• HOT TICKETS

Music and Nightlife: Bonamassa strums his stuff at Merrill

JOE BONAMASSA isn’t exactly a household name, but folks who care seriously about guitar playing know who he his. He melds blues with rock, and has earned the praises of no less than Eric Clapton and B.B. King.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE: Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland

HOW MUCH: $66 to $86

INFO: 842-0800; porttix.com

Art and Theater: DaPonte ends with Ludwig, Felix, Tan

THE DAPONTE String Quartet closes its performance season with a young Beethoven (String Quartet in B-Flat, Opus 18, No. 6); a young Mendelssohn (String Quartet in E-Flat, Op. 12); and “Eight Colors” by Chinese composer Tan Dun, written in 1986.

WHERE & WHEN: 7:30 p.m. tonight at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 200 Main St., Thomaston; 7:30 p.m. Friday at St. Mary the Virgin Church, 43 Foreside Road, Falmouth; 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln Theatre, 2 Theatre St., Damariscotta; 3 p.m. Sunday at Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church, 84 Main St., Topsham

HOW MUCH: $22; $18 for seniors; free for ages 21 and younger

INFO: daponte.org

Dining and Drink: Po’ Boys cookin’ up  a mess o’ crawfish

PARK YOURSELF at the parking lot crawfish boil and chow down on some fresh Louisiana crawfish and homemade bread pudding. There will also be live music from Gin Mill Julep and King Memphis, and Shipyard Export and Summer Ale on draft.

WHEN: Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Po’ Boys & Pickles, 1124 Forest Ave., Portland

HOW MUCH: Crawfish, $7 to $10 per serving; bread pudding, $4; beers, $3 to $4

INFO: 518-9735; tinyurl.com/poboyscrawfishboil

Et Cetera: All dolled up at Victoria Mansion on Sunday

GATHER UP your children and their dolls and head to the Victorian Doll Tea, where you’ll sip tea while learning about Victorian customs and etiquette. After the tea, tour the Victoria Mansion and see a custom doll display.

WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St., Portland

HOW MUCH: $40 for one adult and one child; $25 for each additional adult; $15 for each additional child

INFO: 772-4841

 

• CHEAP THRILLS

Music and Nightlife: True bluegrass at Empire

ORIGINAL BLUEGRASS music from the bluegrass haven of North Carolina. That’s what Deep Chatham brings to the table, and they’ll be bringing it in Portland on Friday.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Empire Dine and Dance, 575 Congress St., Portland

HOW MUCH: $5

INFO: 879-8988; portlandempire.com

Art and Theater: CMCA celebrates 60 years

THE CENTER for Maine Contemporary Art celebrates its 60th anniversary with a season-opening exhibition of five artists whose work reflects CMCA’s mission of advancing contemporary art: Sculptor John Bisbee; painters Katherine Bradford, Frederick Lynch and Mark Wethli; and photographer Todd Watts.

WHERE: CMCA, 162 Russell Ave., Rockport

WHEN: Opening reception, 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday. On view through July 8.

HOW MUCH: $5/donation

INFO: cmcanow.org

Dining and Drink: Itinerant brewer on his way

SAMPLE MICROBREWS with Baltimore-based Brian “Stillwater” Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Strumke is known as the “gypsy brewer” because he rents space and equipment to make his products, and he’s gained something of a cult following.

WHEN: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Whole Foods Market, 2 Somerset St., Portland

HOW MUCH: Free. Ages 21-plus; ID required.

INFO: 774-7711

Et Cetera: Take a flier on this festival

GO FLY A KITE during the third annual Bug Light Kite Festival, where you can learn kite-flying tips and see demos of show kites.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Bug Light Park, South Portland

HOW MUCH: Free

INFO: 767-7299