Community/Arts Calendar: April 22

Arts

Wednesday 4/22

Earth Day Virtual Film Festival, 7-9 p.m., hosted by Maine Audubon, Falmouth. Members $12, nonmembers $15. Remote access links will be sent out to all registrants on April 22. maineaudubon.coursestorm.com.

Saturday 4/25

Spencer Albee’s Livestream of Consciousness, 7 p.m., presented by The State Theatre and 98.9 WCLZ. Free, statetheatreportland.com/events/spencer-albee/.

Ongoing

317 Main Community Music Center, 30 minute concerts featuring teaching artists at 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays on Instagram, Facebook and Vimeo, and at 317main.org under “Listen.” Open mic every other week on Zoom. Sign up at openmic@317main.org. Free. Spring classes will also be online.

Bowdoin College Museum of Art, entire collection searchable online along with selected exhibits, Visit From Home activities, bowdoin.edu/art-museum.

Chocolate Church Arts Center Live From Home Series presents online concerts streamed via the Chocolate Church Arts Center’s Facebook page. Comedian Johnny Ater performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Free, check Facebook for additional dates and times.

Chris Ross live Facebook stream, 6 p.m. every Wednesday and Sunday night, acoustic set. Free.

MMPA Antidote, positive and upbeat posts and links by Maine Museum of Photographic Arts, available at mainemuseumofphotographicarts.org. Readers are also invited to send images.

Palaver Strings: Palaver Solo Sessions, 10-week live-streamed series every Thursday until June 4 at 7 p.m. on Facebook or Instagram, Visit palaverstrings.org for more information and to see a line-up of performers.

Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum on the Bowdoin College campus is offering collections and exhibitions to view online at bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum.

Portland House of Music Locked Down with [P]HOME Live Streaming Series, 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays through April. Visit portlandhouseofmusic.com for lineup.

Portland Museum of Art offers browsable collections online, as well as videos and podcasts. Visit portlandmuseum.org and scroll down to “Stay Connected!”

Portland Stage, tickets to the digital stream of “Native Gardens” can be purchased at portlandstage.org. Health care workers are encouraged to email the box office for free tickets at boxoffice@portlandstage.org.

PSO: Notes from Home, digital video series by Portland Symphony Orchestra musicians who perform, demonstrate their instruments and talk about their professional careers. Available on Facebook and Instagram, as well as portlandsymphony.org.

Sing with Neighbors, 9 a.m. Saturdays in Deering Center, Portland. Sing from a doorstep or sidewalk. Visit Deering Center Neighborhood Association Facebook page for details.

“The Orphan’s Tales,” live free reading series by Cat Valente, Maine sci-fi author, on YouTube live every night until lockdown ends. youtube.com/user/thelearnedcat.

Benefits

Portland Artist Relief Fund, the goal is to raise $50,000 to distribute $500 each to 100 artists. Applications available online. Check creativeportland.com/Artist_Relief_Fund for more.

Maine Jewish Museum: Buy a Brick, $118, benefits programming and art exhibits at the Portland site, xecd@mainejewishmuseum.org or 954-501-6213.

United Way of Maine has started an Urgent Needs Fund to help local initiatives and agencies at unitedwaysofmaine.org/covid/.

Bulletin Board

Bowdoinham Library Online Plant Sale, orders taken until May 12, bowdoinhamplantsale.com.

Citizens Climate Lobby Virtual Hangout, 3-4 p.m. via Zoom, Sundays through June 14. Free, citizensclimatelobbymaine.weebly.com.

Dog Cookie Bin, open at St. Lawrence Arts, 76 Congress St., Portland, for pups that still need their walks during social distancing. Pet owners can also leave a dog biscuit donation in the bin.

Earth Day, full month of activities to celebrate 50th anniversary. See falmouthme.org/sustainability/pages/earth-day-2020.

Maine Community Foundation accepting scholarship applications young Maine women pursuing degrees in science or engineering through June 1. Applications at mainecf.org.

Dining In

Deering Center Community Church in Portland, food available Wednesday afternoons through Friday while supplies last, reserve a box before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday through pastordon@deeringcenter.org or leave a message at 773-2423.

Freeport Community Services Food Pantry is offering people in need prepackaged bags of food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Visit fcsmaine.org/covid-19-update/ for more information.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Organization, find organic products and farms at mofga.org/find-organic.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick, is offering to-go lunches and pre-packed boxes outside the eastern entrance and the food pantry. Visit mchpp.org/covid/ for details or call 725-2716.

Donation Requests

Allagash Brewing Company and Portland Public Schools hygiene products donation drive, 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. through April 26. Needed are bar soap, unscented deodorant, cleaning wipes, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner and feminine hygiene products. Drop off at Allagash on the Fly, 50 Industrial Way, Portland, where beer can be purchased at the same time; all donors will receive a beer “thank you.”

Independence Association in Brunswick, a nonprofit supporting residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, houses clients with health vulnerabilities and is preparing in case anyone develops COVID-19 symptoms. A list for needed items has been posted on amazon.com.

Falmouth Food Pantry, food not being accepted, but donations can be made via check made out to the Falmouth Food Pantry and mailed to 279 Middle Road, Falmouth, ME 04105 or PayPal at paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1807575.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Portland, donations sought at app.etapestry.com/hosted/HabitatforHumanityofGreate_1/OnlineDonation.html.

Yarmouth Community Food Pantry needs pasta sauce, beans, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, canned vegetables and canned fruit. Donations can be placed at the rear of the First Parish Church, 116 Main St., in the basket by the Food Pantry door.

Health

COVID-19 Food Safety Information, University of Maine Cooperative Extension links to fact sheets, guidelines and videos about proper disinfection techniques, food purchasing and storage, recipes using pantry staples, role of hand washing in food safety, extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-safety.

People Plus in Brunswick, free exercise videos online at peopleplusmaine.org/article/people-plus-free-exercise-videos.

YMCA locations in Bath, Brunswick, Freeport, Portland and South Portland free online workout videos. ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/videos and ymca360.org/.

Kids

OUT Maine hosts a different virtual activity Monday-Friday. All programs are free, but registration must be done in advance at outmaine.org/programs/youth-programs. Future Virtual Rainbow Ball events can also be found online.

Thomas Memorial Library is offering virtual programs. Visit thomasmemoriallibrary.org for calendar updates and links to live streams.

Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department is using Facebook to share stories nightly at 7 p.m. with young readers at facebook.com/PortlandMainePRF. Also included on Facebook and Instagram are games, songs, links, videos, outdoor places to visit, craft ideas and more.

Portland Stage Play Me a Story Education Program, 10:30 a.m. Saturday mornings on Facebook Live. Gives kids ages 4-10 the experience of theater as professionals perform children’s stories and offer acting workshops. Free.

Learning

Tuesday 4/28

Gardening Q&As, hosted by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners on Zoom, 3 p.m. Free, register at mofga.org/MOFGA-Events/gardening-q-and-a-with-mofga.

Ongoing

ecomaine nonprofit waste management organization, learning videos, virtual tours about recycling, composting, ecomaine.org.

Greater Portland Landmarks, download free activity books for kids at portlandlandmarks.org under education/publications, and free videos of lectures for adults at portlandlandmarks.org/videos.

“Growing Maine Gardeners,“ features a new activity and video demonstration suitable for all ages, including making seed tape and forcing branches to bloom indoors. The focus is on family-friendly indoor and outdoor gardening projects. Call 581-3877, email extension@maine.edu.

Lincoln County Historical Association Education Outreach Program, lessons for grades 3 and up geared to American Colonial and early 19^th century history. Free at lincolncountyhistory.org. Click on Learn, then Youth, and pick Education Outreach.

Maine Audubon, weekly post on environmental science for grades 6-8 at maineaudubon.org/education/connections.

Maine Dept. of Education: Rural Aspirations website supports teachers and families in community-based learning at communitylearningforme.org.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Organization, free newsletter at bit.ly/3ef1j9s.

Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce live webinars and virtual events, portlandregion.com/virtual.html.

STEM and Minute-To-Win-It style challenges Tuesdays and Thursdays, Yarmouth Community Services Facebook page and yarmouthcommunityservices.org.

The Telling Room in Portland, open virtually to support teachers, instructors, parents and students with distance learning, including daily writing prompts for young writers on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. tellingroom.org/stories.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Learn at Home for parents, caregivers and students, 581-3877 or extension@maine.edu for more information. extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home/.

UMaine’s Fogler Library: New Remote Learning Resource guide for K-12 students, families, and educators, bit.ly/3bNKb8P.

Virtual Science Café for Teens, hosted by University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H for in grades 7-12 each Tuesday from 3-3:45 p.m. Learn about science in action in an informal discussion. Registration required for each session at 581-3877, jessica.brainerd@maine.edu.

Wolfe’s Neck Farm, educational environmental activities at wolfesneck.org/educational-activities.

Libraries

Cundy’s Harbor Library, Wi-Fi accessible outside the Harpswell building. Visit the library’s Facebook page for updates.

Curtis Memorial Library, cloudLibrary is accessible to check out eBooks from Brunswick. Visit curtislibrary.com/cloudlibrary-ebooks-audiobooks/ for instructions. Similarly, Flipster can be used to access digital magazines at curtislibrary.com/flipster-downloadable-magazines/.

Merrill Memorial Library, has free access for Yarmouth residents to the virtual library TumbleBooks at yarmouthlibrary.org/library_event/tumblebooks/.

Portland Public Library, cloudLibrary is accessible to check out eBooks. Visit portlandlibrary.com/highlight/cloudlibrary/ for instructions. Visit the library’s Facebook page for information about virtual activities.

Scarborough Public Library, digital services including cloudLibrary, TumbleBooks, Flipster and Kanopy, are available at scarboroughlibrary.org.

South Portland Public Library book drops at 482 Broadway and 155 Wescott Road are open. The library offers access to the the Digital Maine Library. Visit southportlandlibrary.com for details.

Thomas Memorial Library, cloudLibrary and TumbleBooks are accessible to check out eBooks from Cape Elizabeth. Kanopy (streaming service partnered with public libraries) and the Digital Maine Library are also accessible at thomasmemoriallibrary.org.

Topsham Public Library, Wi-Fi accessible outside the building. Visit topshamlibrary.org/stay-at-home-mega-list/ for a list of resources to eBooks, online courses, cloudLibrary and more.

Parks and Nature

Bath McMann Track & Field are open. Visit bathrecreation.com for a full list of park and trail closures.

Brunswick parks and trails are open, but playgrounds, athletic fields, restrooms, outdoor athletic courts and the dog
park are closed until further notice. Visit brunswickme.org/191/Parks-Recreation for updates.

Cape Elizabeth’s Fort Williams Park is closed until May 1. Visit capeelizabeth.com for updates.

Cumberland town parks are open. Visit cumberlandmaine.com/parks for a full list.

Falmouth Land Trust has a limited number of trails open. Visit falmouthlandtrust.org for a list. Town trails and playgrounds are closed.

Freeport parks and trails are open with restrictions detailed at freeportmaine.com. Playground and group meetings areas are closed. Winslow Memorial Park access is limited; if the gate house parking lot is full, the park is at capacity and you should return at another time.

Greater Portland Landmarks, free, online self-guided walking tours, portlandlandmarks.org.

Harpswell parks and trails are open. The town asks that rules, such as keeping pets under control, are strictly followed. View the Harpswell Guide at harpswell.maine.gov.

Maine Audubon sanctuaries in Freeport, Scarborough and West Bath are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk. Buildings are closed. No pets. Virtual bird watching with nest and feeder cams at maineaudubon.org/news/connections-nest-and-feeder-cams/. Check maineaudobon.org for more events as they are added.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, information about recreational opportunities, including fishing, riding, hunting, trapping and hiking at mefishwildlife.com.

Natural Resources Council of Maine, maps to explore the state, nrcm.org.

North Yarmouth town parks are open. Visit northyarmouth.org/parks-and-recreation-committee/webforms/town-parks for a full list.

Portland parks and trails are open, but playgrounds and baseball fields are closed. Visit portlandmaine.gov/182/Parks-Recreation-Facilities for a link to an interactive map showing the status of open spaces. All parking lots associated with the Back Cove trail are closed due to overcrowding until the governor’s emergency order ends.

Scarborough parks, trails and beaches are open unless otherwise noted at scarboroughmaine.org or with signage.

South Portland parks and trails are open, but recreation facilities are closed and programs are suspended. Visit southportlandme.myrec.com for more details.

Topsham Parks and Recreation activities and programs have been suspended, but public parks are still open. All playing fields and playgrounds are not in use and park facilities such as restrooms are closed.

Yarmouth parks and trails, except for the West Side Trail, are open. All playgrounds are closed. Visit yarmouthcommunityservices.org/open-spaces-1 for a full list.

Support

Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter, 20 online education programs offered in April, to register see communityresourcefinder.org. Helpline at 800-272-3900 available for around-the-clock care and support.

Clapping for Workers at hospitals, nursing homes nightly Deering Center neighborhood event in Portland at 7 p.m. Participants social distance on doorsteps and sidewalks and clap to say thank you. See Deering Center Neighborhood Association Facebook page for details.

Deering Center Neighborhood: Step Outside Your Doorstep and Sing with Your Neighbors, every Saturday at 9 a.m. in Portland.

Dempsey Connects, virtual support for cancer patients at dempseycenter.org/virtual-services-resources.

Freeport Community Services Thrift Shop is taking requests via phone and email for emergency clothing and household items. Contact Sarah Lundin at 865-3985 ext. 205 or slundin@fcsmaine.org. Visit fcsmaine.org/covid-19-update/ for more information.

OUT Maine, a nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ youth throughout the state, is connecting staff with at-risk youth through the phone and social media. More information at outmaine.org.

Workshops/Talks

Institute for Family-Owned Business is offering online webinars. Many are free, but donations appreciated. Preregistration required at fambusiness.org.

Virtual Business Data Workshop, 10 a.m. April 23 and 30, hosted by Portland Public Library in partnership with SCORE Maine. Learn how to access several useful online business research tools. Free, portlandlibrary.com/highlight/virtual-business-data-workshop.

Thursday 4/23

“Garden Chat: Growing Resilience from the Ground Up,” 6 p.m. Zoom session hosted by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Contact Caragh Fitzgerald at 622-7546 or cfitzgerald@maine.edu.