• BENEFITS

“Chefs and Musicians for Safe Harbor,” Maine Songwriters’ Association performers, Burundi music and The Adam Ezra Group; benefits the Safe Harbor legal assistance fund; First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Portland. $10; free for ages 16 and under. 773-5747. 4 p.m. Sunday.

Additional Photos

The annual lighting of the Christmas tree in Portland's Monument Square will be held on Friday. The tree is shown here being lowered into place in the square last week. Events, including entertainment by Rick Charette and the Bubble Gum Band, kick off at 5:30 p.m. Hannah Storey, an 11-year-old Make-A-Wish child from Cumberland, will flip the switch. John Patriquin/Staff Photographer

Wildland Sundays, hayrides, bonfire, cocoa, cookies, cut your own tree and more, benefits the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, Great Pond Mountain Wildlands, Orland. $25 per tree. 469-2008. Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Christmas Gala 2011, benefits the mansion, Victoria Mansion, Portland. $50. 772-4841, Ext. 10. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Empty Bowls Dinner, eat dinner using bowls donated by area potters; benefits the Volunteer Regional Food Pantry in Unity; Unity Centre for the Performing Arts. $10 /donation. unity.edu. 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1.

Gingerbread House Competition, benefits the Ronald McDonald House, Residence Inn by the Marriott, Portland. $25 per entry. 761-1660. Ongoing competition followed by gingerbread house auction on Dec. 1.

• CRAFT FAIRS

FRIDAY

Bethel’s Local Wares Fair, 40 crafters and local product producers, Bethel Inn Conference Center. 824-2282. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Home for the Holidays Craft Show, Scarborough High School. 883-1031. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Creative Economy Studio Show and Sale, work by local artists; benefits Brunswick Area Respite Care; Schwenk Studio, Freeport. catschwenk.com. 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

SATURDAY

Lucid Holiday Arts and Crafts Show, work by local artists and craftspeople, Lucid Stage, Portland. lucidstage.com. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Animal Refuge League Annual Holiday Craft, Gift and Bake Sale, handmade crafts, knitted goods, jewelry, pet items, ornaments and more, American Legion Hall, Westbrook. 854-9771. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Christmas in the Country Craft Fair, crafters from around New England, Bonny Eagle High School, Standish. 671-4002. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Neighborly Craft Fair, North Berwick Primary School. 676-9063. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holiday Artisan Fair, Fiddlehead Center for the Arts, Gray. fiddleheadcenter.org. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Spirit of the Holiday Fair, wide variety of handmade gifts, Nasson Community Center, Springvale. 324-3191. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Winter Holiday Show, handmade crafts, Blueberry Ridge Farm, Pownal. 688-4153. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

DEC. 1

“HANDMADE” and Craft Show, unique, high-quality handmade goods and artwork by more than 40 indie crafters and artists, Waterfall Arts, Belfast. waterfallarts.org. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• SPECIAL EVENTS

FRIDAY

Tree Lighting, entertainment by Rick Charette and The Bubble Gum Band and a visit by Santa Claus, Monument Square, Portland. Free. portlandmaine.com. 5:30 p.m.

Holiday Tree Lighting, at the gazebo with a community sing, Santa, horse and buggy rides, and hot chocolate, Brunswick Mall. Free. 729-4439. 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad’s “Polar Express” Train Rides, holiday-decorated train rides to “The North Pole,” Ocean Gateway Terminal, Portland. $25 to $40. porttix.com. Rides start at 2:45 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Through Dec. 23.

SATURDAY

Antique Paper Show, postcards, calendars and other paper collectibles, more than 40 exhibitors, Fireside Inn, Portland. $4. 828-8065. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Downeast Fiddler’s Jamboree and Ugly Sweater Contest, hosted by Old Grey Goose with Maisy Newell, Eric Dayan, and Max and Jeff Silverstein, Waldo Theater, Waldoboro. $15; $10 students and seniors. 832-6060. 7 p.m.

Victorian Christmas Open House and Cookie Walk, historical books, crafts and gifts for sale, period costumes and cookie sale, Phippsburg Historical Society Museum. 443-6309. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Met Opera: Live In HD, screening of Philip Glass’s “Satyagraha,” Lincoln Theater, Damariscotta. $23; $21 for seniors. atthelincoln.org. 12:55 p.m.

Christmas in Kennebunk, music, tree lighting and more, Downtown Plaza, Kennebunk. Free. visitthekennebunks.com. 4:30 p.m.

Downeast Holiday Revue, storyteller Van Reid and Celtic music by duo Castlebay, Winter Street Center, Bath. $12; $5 for children. 529-5438. 7 p.m.

Festival of Lights, historic inns tour, tree lighting, carriage rides and Santa, various locations, Rockland. therealmaine.com. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Christmas at the Fort, paper cutting, caroling and a reading of “The Night Before Christmas,” Old Fort Western, Augusta. Free/donation. 626-2385. 2 to 4:30 p.m.

“Spirit of Christmas Past: Four Centuries of Christmas in New England,” presented by Kenneth C. Turino, Brick Store Museum Program Center, Kennebunk, Free/donation. brickstoremuseum.org. 2 p.m.

Lighting of the Nubble, with cookies, hot chocolate, music, Santa and the big countdown to turn on the Christmas lights at the Cape Neddick Lighthouse, York Beach. Free. 363-1040. 3:30 to 7 p.m.

SUNDAY

Gorham Tree Lighting and Light Parade, bring non-perishable foods to the parade route along Main Street, Gorham. 222-1630. Parade at 4 p.m.; tree lighting at 4:30 p.m.

Fall in Love Wedding Showcase, with York wedding professionals, Union Bluff Meeting House, York Beach. Free; must pre-register. gatewaytomaine.org. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tree Lighting, with seasonal songs by the Gray-New Gloucester High School Chorus and History Barn open house, New Gloucester Town Hall. 926-3188. 4:30 p.m.

Chocolate Dinner, with chef Kate Schaffer of Black Dinah Chocolatiers, Natalie’s Restaurant at Camden Harbour Inn, Camden. $57; includes copy of “Desserted: Recipes and Tales from an Island Chocolatier.” 236-7008. 5 p.m.

TUESDAY

Port Veritas Spoken Word Night, all-night open mic, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland. $3, $5. localsprouts.coop. 7 p.m.

Met Opera: Live In HD, screening of Philip Glass’s “Satyagraha,” Strand Theatre, Rockland. $23 to $27. rocklandstrand.com. 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Parade of Lights, downtown Lewiston. www.lewistonmaine.gov. 6 p.m.

DEC. 1

National Theatre in London, live broadcast of “Collaborators” (an imaginary encounter between Joseph Stalin and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov), Lincoln Theater, Damariscotta. $15. 563-3424. 7 p.m.

National Theatre in London, live broadcast of “Collaborators” (an imaginary encounter between Joseph Stalin and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov), Strand Theatre, Rockland. $23; $15 for students. rocklandstrand.com. Live at 2 p.m.; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

• FILMS

“Jumanji” (1995), Dyer Library, Saco. Free. dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org. 3 p.m. Friday.

“Tales of the Waria,” documents the lives of transpeople in Indonesia, Colby College (Pugh Center), Waterville. Free. 859-4250. 6 p.m. Tuesday.

• BOOKS/AUTHORS

FRIDAY

Martha White, granddaughter of E.B. White and author of “In the Words of E.B. White,” Owl & Turtle Bookstore, Camden. 236-4769. 5:30 p.m.

Curt Stager, author of “Climate Whiplash: What Happens AFTER Global Warming?”, Camden Public Library. librarycamden.org. 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Holiday Book Sale and Author Signing, 25 Maine authors, Portland Public Library. mainewriters.org. Noon to 3 p.m.

SATURDAY

Toni Buzzeo, author of “Lighthouse Christmas,” with Santa Claus, Maine Coast Book Shop and Cafe, Damariscotta. mainecoastbookshop.com. Noon.

George C. Daughan, author of “1812: The Navy’s War,” Barnes and Noble, Augusta. 621-0038. 1 p.m.

Maine Women Write Book Club Launch, Damariscotta River Grill. mainecoastbookshop.com. Noon.

Kate Shaffer, author of “Desserted: Recipes and Tales from an Island Chocolatier,” Keys to the Kitchen, Kennebunk. 967-4904. Noon to 2 p.m.

SUNDAY

Kate Shaffer, author of “Desserted: Recipes and Tales from an Island Chocolatier,” Custom House Wharf, Portland. 780-0744. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Poetry Reading, by Louis Girlando, Edward Rielly and others, St. Joseph’s College (Xavier Hall), Standish. Free. 893-7723. 6 p.m.

• PARTICIPANT DANCE

Contra Dance, music by Soupbone and calling by Kathryn Larsen, Mayo Street Arts, Portland. $7. mayostreetarts.org. 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Down East Friends of the Folk Arts FUN Raiser Contra Dance, caller Bill Olson with Rock the Boat and Kim Roberts calling with Frigate, Wescustogo Hall, North Yarmouth. $15. 491-0628. Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

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