WESTBROOK

Open house at library

The Friends of the Walker Memorial Library will hold their annual holiday open house from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the library.

The Chopin Club will perform. For more information, call 854-0630.

DURHAM

Christmas toy drive

American Kicks Martial Arts & Fitness is holding a Christmas toy drive from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday at 1052 Royalsborough Road.

The event is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

For more information, call 402-0515.

SOUTH PORTLAND

Holiday bazaar Thursday

The Snow Squall Restaurant is holding a holiday bazaar Thursday night that will showcase work by 16 local artists.

The event, held from 4:30 to 9 p.m. at the restaurant on Ocean Street, will feature art, clothing and jewelry from local artists.

Some of the vendors include Colleen Foley, who designs silkscreened clothing, and Sallie Clarke, who makes bath salts and soaps. Other artists include Cynthia Whalen, who designs jewelry; Amy Lombardo, who makes picture frames; and Lindsay Torre, a local artist.

For more information, call 799-0811.

 

‘Drop and Shop Night’

The South Portland Recreation Department is offering a “Drop and Shop Night” for kids in grades 1 through 6 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the community center.

Parents who need some time to shop can drop off their kids at the center for a pizza party, gym games, swimming, arts and crafts and games. The cost is $12 per child.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the South Portland High School Project Graduation.

For more information, call 767-7650.

 

Grief support meetings

VNA Home Health & Hospice is offering a series of grief support meetings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday nights on Dec. 15, 29 and Jan. 12 at 50 Foden Road.

The meetings are held for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. For more information, call 400-8714.

 

Fundraiser for food pantry

Cambridge Coffee Bar and Bakehouse will host an event this weekend to raise money for the South Portland Food Cupboard.

Cambridge Coffee is teaming up with Christine Bartlett of Chiropractic Family Wellness Center and Lindsay Paschal of Two Life Chiropractic, who will provide chair massages.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 740 Broadway.

SCARBOROUGH

Training for caregivers

A training program for family caregivers of people with disorders causing dementia will be offered next month.

The program teaches caregivers how to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that make caregiving easier.

Savvy Caregiver consists of six two-hour class sessions, held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25 and Feb. 1 and 8 at the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.

Participants are asked to attend all six classes. To pre-register, call 1-800-427-7411.

 

Holiday plant program

Scarborough Garden Club will offer a program about holiday plants at 1 p.m. Monday at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 350 Route 1. The guest speaker is Tom Estabrook, vice president of Estabrook Gardens. For more information, call 510-1514.

Wednesday yoga classes

St. Nicholas Episcopal Church is holding a yoga class from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. Wednesdays at 350 Route 1.

Diane Ouellette, the instructor, will lead the class for beginner and multilevel students. She received her teaching certification from the Sacred Movement Yoga Studio in Moody.

For more information, call 883-9437.

 

Choir sings Christmas carols

The Blue Point Congregational Church Choir will sing Christmas carols at 6 p.m. Sunday at Pine Point Rehab Center, 67 Pine Point Road.

For more information, call 883-3773.

PORTLAND

Bowling fundraiser

Hour Exchange Portland will host a bowling fundraiser from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday at 58 Alder St.

There will be live musical performances with Adam Waxman and friends, Tony McNaboe, Myron Samuels and Alison Violette.

Organizers are asking for a $10 donation, which includes drink specials, and half price on bowling lanes and savings on shoe rentals. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Hour Exchange Portland’s operations. For more information, call 874-9868.

 

Music students perform

Music students in Portland public schools will hold concerts throughout the month to showcase their work.

Students will perform at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Portland High School. Other performances will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 at Lincoln Middle School; 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at Moore Middle School; 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at Deering High School; and 6 p.m. Dec. 20 at King Middle School.

The concerts are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 874-8145.

 

Pet pictures with Santa

The Planet Dog Company Store is holding its sixth annual Sit With Santa event from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. at the store, 211 Marginal Way.

The annual event helps support Planet Dog Foundation’s canine service organizations. Kids and dogs are invited to have their photos taken with Santa.

The cost is $10 for sitting with Santa. One picture will be provided at the event, and others will be available to download.

There will be refreshments for both the kids and the dogs. For more information, call 563-7695.

Longfellow House tours

An event, Christmas Past and Present, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Longfellow House at the Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress St.

Docents will guide visitors through the house, which is decorated for the holidays.

The cost is $5 for nonmembers. Space is limited. For more information, call 781-4140.

 

Candle-lighting ceremony

The Center for Grieving Children is hosting a candle-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Sunday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 143 State St.

People all around the globe will gather at that time and light candles in memory of children, siblings and grandchildren of all ages who have died.

Participants are invited to bring a photo or remembrance of their loved one. Candles will be provided, or participants can bring their own.

For more information, call 775-5216.

 

Scleroderma support group

The Scleroderma Support Group will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Maine Medical Center’s Dana Center Classroom 9.

For more information, call 541-9402.

CAPE ELIZABETH

Learning to spot scams

A meeting will be held today to raise awareness about current scams and how to protect oneself.

The meeting, held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Cape Elizabeth Fire Station, 2 Jordan Way, will be led by Robert Libby of the South Portland Police Department and Mark Dorval, a Cape Elizabeth police officer.

For more information, call 767-3323 or 799-5511.

GRAY

Library open house

The Gray Public Library is holding an open house from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at 5 Hancock St. to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the library’s renovation.

For more information, call 657-4110.

 

Dance performances

Pulse Dance Company will perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Gray-New Gloucester High School Theater.

The show will feature performances in ballet, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical and tap dance. Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for children. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund.

For more information, call 657-3006.

STANDISH

CPR and first aid course

Saint Joseph’s College will offer a course in CPR and first aid from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Harold Alfond Center.

The Red Cross-certified course is for health care providers or professional rescue workers. The course will train participants to respond to emergencies in their communities, workplaces and homes.

The cost is $60 or $40 for recertification. The course will also run on Jan. 8. For more information, call 893-6615.

TOPSHAM

Retired educators’ event

The Mid-Coast Retired Educators’ Association will meet at 9 a.m. today at the Highlands. The event includes a breakfast buffet, bake sale item and Ugly Yankee Swap.

All area retired school personnel are welcome to attend. For more details, call 721-0659.

WELLS

Annual Christmas parade

The Wells Chamber of Commerce will host the 26th annual Christmas parade at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The procession will begin at Wells Plaza and proceed to Wells Junior High School for hot cocoa and cookies.

A Marine Corps Reserve float in the procession will collect donations of unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots campaign. For more details, call 646-2451.

HARPSWELL

Tree-lighting ceremony

The Harpswell Historic Park Committee will sponsor a community tree-lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Centennial Hall, Harpswell Neck Road. The event will feature Christmas songs, cookies, hot cocoa and a visit from Santa.

 

Nativity story re-enactment

The second annual Journey to Bethlehem guided tour and re-enactment of the Nativity story will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday at Kellogg Congregational Church, 917 Harpswell Neck Road.

The 20-minute tour will feature live animals and people re-creating scenes from the Bible detailing Jesus’ birth. Cookies and cocoa will follow in the church. The event is free and open to all.

CAMDEN

‘Discovering Your Legacy’

Author and motivational speaker Lee Ann Szelog of Simply Put, LLC will lead the talk “The Gift of You: Discovering Your Legacy” from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Friday at Quarry Hill.

The talk is open to ages 55 and older. It is the final installment of the season in Quarry Hill’s Adventures in Living Well series.

Attendance is free, but registration is required by calling 230-6114. Snow date is Dec. 15.

 

Readings by senior writers

Members of the Coastal Senior College writers group will read excerpts from their work at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Camden Public Library, 55 Main St.

The public is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided. For more details, call Ken Gross at 236-3440.

SANFORD

Holiday canned food drive

Willard School’s KIDS’ CLUB after-school program is sponsoring a holiday canned food drive benefiting the York County Food Rescue through Tuesday.

Drop boxes are located at Hannaford and Shaw’s grocery stores in Sanford or at Willard School, 668 Main St. For more details, call Karen Roux at 608-8242.

OXFORD

Photos with Santa

The Tractor Supply Co., 1272 Main St., will host pet photos with Santa from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

All proceeds will benefit North East Rottweiler Rescue. For more details, call Kate Archambault at 221-5000, extension 338.

WISCASSET

Scholar discusses her travels

Fulbright Scholar and Wiscasset High School alumna Caitlin Lupton will head a talk at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Road, detailing her experiences of traveling to Colombia to research the effects of ecotourism.

Fair-trade coffees and teas and baked goods will be served. For more information, call Kim Andersson at 882-4080.

SACO

Financial aid planning

Thornton Academy will host a college financial aid planning session for college-bound students and their parents at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Garland Auditorium, 438 Main St. For more details, call Jennifer Hass at 602-4447.

HOPE

Historical Society brunch

The Hope Historical Society, 479 Camden Road, will host its annual Christmas brunch from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Hope School students will attend to sing Christmas carols and share cookies and punch. The event is free and open to the public. For more details, call Hope Chase at 785-4903.

YORK

Planning for retirement

York Public Library, 15 Long Sands Road, will host a brown bag lunch meeting at noon on Thursday detailing strategies for retirement and long-term health care. For more information, call 363-2818 or go www.york.lib.me.us.

 

BUXTON

Christmas concert Sunday

North Congregational Church, 22 Church Hill Road, will host a Christmas concert featuring the music of the Don Dutil Fanfare Band at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Refreshments will be available.

Admission is via a donated gift for a homebound senior or a cash donation to the program. For more details, call 727-4933.

DAYTON

Horse rides, tour and Santa

LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center, 997 Goodwin Mills Road, will offer children rides on therapy horses, tours of its facility and visits with Santa from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday. The riding fee is $10 per child with funds benefiting the nonprofit organization. For more details, call 499-0080.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Donate toy, get fine waived

Libby Library, 27 Staples St., is offering a two-week grace period to waive fines for overdue books for those who donate to area charities.

New toys are being collected through Friday to benefit Toys for Tots. And pet food, bedding and toys will be collected from Tuesday through Dec. 18 to benefit the Old Orchard Beach Animal Shelter.

Individuals should bring in the new, unwrapped gifts, along with their overdue library materials. For more details, call 934-4351.

BATH

Potluck and free skating

The Bath Meetinghouse & Skatepark Center will host an open house, potluck dinner and free skating event from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. For more details, call 443-8900.