• BENEFITS
Gingerbread House Competition, benefits the Ronald McDonald House, Residence Inn by the Marriott, Portland. $25 per entry. 761-1660. Competition ends with gingerbread house auction, judging and finale brunch, 9 to 11 a.m. Friday.
Additional Photos
Christmas Tree Sale, freshly cut trees from Acton Tree Farm to benefit the school, New School, Kennebunk. $25 to $35. 985-3745. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday to Wednesday.
Join-In “Nutcracker,” come ready to perform in Nutcracker garb (children and adults); benefits the dance studio’s children’s scholarship fund; Belfast Dance Studio. $4; $7 per family. 338-5830. 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Chili and Chowder Cookoff, benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Trackside Station, Rockland. $10. 831-9323. 5 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Clash of the Titans, battle of the cover bands, 21-plus; benefits Toys for Tots; Empire Dine & Dance, Portland. $5. portlandempire.com. The Muppets vs. Sesame Street, 9 p.m. Wednesday.
• ART/CRAFT FAIRS
Art in the Hood Holiday Craft Sale, 12 local artists, Townsend Real Estate & Art Gallery, Willard Square, South Portland. 842-9200. 5 to 8 p.m. today.
YES Art Works Holiday Arts Fair, Creative Work Systems, Portland and Saco. creativeworksystems.com. 2 to 6 p.m. today.
Annual Holiday Art Show, pottery, jewelry and more, Kittery Art Association. 439-1290. 3 to 6 p.m. today and Friday; noon to 6 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Second Annual Printmaking Holiday Sale, USM Art Department, Gorham. 780-5460. 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“Everything Under the Tree” Holiday Sale, works of 10 local artists, SoPo Art Studios, South Portland. 899-5939. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday to Dec. 22. Through Dec. 23.
Annual Holiday Craft Fair, The Oak and the Ax, Biddeford. Free. theoakandtheax.blogspot.com. Noon Sunday.
• SPECIAL EVENTS
TODAY
Merry Madness, free hors d’oeuvres, raffles and music at the hotel; local stores open until 10 p.m.; Portland Regency Hotel. portlandmaine.com. 5 to 6 p.m. at hotel; until 10 p.m. at stores.
Sixth Annual Christmas Party, with the Sanford High School Chorus and refreshments, Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum, Sanford. 324-2797. 5 to 7 p.m.
Seventh Annual Festival of Gingerbread Houses, York Public Library. Call for times: 363-2818. Today to Saturday.
“Deck the Halls: The Carols of Christmas,” holiday celebration, Victoria Mansion, Portland. $15; $13.50 for seniors; $5 for ages 6 to 17. victoriamansion.org. Today to Jan. 8.
FRIDAY
“Polar Express” Train Rides, holiday-decorated train rides to “The North Pole,” Narrow Gauge Railroad, Ocean Gateway Terminal, Portland. $25 to $40. porttix.com. Rides start at 2:45 p.m. Friday to Sunday, Wednesday and Dec. 22-23.
“Season of Light,” history and astronomy of the winter solstice, New Year’s, Hanukkah and Christmas, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. $4 to $6. usm.maine.edu/planet. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Through Dec. 30.
“Search for the Solar System’s Edge,” astronomy show, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. $4 to $6. usm.maine.edu/planet. 8:30 p.m. Through Dec. 29.
Holiday Open House, with decorated shop windows, luminaries, holiday music and shops opens until 8 p.m., downtown Bath. visitbath.com. 5 to 8 p.m.
Lobster Crawl Auction, with lobster racing, a live auction and music by Pickle Jar Defenders, Mayo Street Arts, Portland. $1. mayostreetarts.org. 7 p.m.
Wine Tasting, Italian wines for gifts and important meals with Michael Burke of Vias wines, Rosemont Market & Bakery, Portland. rosemontmarket.com. 4 to 7 p.m.
Wine Tasting, Rosemont’s newest finds from Europe and the U.S. with Sam Brown of Pine State, Rosemont Market, Yarmouth. rosemontmarket.com. 4 to 6:30 p.m.
“Santa’s Reindeer Revue,” talent show by Santa’s rollicking band of renegade reindeer, Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, Portland. $8, $9. kitetails.org. 1 p.m. today; 4 p.m. Friday; 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 23.
Victorian Christmas at Donnell House, Victorian Christmas decor, kids’ crafts and live musical entertainment, Maine Maritime Museum (Donnell House), Bath. $5; $3 for ages 12 and under; $15 per family. 443-1316. 3 to 7 p.m. Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 3 to 7 p.m. Monday to Dec. 22.
SATURDAY
Christmas with Deertrees, music and words, Bridgton Academy (chapel), North Bridgton. $5/donation. 583-6747. 3 p.m.
SUNDAY
National Theatre in London: Live in HD, screening of “Collaborators,” Strand Theatre, Rockland. $23; $15 for students. rocklandstrand.com. 3 p.m.
MONDAY
Seanachie Nights: Spoken Word and Music, Bull Feeney’s, Portland. $9/donation. 253-0288. “Solstice Revels” with Sebastian Lockwood, Lynne Cullen and Janet Lynch, 7 to 9 p.m.
TUESDAY
Metropolitan Opera Live in HD: Gounod’s “Faust,” encore screening, Strand Theatre, Rockland. $23. rocklandstrand.com. 1 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Metropolitan Opera Live in HD: Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” screening of Mozart’s masterpiece, Strand Theatre, Rockland. $12.50; $10 for ages 18 and younger. rocklandstrand.com. 6:30 p.m.
“Stonehenge at Mid-Winter Eve,” astronomy show, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. Donation. usm.maine.edu/planet. 8 p.m.
• FILMS
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), with music by Over a Cardboard Sea, State Theatre, Portland. $6. statetheatreportland.com. 6 and 9:30 p.m. Friday.
“White Christmas” (1954), Strand Theatre, Rockland. $5. rocklandstrand.com. 3 p.m. Saturday.
Fall Film Series: “Jane Eyre” (2011), York Public Library. Free. 363-2818. 3 p.m. Sunday.
“How to Start a Revolution,” documentary sponsored by OccupyMaine, Space, Portland. Free. space538.org. 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), Skidompha Library, Damariscotta. Free. 563-5513. 6:30 p.m. Monday.
“A Christmas Carol” (1951), Rockland Library. Free. 594-0310. 6:30 p.m. Dec. 22.
• BOOKS/AUTHORS
Biddeford Adult Poetry Project, facilitated by local poet Joe Breuning, Second Congregational Church, Biddeford. 284-7898. 6 p.m. today.
Colin Woodard, author of “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America,” Skidompha Library, Damariscotta. 563-3207. 10 a.m. today.
Joyce Tenneson, author of “Shells: Nature’s Exquisite Creations,” Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland. Free. farnsworthmuseum.org. 3 to 5 p.m. Friday.
Kevin C. Mills, author of “Breakwater,” book release, Maine Authors Publishing Office, Rockland. kevincmills.com. 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.
Chris Van Dusen, author and illustrator of “The Circus Ship,” includes refreshments and a kids’ craft project, Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport. Free. penobscotmarinemuseum.org. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Solstice Dawning Celestial Poetry Evening, poetry and stars with local writers, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. Donation. usm.maine.edu/planet. 7 p.m. Sunday.
Port Veritas Spoken Word Night, weekly poetry reading, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland. Free/donation. localsprouts.coop. 7 p.m. Tuesday.
• PARTICIPANT DANCE
Holiday Milonga del Oeste, dance/concert by tango band Tango Mucha Labia, Williston West Church, Portland. $10; bring indoor shoes. tangomuchalabia.com. Lessons at 8:15 p.m., dance at 9 p.m. Friday.
Contradance, Town Hall, Bowdoinham, $9. 666-3090. 8 to 11 p.m. (beginner’s lesson at 7:30 p.m.) Saturday.
Contradance, music by Soupbone and calling by Dugan Murphy, Mayo Street Arts, Portland. $7. mayostreetarts.org. 8 p.m. Saturday.
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.