BENEFITS

TODAY

Benefit Tasting, sample mead and artisan cheeses from Maine Mead Works and Silvery Moon Creamery; benefits Wayside Food Programs; Maine Mead Works, Portland. $5. 699-3170. 5 to 7 p.m.

Second Annual Best Whoopie Pie Competition, benefits Muskie Center; Spectrums Generations Muskie Center, Waterville. $5 entry fee. 873-4745. Bring three whoopie pies between 7:30 and 11 a.m., judging begins at 11 a.m.

Beauty and the Books, monthlong silent auction and annual fundraiser, Falmouth Memorial Library. 781-2351. Grand finale reception, 5 to 7 p.m.

 

FRIDAY

Senior Talent Show and Auction, fundraiser for Class of 2012 Project Graduation’s “Senior Fest,” Yarmouth Performing Arts Center (Yarmouth High School). $5. yhsauction.tumblr.com. 5:30 p.m.

Falmouth Historical Society Table Games, foursomes will play table games and enjoy a light lunch and beverages; benefits Falmouth Historical Society; Holy Martyrs Church, Falmouth. $12. 781-2705. 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Hot Country Nights! country music and laughs; benefits the Class of 2012 and faculty member Mary Norbert; Crooker Theater, Brunswick High School. $8; $5 for seniors and students. 319-1910. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

 

SATURDAY

Stache Pag, mustache contest, sketches and more; benefits Northeast Historic Film, MENSK and Mystache Fights Cancer; Port City Music Hall, Portland. $10 for spectators; $20 for contestants and VIPs. stachepag.com. 9:30 p.m.

Fifth Annual Silent and Live Auction, light refreshments served, Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church. $5. 324-3191. 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Fifth Annual Silent and Live Auction, benefit for Sanford UU Church and Corner Cupboard, Nasson Community Center (Little Theatre), Springvale. $5. 324-3191. 6 to 8:30 p.m.

17th Annual Snowball Benefit, dinner and dancing to music by Tony Boffa; benefits Sugarloaf Youth Ski and Snowboard Scholarship Fund; Sugarloaf (King Pine Room), Carrabassett Valley. $60. sugarloafskiclub.org. 6 p.m.

Game Show Night and Silent Auction, with appetizers, dessert and cash bar, Merriconeag Waldorf School, Freeport. $25; $40 per couple. merriconeag.org. 6 to 9:30 p.m.

 

SUNDAY

Chocolate Lovers’ Fling, 26th annual event to benefit Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland. $20 to $50; $10 for children under 10. chocolateloversfling.org. 1 to 4 p.m.

SeniorsPlus 3rd Annual ChocoLArt Event, chocolate-tasting event with a silent art auction and live music; benefits SeniorsPlus Meals on Wheels and other programs; Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch, Auburn. $35. seniorsplus.org. 2 to 4:30 p.m.

 

APRIL 5

Telling Room’s Glitterati, literary ball with live music, cash bar, food and more; benefits The Telling Room’s free writing programs; Masonic Temple, Portland. $75. tellingroom.org. 6 to 10 p.m.

Scoop-a-Thon for Brunswick Teen Center, all sales beyond seasonal daily average will benefit the teen center, Gelato Fiasco, Brunswick. 607-4002. All day.

 

SPECIAL EVENTS

TODAY

“Collection 2012,” fashion show featuring original student garments, silent auction and refreshments by Fashion Marketing at Portland Arts and Technology High School, Portland Public Library (Rines Auditorium). $5. 874-8165. 6:30 p.m.

 

FRIDAY

16th Annual Greater Portland High School All-Stars Hockey Game, with former Bruins players and music by Kelly Parker, Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. $10/donation; free for children under age 12. 871-7876. 6 p.m.

Wine Tasting, Jumpin’ Jake’s Seafood Cafe, Old Orchard Beach. Free. 934-3250. 5 to 7 p.m.

 

SATURDAY

Cesar Chavez Observance, First Parish Church, Portland. 518-9177. 3 to 5 p.m.

Freeport Lioness-Lions Club 26th Annual Variety Show, singing, dancing and skits, Freeport Performing Arts Center. $10; $4 for ages 12 and under. 865-4104. 7 p.m.

Circus Ole! and Feast of Fools, trapeze artists, stilt walkers, jugglers, giant puppets, hoop dancers, music and more, Four Seasons Conference Center, South Paris. $8 in advance; $10 day of show; $6 for ages 12 and under. 890-0545. 7 p.m.

“Gettin’ Around,” North Atlantic Figure Skating Club’s 14th annual ice show, Family Ice Center, Falmouth. $12 to $20; $8 for children. 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.

 

SUNDAY

Shape Note Singing, everyone welcome to participate, The New Church, Portland. Donation. 216-3890. 1 to 4 p.m.

 

MONDAY

Third Coast International Audio Festival Listening Room: Lights Out, Johanna Zorn and Julie Shapiro host an evening of stories about metaphorical and literal darkness, Space, Portland. $5. space538.org. 7:30 p.m.

Storytime in the Garden, hourlong stories read by Pat Jeremiah, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay. Free. 633-4333. 10 a.m.

 

FILMS

TODAY

Portland Children’s Film Festival, workshops and local, national and international children’s films, presented by East End Community School, various locations, Portland. $5, $8. Schedule at portland

childrensfilmfestival.com. Today to Sunday.

 

FRIDAY

“Windfall” (2010), documentary about wind power, Snow Mobile Club, Island Falls. Free/donation. (646) 316-5151. 6:30 p.m.

 

SATURDAY

International Moustache Film Festival, films celebrating mustaches from around the world; benefits Northeast Historic Film, MENSK and Mystache Fights Cancer; Deering Grange Hall, Portland. stachepag.com. $5. 3 and 7 p.m.

“My Afternoons with Margueritte” (2010, Rated PG-13), York Public Library. Free. 363-2818. 3 p.m.

 

MONDAY

“Titanic” (1997 Rated PG-13), Skidompha Library, Damariscotta. $5/donation. 563-5513.

6:30 p.m.

Global Lens International Films Series, Bates College (Olin Arts Center), Lewiston. Free. 786-6158. “A Useful Life” (Uruguay/Spain, 2011), 7 p.m.

Music Movie Mondays: “Rainbow Quest,” two episodes of Pete Seeger TV show from the ’60s, One Longfellow Square, Portland. $7. onelongfellowsquare.com. 7 p.m.

 

TUESDAY

“Ingredients” (2009), documentary about obesity, Louis T. Graves Library, Kennebunkport. Free. graveslibrary.org. 7 p.m.

 

WEDNESDAY

“Ocean Odyssey” (2008), documentary about ocean sustainability, Waynflete School, Portland. Free/donation. waynflete.org. 6 p.m.

 

BOOKS/AUTHORS

TODAY

Maine Festival of the Book, readings, signings, performances, workshops and panel discussions, University of Southern Maine and other Portland locations. Most events free. Schedule at mainereads.org. Today to Sunday.

 

FRIDAY

Heidi Julavits, author of “The Vanishers,” Bowdoin College (Massachusetts Hall), Brunswick. bowdoin.edu. 4 p.m.

Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, author of “Gods, Gays, and Guns: Essays on Religion and the Future of Democracy,” Longfellow Books, Portland. longfellowbooks.com. 7 p.m.

 

SUNDAY

Longfellow’s Shorts Author Series: Morgan Callan Rogers, author of “Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea,” Portland Stage Company. $5/donation. 774-1043. 7 p.m.

 

TUESDAY

“Four Strong Women Speak,” with Kathleen Ellis, Elizabeth Tibbetts, Pat Ranzoni and Kristen Lindquist, Rockland Public Library. 594-0310. 6:30 p.m.

 

WEDNESDAY

Brown Bag Lecture, with Melissa Coleman, author of “This Life is in Your Hands,” Portland Public Library. Free. 871-1700. Noon to 1 p.m.

Lunchtime Fireside Poetry, with Susan Connelly and Janet Shea, Rockland Public Library. 594-0310. Noon.

Peter Behrens, author of “The O’Briens,” Skidompha Library, Damariscotta. 563-5513. 10 a.m.

Peter Behrens, author of “The O’Briens,” Longfellow Books, Portland. longfellowbooks.com. 7 p.m.

 

APRIL 5

Kieran Shields, author of “The Truth of All Things,” Longfellow Books, Portland. longfellowbooks.com. 7 p.m.

 

PRO SPORTS

Maine Red Claws, NBA Development League affiliate of the Celtics, Bobcats and 76ers, Portland Exposition Building, Portland. $6 to $30. 210-6655. nba.com/dleague. Vs. Springfield, 5 p.m. Sunday.

 

PARTICIPANT DANCE

Downeast Country Dance Festival, contra dance with Franklin County Fiddlers and Nor’easter, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham. $12; $8 for students ages 11 to 21. deffa.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Downeast Country Dance Festival, daylong celebration of traditional dance and music with more than 24 bands, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham. $28; $20 for ages 11 to 21. deffa.org. 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday.