Press Herald file

25th Annual Lobster Dip; benefits Special Olympics Maine; beach in front of The Brunswick, Old Orchard Beach. $100 minimum donation. somaine.org. Noon Tuesday.

• CRAFT FAIRS

Handmade on Main, custom furniture, textiles, greeting cards, glass, T-shirts and fine art, Engine, Biddeford Arts. feedtheengine.org. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

• SPECIAL EVENTS

THURSDAY

Northern Lights Celebration, wagon rides, musical light show, live music, theater and more, L.L. Bean Flagship Store, Freeport. Free. Schedule at llbean.com/llb/shop/512152. Daily through Monday.

Eighth Annual Festival of Trees, decorated trees and wreaths decorate the museum, Dyer Library and Saco Museum, Saco. Free. sacomuseum.org. Daily through Sunday.

“Christmas at Victoria Mansion: The Gilded Age,” self-guided tours, Victoria Mansion, Portland. $15; $13.50 for seniors; $5 for students; free for children under age 5. victoriamansion.org. Daily through Jan. 6; closed New Year’s Day.

FRIDAY

Puppet Show, based on Rudyard Kipling’s “The Beginning of the Armadilloes” and “The Elephant’s Child,” presented by Just So Stories, Samuel L. Cohen Children’s Library (Portland Public Library). Free. portlandlibrary.com. 10:30 a.m.

MONDAY

New Year’s at Noon Pajama Party, special countdown and balloon drop for children, Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, Portland. $9; free for museum members and babies under age 18 months. kitetails.org. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

New Year’s Eve with Super Lucha Explosiva, Mexican-style wrestling matches plus DJ sets by Nan’l Meiklejohn and Gabe FM, 21-plus; Space Gallery, Portland. $20. space538.org. 8:30 p.m.

First Annual Clam Drop New Year’s Celebration, music, cocoa and lowering of Steamer the Clam Festival mascot from the belfry, First Universalist Church, Yarmouth. Free. uuyarmouth.org. 7 p.m. and midnight.

New Year’s at the Planetarium, view sky shows, take a Night Sky Tour and view the Times Square Countdown, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. $7, $10/donation. usm.maine.edu/planet. 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

New Year’s Eve Dinner, Concert and Dance Party, music by Nutopians and DJ Greg Curry, Champagne toast and dinner, Franco American Heritage Center, Lewiston. $60; $25 for concert only. francocenter.org. 7 p.m.

Last Blast at OOB, beach party with marshmallow toasting pits, bonfires, hot cocoa and fireworks; bars and restaurants offer discounts to those who purchase buttons; various locations, Old Orchard Beach. Free; $10 for buttons. oob365.com. Begins at 4:30 p.m.; fireworks at 6:30 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Gorham, snow-sculpting contest, concerts, puppet shows, drum circles and fireworks; various locations, Gorham. $5 buttons provide admission to all events; $20 family package available before Dec. 30. Schedule at newyeargorham.org. Noon to 10 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Freeport, family festival with children’s crafts, live music, cocoa and fireworks, L.L. Bean campus, Freeport. Free. freeportusa.com/events. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

New Year’s Hike, two-mile hike on snowmobile trails near the health center; children and leashed dogs welcome; Sacopee Valley Health Center, Porter. Free. 625-3082. Hot cocoa and refreshments at 10:30 a.m.; hike at 11 a.m.

• FILMS

“Illusion” (2004, Rated PG-13), Kirk Douglas film about director Donald Baines followed by discussion, Rockland Public Library. Free. 594-0310. 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Eckhart Tolle — Stillness Amidst the World,” part one, Camden Public Library. Free. 785-2610. 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

• BOOKS/AUTHORS

Photographer Brian Vanden Brink, author of “Iconic: Perspectives on a Man-Made World,” Bangor Parks and Recreation. 318-9995. 6:30 p.m. Jan. 3.

• PRO SPORTS

Portland Pirates, AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes, Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. $16 to $20. portlandpirates.com. Vs. Providence, 7 p.m. Thursday; Vs. Worcester, 5:30 p.m. Monday (includes post-game fireworks).

Maine Red Claws, NBA Development League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, Portland Exposition Building. $6 to $30. www.nba.com/dleague/maine. Vs. Springfield, 1 p.m. Monday.

• DANCE

15th Annual New Year’s Extravaganza Contra Dance, with callers Maggie Robinson, Richard Green and Kim Roberts; music by Plumb, Baron Collins-Hill, and Jessie and Greg Boardman; Wescustogo Grange Hall, North Yarmouth. $12; $10 for seniors. 712-2837. 7:30 p.m. potluck; 8:30 p.m. dance Monday.

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