• BENEFITS

FRIDAY

Additional Photos

Former Sen. Margaret Chase Smith arrives at the Republican National Convention in San Francisco in 1964. Smith is the subject of a Women’s History Month program Saturday at the Bethel Historical Society. Press Herald file

So You Think You Know Bath?, teams of local historians try to beat each other in answering questions involving the history of the city; benefits Main Street Bath; Winter Street Center, Bath. $30. visitbath.com. 6 p.m.

Empty Bowl Soup Supper, enjoy soup in a handmade bowl and keep the bowl; benefits York Food Pantry; York Art Association, York Harbor. $15 adults; $10 children. 363-6937. 5 to 7 p.m.

Empty Bowls Supper, buy a locally handcrafted bowl and fill with homemade soup, chowder or chili; benefits The Gathering Place and Women’s Alliance; Unitarian Universalist Church, Brunswick. $15. 5 to 7 p.m.

CeleSoiree, international cuisine, live African drumming by Jordan Benissan, flamenco dancing and rhythms by Olas and a silent auction; benefits Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project; Portland Company Complex. $30 in advance; $35 at door; free for ages 12 and under. 780-1593. 5 to 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

Ski-a-Thon, benefits Maine Handicapped Skiing; Sunday River Ski Resort, Newry. skimhs.org. All day Saturday.

March Madness, bake and rummage sales and raffle to benefit the Maine Children’s Cancer Program; Saco Grange. sacogrange@yahoo.com. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Auction for Action, silent and live auctions, music and refreshments to benefit Rural Community Action Ministries; Leeds Community Church. 524-5095. 6 to 9 p.m.

Auction, cash bar and complimentary hors d’oeuvres to benefit the Theater Project, Brunswick Inn on Park Row, Brunswick. $10. 729-8584. theaterproject.com. 6 p.m.

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Fundraiser, live music by The Mallett Brothers, Amanda Gervasi, Dan Capaldi, Jacob Augustine and Joshua Madore; benefits UNE student Aaron Martinuzzie; Big Easy, Portland. 602-2362. 8 p.m. (plus a 5K run along Back Cove at 9 a.m.) $25; all runners receive a T-shirt.

SUNDAY

Sitting Pretty Charity Auction, Freeport Community Center. $10; $25 per family. 865-3985. 4 to 6:30 p.m.

• FAIRS/FESTIVALS

La Fite du Printemps, Franco-American festival celebrating arts and culture with music, theater and folk art, City Theater, Biddeford. Free. lafeteduprintemps.org. Various times Friday to Sunday.

Mid-Coast Model Festival, Owls Head Transportation Museum. $12; free for ages 17 and under. 594-4418. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Maine Maple Sunday, tastings of maple syrup, breakfasts, demonstrations and more at participating sugar houses statewide. getrealmaine.com. Various times Sunday.

• SPECIAL EVENTS

TODAY

3D Photos with John Root, Rockland Public Library. Free. rocklandlibrary.org. 6:30 p.m.

“Pirates in Popular Culture,” speaker Tom “Captain Crudbeard” Tomlinson of the Pirates of the Dark Rose speaks on the portrayal of pirates in theater and film, Freeport Community Library. Free/donations. freeportlibrary.com. 7 p.m.

“A History of Puppetry” with Carol and John Farrell from Figures of Speech Theatre, Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall, Portland. 874-8200. Lecture prior to the musical “Avenue Q,” 6 to 7 p.m.

13th Cookie Social with music by blues guitarist Samuel James, Joshua’s Tavern, Brunswick. 725-7981. 6 to 8:30 p.m.

“Grow Orchids at Home” with Bill Cullina, photography and facts from his book “Understanding Orchids,” Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay. $10, $12. mainegardens.org. 6 to 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Spirit Mask Discussion and Performance, Museum of African Culture, Portland. $30; reservations required. 871-7188. 6:30 p.m.

ARRL Convention and Hamfest, amateur radio convention, Ramada Inn and Conference Center, Lewiston. $7; free for ages 17 and under. w1npp.org. 7 to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Saturday.

Solar Shows, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. $4 to $6. 780-4249. “Images of the Infinite and Ring World,” 7 and 8:30 p.m. Friday; “Two Pieces of Glass,” 3 p.m. Saturday; “Rusty Rocket,” 3 p.m. Sunday.

Kids Night Out, games, movies, swimming, rock climbing, and arts and crafts for ages 7 to 13, St. Joseph’s College (Harold Alfond Center), Standish. $9; $6 for additional child. 893-7723. 5:30 to 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

EqualityMaine Foundation Awards Dinner, annual awards by the state’s largest and oldest LGBT political advocacy organization, Holiday Inn By the Bay, Portland. $75. equalitymaine.org. 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith,” Women’s History Month program with Stanley Howe, Bethel Historical Society (Moses Mason House), Bethel. Free. 824-2908. 2 p.m.

Popcorn Saturday, children’s program for preschool through grade 5, River Tree Arts, Kennebunk. $5; $20 per family. 967-9120. Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine Day, 10:30 a.m.

Puppet Show by the Children’s Puppet Workshop, Mayo Street Arts, Portland. mayostreetarts.org. $3 children; $5 adults. 11 a.m.

18th Annual Maine Garden Day, trade show and workshops presented by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Lewiston High School. $50; space is limited. 743-6329. umaine.edu/gardening/maine. 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gardening Workshops, Skillins Greenhouse, Brunswick and Cumberland. Free; registration required. (800) 339-8111. “Vegetable Gardening,” 9 a.m. Saturday; “Growing a Kitchen Garden,” 2 p.m. Saturday; “What’s New,” 2 p.m. Sunday.

SUNDAY

Eat the Heat Chili Cookoff and Firefighters’ Race, Sunday River (White Cap Lodge), Newry. sundayriver.com. 10 a.m.

Antique Paper Show, postcards, calendars and other paper collectibles, more than 40 exhibitors, Holiday Inn West, Portland. $4. 828-8065. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Winter Delivery,” exhibit of horse-drawn vehicles as an oil delivery wagon, school bus sleigh and city and country sleighs, Skyline Farm, North Yarmouth. Donation. skylinefarm.org. 1 to 4 p.m.

MONDAY

Knitting Group, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland. Free. localsproutscooperative.com. 6:30 p.m.

NanoDays, for children in grades K-8 with an adult, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. Free; tickets at gfletcher@usm.maine.edu. 4 to 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

“The Titanic and Beyond: Lessons from the Deep Ocean,” presentation by David Gallo, director of special projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Waynflete School, Portland. Free. waynflete.org. 7 to 9 p.m.

• FILMS

TODAY

“Unleashed,” new documentary by Marion Grace filmed at CD-release party at Port City Music Hall, followed by concert, One Longfellow Square, Portland. $8 in advance; $10 at door. onelongfellowsquare.com. 8 p.m.

Sagadahoc Preservation Dreamland Theater, film series, Winter Street Center, Bath. $5/donation. 443-2174. “Far and Away” (1992) and “Gangs of New York” (2002), 7 p.m.

“Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958-1968,” Maine College of Art (Institute of Contemporary Art), Portland. Free. meca.edu. 6 p.m.

Pizza and Social Concerns, film series of thought-provoking films coupled with pizza and discussion, Winthrop Center Friends Church, Winthrop. Free. 395-4790. “Food Inc.” (2008), 6 p.m.

“Who Does She Think She Is?” (2008), discussion follows screening, Harlow Gallery, Hallowell. harlowgallery.org. Free. 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

Ocean Videos, for all ages, Marine Environmental Research Institute, Blue Hill. $3. 374-2135. “Oceans,” 7 p.m.

Sierra Club Film Series, screening of the PBS documentary “Frogs: The Thin Green Line,” First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Kennebunk. Free. 773-5747. 7 p.m. (dessert at 6:30 p.m.)

Free Movie Night, Theater at Monmouth. $5/donation to cover snacks. theateratmonmouth.org. “Much Ado About Nothing” (1993), 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

“Killer Joe,” Space, Portland. Ages 18 and older only: strong adult content, graphic violence and nudity. $10, $12. 828-5600. 7 p.m. Saturday.

Maine Jewish Film Festival Opening Party, Greenhut Galleries, Portland. $35; includes screening. mjff.org. 6 p.m.

Maine Jewish Film Festival, all films are Maine premieres, Nickelodeon Cinemas, Portland. $8 per screening ($6 for students and seniors ages 66 and older). mjff.org. “Nora’s Will,” 8 p.m. Saturday; “Camera Obscura,” 1 p.m. Sunday; “Eli and Ben,” free youth film, 4 p.m. Sunday; “Precious Life,” 6 p.m. Sunday; “Arab Labor, Season 2,” 5 p.m. Monday; “Anita,” 7 p.m. Monday; Several Short-ish Films, 5 p.m. Tuesday; “He’s My Girl,” 7 p.m. Tuesday; “Simon Konianksi,” 5 p.m. Wednesday; “The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground,” 7 p.m. Wednesday; “The Human Resources Manager,” 9 p.m. Wednesday. Through March 31.

“Kings of Pastry” (2009), Strand Theatre, Rockland. $7.50, $8.50. rocklandstrand.com.

5:30 p.m. Saturday; Atlantic Baking Company will host a complimentary pastry tasting prior to the film from 4 to 5:15 p.m.

“The Vanishing of the Bees” (2009), award-winning documentary followed by Q&A, Thornton Academy, Saco. $5. thornton.saco.org. 3 p.m.

MONDAY

Maine Jewish Film Festival, Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, Portland. mjff.org. “The Way Up,” documentary, 5 p.m. Monday; LGBT Film Forum reception, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY

Teens through Time, film series with teen-cenric viewpoint, Portland Public Library. Free. 871-1700. 1970s: “Billy Jack” (1971), 4:30 p.m.

Maine Jewish Film Festival, Maine Historical Society, Portland. 831-7495. mjff.org. “Simon Konianski” and short film “For the Children,” 1 p.m.

“With My Own Two Wheels” (2010), documentary about the bicycle as a vehicle for change around the world; Frontier Cafe, Cinema & Gallery, Brunswick. $7. explorefrontier.com. 6 and 7:30 p.m.

• BOOKS/AUTHORS

TODAY

Poetry Reading with Erika Meitner, University of Maine (Olsen Student Center), Farmington. Free. farmington.edu. 7:30 p.m.

Language Arts Live, series of literary readings, Bates College (Chase Hall), Lewiston. Free. bates.edu. Poet Aracelis Girmay, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Cynthia Furlong Reynolds, children’s book author, gives presentation “What Tools Do Writers Need?”, York Public Library. Free. 363-2818. 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

Maurissa Guibord, Ellen Booraem and Carrie Jones, popular juvenile and teen fantasy fiction authors, Bull Moose Music, Scarborough. Free. bullmoose.com. 2 to 4 p.m.

“Death and Survival in the Civil War,” series with presentations by authors/historians, Maine Historical Society, Portland. Free/donation. spiritsalive.org. “Dead Men’s Pockets: Gettysburg Bodies and Other Stories” with Margaret Creighton, 10 a.m.

Anne Serafin signs copies of “African Women Writing Resistance, Contemporary Voices,” Museum of African Culture, Portland. Free. 871-7188. 5 p.m.

Dramatic Reading of “Ancient Rage” with author Rev. Mary Lee Wile, Emily Vail and Diana Krauss; discussion follows the reading; Gulf of Maine Books, Brunswick. Free. 729-5083. 4 p.m.

MONDAY

Phil Goldberg, author of “American Veda: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West,” Maine College of Art (Porteous Building), Portland. Free. (800) 699-1509. 7 p.m.

TUESDAY

Brown Bag Lecture Series, Portland Public Library. Free; bring own lunch. 871-1710. Jacques d’Amboise, “I Was a Dancer,” noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday; James Nelson, “With Fire and Sword,” noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY

Caitlin Shetterly, author of “Made for You and Me: Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home,” Longfellow Books, Portland. Free. longfellowbooks.com. 7 p.m.

• PARTICIPANT DANCE

Ballroom Dancing, Maplewood Dance Center, Portland. Call for price: 878-0584. 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Wednesday; semi-formal dance party, 7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Contradance, part of DownEast Country Dance Festival with bands Rock the Boat and Elixir, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham. $12; $8 for ages 11 to 21. 563-8953. deffa.org. 7:30 to midnight Friday.

Downeast Country Dance Festival, day-long celebration of traditional dance and music including workshops, performances and jam sessions, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham. $28 full-day; $15 day session; $18 evening session. 563-8953. www.deffa.org. 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday.

Saturday Night Dance Party, American Ballroom Dance Academy, Portland. Call for cover: 671-7644. Argentine tango lesson at 6 p.m.; group lesson 7 p.m.; dance party 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Family Contradance featuring the Two Fiddles Band with caller Dudley Laufman, Community House, Kennebunkport. $2, $7. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

• PRO SPORTS

Portland Pirates, AHL hockey team, Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. $11 to $17. 828-4665. Vs. Bridgeport, 7 p.m. Friday; vs. Charlotte, 7 p.m. Saturday; vs. Providence, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; vs. Bridgeport, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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