BRUNSWICK

Brunswick Explorer bus service will offer free rides along its regular route on Friday, Sept. 13, as well as during the town’s regular monthly ArtWalk.

Buses run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., making 13 stops that connect Cooks Corner shopping plazas, medical complexes, Bowdoin College and other business centers.

However, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, the Explorer will also make a continuous loop around the mile-long Art Walk route from Fort Andross, downtown and to Bowdoin College Museum of Art. The Explorer will make stops at or near various galleries and music venues along the way.

It’s a promotional exercise to introduce people to the bus who otherwise might not use it, said Lee Karker, executive director of Methodist Conference Home Inc.

Coastal Trans, which is based in Rockland and operates the local bus service, is a subsidiary of MCH. Recently the bus service has had to increase its local fund raising by $40,000 to account for a loss of federal stimulus funds.

Brunswick Explorer runs Monday through Friday. Regular fares are $1 per ride. Unlimited monthly passes can be purchased for $30, or $20 for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

For more information or to download a map of the buses’ routes, visit www.brunswickexplorer.org. Printed bus routes also are available at Brunswick Visitor’s Center at Maine Street Station.