BENEFITS

FRIDAY

Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine Annual Auction, Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland. $45. 828-1234, Ext. 242. 6 to 10 p.m.

AS4MS, acoustic show with The Sophomore Beat, The Great Valley and Dean Ford; benefits multiple sclerosis prevention and treatment, Union Street Brick Church, Bangor. $10; tickets at Bull Moose Music locations. thebrickchurch.com. 7:30 p.m.

Benefit for 45 Maine Street, local teens perform to raise money for victim of 45 Maine St. fire, Theater Project, Brunswick. $5. 729-8584. 7 p.m. 

SATURDAY

WMPG Benefit Fashion Show, benefits community radio station WMPG, PULSE Ballroom Dance Studio, Westbrook. $10; $5 students; $20 VIP. Dark Follies entertain at 7:30 p.m.; fashion show at 8 p.m.; dance party at 9:30 p.m.

Go for Baroque… Out and Bach, 5K and fun run to benefit Coastal Youth Orchestra; CYO musicians will be playing music at the start, post-race and at each mile marker; starts at intersection of Old Pennellville and Pennellville roads, Brunswick. $10 to $25. 729-5156. coastalyouth orchestra.org. Registration at 7:30 a.m.; races at 9 and 9:30 a.m.

Bowl for Kids Sake, benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Midcoast Maine, ALLPLAY Family Entertainment Center, Waldoboro. allplay-fec.com. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Walk for Habitat, 5-mile walk to benefit Habitat for Humanity, Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Windham. 892-5049. 8:30 a.m.

“Guys and Molls, The Speakeasy,” silent auction, plus “Club Holy Moly: Dinner and Dessert and Live Auction Mayhem”; benefits Cheverus Scholarship Fund; Cheverus High School, Portland. $50. cheverus.org. 6 p.m.

Tri-County Literacy Trivia Contest, participate as a team of four, prize drawings held throughout the evening; benefits Tri-County Literacy’s Read with Me family literacy project; Shea’s Irish American Eatery and Pub, Brunswick. $25; $100 for table of four. 751-4267. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Spring Fling/Cabin Fever Fundraising Dance, benefits LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center, Mousam View Place, Sanford. $10. 499-0080. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Spring Auction, dinner, music and auctions to benefit student financial aid and enrichment programs, Travis Roy Ice Arena, Yarmouth. $30 to $35. 846-2380. 5 p.m.

Project Linus Blanket Day, sale, quilt and blanket show, vendors, supplies and demonstrations; benefits Project Linus; St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, Scarborough. 284-5606. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Spring Italian Fiesta, five singers sing Italian numbers with five-course dinner; 20 percent of proceeds benefit STRIVE; Anthony’s Dinner Theater, Portland. $39.95. Call for time: 221-2267.

SUNDAY

Walk for Autism, University of New England, Biddeford; University College of Bangor, Bangor; and Farmington Fairgrounds, Farmington. asmonline.org. Various times.

Cruisin’ to Graduation Car Show, benefits Project Graduation, Medomak Valley High School, Waldoboro. $3, $4. 832-4494. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bon-Bon Benefit Dinner & Survivor Rally, benefits Coastal Bon-Bon Bra-gade team in AVON Walk for Breast Cancer, Oceans Edge Restaurant, Belfast. $20; $8 under age 12. 949-4012. 5 p.m.

Country Music Benefit, for musician George DeWitt, Silver Spur, Mechanic Falls. Donation. 345-3211. 2:30 to 5 p.m. 

FAIRS/FESTIVALS

Dudefest 2011, annual screening of the film “The Big Lebowski” with White Russians on special all night; wear a bathrobe for $3 tickets at the door; One Longfellow Square, Portland. $6. onelongfellowsquare.com. 8 p.m. Friday.

38th Fisherman’s Festival, with trap hauling, an old-fashioned fish fry, lobster crate races and more, Boothbay Harbor. Most events are free. 633-2353; schedule at boothbayharbor.com. Miss Shrimp Pageant at 7 p.m. Friday; all other events 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Spring Fair, with crafts, seedings, games and food items, Faith Lutheran Church, Windham. 627-7007. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Fairy House Festival, with fairy house building, magic wands, face painting, pony rides and a visit from a unicorn, Camp Ketcha, Scarborough. $10 children; $5 adults; free for children under age 2. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Merriconeag Poetry Festival, fourth annual event with Maine poet laureate Wes MacNair and finalists from 10 area high schools, Merriconeag Waldorf School, Freeport. Free. 865-3900. 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

SPECIAL EVENTS

TODAY

Kudos! Spring Celebratory Event, with fine food, elegant wine, original art and live jazz music; special guest Millicent Monks; River Tree Arts, Kennebunk. $40. 294-7043. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“Show and Tell,” an intimate evening with Annie Sprinkle, former prostitute and porn star and now an “ecosex activist,” 18-plus; Space, Portland. $10 to $13. space538.org. 7:30 p.m.

Opera Preview Series: “Il Trovatore” with opera expert Tony Downer, Blue Hill Public Library. Free. 374-5515. 1 p.m.

“Old Waldo County,” slideshow talk with local historians, University of Maine (Hutchinson Center), Belfast. Free. umaine.edu. 6:30 p.m. 

FRIDAY

Talib Kweli Meet & Greet, hip-hop artist signs autographs, Bull Moose Music, Portland. Free. bullmoose.com. 6 to 7 p.m.

Take Back the Night March and Rally, presented by Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, Monument Square, Portland. Free. sarsonline.org. 6 p.m. 

SATURDAY

Great Falls Model Railroad Club Model Train Show, Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham. $2, $4. greatfallsmodelrrclub.org. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Dining with the Dead: Haunted Lighthouses of New England,” with Ron Kolek of New England Ghost Project and Jeremy D’Entremont of New England Lighthouse Tours, Captain and Patty’s Restaurant, Kittery Point. $39. lighthouse.cc/tours. 6 to 9 p.m.

Giant Used Book Sale, thousands of books for all ages and interests, Falmouth Memorial Library. Free admission. 781-2351. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Walker Maritime History Symposium, varied program related to the almost 200-year relationship between the U.S. Navy and Maine with a continental breakfast, lunch and closing reception, Maine Maritime Museum, Bath. $60 for members; $70 for nonmembers; $35 for students. 443-1316, Ext. 0. mainemaritimemuseum.org. Daylong starting at 8 a.m.

“Il Trovatore,” screening of Metropolitan Opera production live in HD, Fryeburg Academy (Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center), Fryeburg. $18 to $26. 935-9232. 1 p.m.

Dinner and Auction, hosted by Sanford Maine State Theatre with preview of upcoming murder-mystery performance, Nasson Community Center, Springvale. $25. 324-5657. 5:30 p.m. dinner; 7 p.m. auction.

Cabaret, with host Louis Philippe, Franco-American Heritage Center, Lewiston. $18. 689-2000. 7:30 p.m.; doors and cash bar at 6:30 p.m.

Junior Ranger Day, children try their hand at the atlatl, an ancient throwing tool, Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor. Free. 288-3519. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Organic Workshop, all-day workshops on composting, planting and growing organically, natural pest and weed control, and good bugs for your garden, O’Donal’s Nurseries, Gorham. Free. 839-4262. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Feathers Over Freeport, bird walks, games for children, and watches for hawks and ospreys, Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal, and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport. Free with park admission. freeportwildbirdsupply.com. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

SUNDAY

Solar Show: “Eight Planets and Counting,” University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. $4 to $9. 780-4249. 3 p.m.

“The Thinking Heart: The Life & Loves of Etty Hillesum,” in commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, First Parish Church, Portland. 773-5747. 7 p.m.

Spring Celebration, alternative energy demonstration with the farm’s new solar panels, music, face painting, storytelling and a maypole dance, College of the Atlantic (Beech Hill Farm), Mt. Desert. coa.edu. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

TUESDAY

East End Wastewater Treatment Facility Tour, ages 10 and older; Sebago Lake Ecology Center, Standish. Free. 774-5961, Ext. 3324. 10 a.m. to noon.

Hike the Sebago to the Sea Trail, ages 10 and older, Sebago Lake Ecology Center, Standish. Free. 774-5961, Ext. 3324. 1 to 3 p.m.

Growing Fruit Trees, workshop with Renae Moran of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Merryspring Nature Center, Camden. $5; free for members. 236-2239. Noon. 

WEDNESDAY

Fish Printing, for ages pre-school to sixth grade, Sebago Lake Ecology Center, Standish. Free. 774-5961, Ext. 3324. 10 a.m. to noon.

“Roof Runoff, Rain Gardens, and Rain Barrels,” workshop, Sebago Lake Ecology Center, Standish. Free. 774-5961, Ext. 3324. 6:30 to 8 p.m. 

FILMS

TODAY

Sagadahoc Preservation’s Dreamland Theater, film series, Winter Street Center, Bath. $5/donation. 443-2174. “Grease” (1978) and “Moulin Rouge” (2001), 7 p.m.

Paddlers Film Festival, features films that highlight the paddling lifestyle, Eastland Park Hotel, Portland. $12; $15. 6:30 p.m. films; 5 p.m. doors and auction.

Film Chowdah: Maine College Film Festival, Nickelodeon Cinemas, Portland. $5. patriotcinemas.com/nickelodeon.html. 6 and 9 p.m. 

FRIDAY

Travelogue Film: “Inside The Tuscan Hills,” Sawyer Memorial Auditorium, Greene. Free. 946-5311. 2 and 7 p.m.

“Beijing Taxi,” 2010 documentary, Fryeburg Academy (Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center), Fryeburg. $8; $5 seniors and students. 935-9232. 7:30 p.m. 

SATURDAY

Margaret Chase Smith documentary, Criterion Theatre and Arts Center, Bar Harbor. Free. criteriontheatre.com. 7 p.m.

“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), celebrating the theater’s grand re-opening, also benefits Midcoast Hunger Prevention Food Bank, Eveningstar Cinema, Brunswick. Admission is two cans of food. 729-6796. 9 p.m. 

SUNDAY

“A Film Unfinished,” film screening of 2010 Sundance Film Festival award winner in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day; Hannaford Hall, University of Southern Maine, Portland. Free. 831-7495. 2 p.m. (community observance at 1:30 p.m.) 

MONDAY

Geek Chorus: Surprise Movie Night, with music by Boo, The Third Element and The Fuge; Geno’s, Portland. Call for time and cost: 221-2382. 

WEDNESDAY

Teens Through Time, film series with teen-cenric viewpoint, Portland Public Library. Free. 871-1700. 1990s: “Encino Man” (1992), 4:30 p.m.

“Holy Wars,” 2010 documentary, Space, Portland. $5 members; $7 non-members. space538.org. 7:30 p.m.

“Canvasman: The Robbie Ellis Story,” 2010 documentary about a Maine wrestler/art dealer, hosted by director Gary Robinov and Robbie Ellis; Harbor Theatre, Boothbay Harbor. $10. 633-0438. 6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. screening; 8 p.m. Q&A. 

BOOKS/AUTHORS

TODAY

Chats with Champions Series, with Kate Braestup, author of “Beginner’s Grace,” followed by book signing, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta. Free. 563-5513. 10 a.m.

Poetry and Music Series, with student poets and student jazz group Envok from the University of Maine at Augusta, Lithgow Public Library, Augusta. Free. lithgow.lib.me.us. 6:30 p.m.

Catheryne Valente, author of “Deathless,” reads and signs copies of her book, Longfellow Books, Portland. Free. longfellowbooks.com. 7 p.m. 

FRIDAY

Words & Images 2011: Resurgam Book Release Party, with live music by Olas; Talbot Auditorium, Luther Bonney Hall, University of Southern Maine, Portland. usm.maine.edu. Free. 6 to 9 p.m. 

SATURDAY

Wendy Ulmer, author of “A Campfire for Cowboy Billy,” book signing, Mariner’s Compass Quilt Shop, Bath. Free. marinerscompass.com. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Penelope O’Sullivan, author of “The Pruning Answer Book,” with slide presentation, Kennebooks, Kennebunk. Free. 967-8282. 10:30 a.m. 

WEDNESDAY

Robert Whitaker, author of “Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness,” author talk, University of New England (WCHP Lecture Hall), Portland. Free; registration required at whitaker.eventbrite.com. 6 to 9 p.m.

Mystery Night, with publisher representatives, Kennebooks, Kennebunk. Free; reservations recommended. 967-8282. 6:30 p.m.

Deborah Gould, author of “Household,” Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick. Free. 443-4900. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Rick Riordan, author of “The Throne of Fire,” Borders Books and Music, South Portland. Free. 775-6110. 6 p.m.

FOOD AND DRINK

Trivia Night, with drink specials, free munchies and prizes, Jameson Tavern, Freeport. 865-4196. 4 to 6 p.m., followed by entertainment Friday.

Wine Revolution, five featured wines, Grace Restaurant, Portland. $10. RSVP to Melanie at 408-5364. 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

PRO SPORTS

Portland Sea Dogs, Minor League baseball, Hadlock Field, Portland. $7 to $9. portlandseadogs.com. Vs. Binghampton, noon today.

Portland Pirates, minor league AHL hockey team, Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. $11 to $19. portlandpirates.com. Playoff game vs. Binghampton, 7 p.m. today.

PARTICIPANT DANCE

Ballroom Dancing, Maplewood Dance Center, Portland. Call for cost: 878-0584. 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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