Above Board – All Hands on Deck will support Special Surfers with its 2022 fundraiser, A Starry, Starry Night. Above Board committee members invite the community to attend its fourth fundraising event on Thursday, Aug. 18, at Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel.

Above Board – All Hands on Deck will support Special Surfers with its 2022 fundraiser, A Starry, Starry Night on Thursday, Aug. 18, at Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel. Courtesy photo

The proceeds will directly support Special Surfers, a nonprofit organization that provides the opportunity for people with special needs to surf. Special Surfers hosts three events each summer on Kennebunk’s Gooch’s Beach. There is no cost to participants or their families, and all equipment and instruction is provided.

Above Board aims to raise $30,000 to purchase much-needed surfboards, SUPs, wetsuits, fins and stabilizing chairs so Special Surfers can continue to put individuals with special needs in the water to catch their first wave.

The event will feature dancing to the pop vibes of The Carmine Band, specialty cocktails, craft beer, and regional wine from local purveyors, and  cuisine provided by award-winning chef, Justin Walker of Walkers Maine. Cocktail attire suggested.

For tickets, donations and sponsorships, visit aboveboardmaine.org.

Above Board is a volunteer committee of proactive community members looking to support initiatives that directly affect
the greater York County region. The organization hosts one event per year and relies on sponsorships, ticket sales and donations to meet its goals. As a 501(C)3 organization, Above Board has raised over $143,000 to benefit various local initiatives that directly affect this community including: recovery coach training for community members and first responders, mental health services to assist local police departments, funding to help rebuild Kennebunk’s skatepark, and sponsorship of the 2020 CS3 Christmas Party where families in need receive clothing and toys for children. The common thread for Above Board’s fundraising initiatives is to help the community become more inclusive.

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Nanci Boutet founded Special Surfers in 2003 to share the empowering experience of surfing with children and young adults with special needs. What started with three kids on the spectrum is now a huge party with kids, families and surfers from all walks of life with all kinds of special abilities. When a child enters the water, supported by attentive staff and safety equipment, that child is like everyone else learning a new ability, and their world gets a little bigger.

Atlantic Hall to host lobster roll picnic box fundraiser

The Atlantic Hall in Cape Porpoise will offer lobster roll picnic boxes again this summer on Thursday, Aug. 18. Doors open at 5

Courtesy image

p.m. Guests are invited to stop by for a lobster roll, chips, and cookie while they last (limit two per person) – all for $22. Then stay for a photo exhibit by Bob Dennis and music by Cape Porpoise classical guitarist Ed Wright. Beer and wine will be available.

Local photographer, Dennis, will showcase many of his images of Cape Porpoise and offer framed, matted, and canvas prints. Copies of his new 2023 calendar and last year’s book, “The Nunans of Cape Porpoise,” will also be available. Please bring either cash or check for Bob’s, but credit cards will be accepted for the lobster rolls.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the historic Atlantic Hall, which has been the heart of the Cape Porpoise community for nearly a century.

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Dennis has published three photo books and 22 annual calendars, and his work is widely seen in local exhibits and in a wide range of media. “I’ve been photographing in Cape Porpoise for over 30 years and it never gets old,” he said in an Aug. 3 press release. “Whether it’s the splendor of the harbor, the historic lighthouse, the colorful fishing boats, or the distinctive seaside cottages, I wake up every morning optimistic that I’ll find something interesting to photograph. I see scenes in Cape Porpoise – in every season – that are truly magical.”

For more information, visit atlantichall.org or call 967-1357.

York earns UMass degree

Edward L. York, of Kennebunk, graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst on May. York majored in biology, with minors in molecular biology and political science. He plans to continue his education for a master’s degree in applied molecular biotechnology this fall at UMass.

Arundel Trail Fest scheduled for Sept. 24

The Arundel Conservation Trust Trail Fest is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24 at Arundel Community Trails. The event features 5K, 10K and half marathon options. A Kids Flow Trail Fun Ride and Race, for ages 5-12, is also planned. Arundel Community Trails is located at 257 Limerick Road.

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For more information, visit arundeltrust.org.

River Tree Arts schedules Small Works Fundraiser
River Tree Arts will host its Small Works Fundraiser 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2.

The Small Works Fundraiser is River Tree Arts’ annual fundraising event. Each year our community of artists donates small works, which are then purchased during an evening reception. All proceeds from the event help River Tree continue its nonprofit/community art-based mission.

River Tree Arts is located at 35 Western Ave., Lower Village Kennebunk. For more information about the event, visit rivertreearts.org.

Pearson and MacLeod cover the Fab Four

The next Mid-Week Music concerts will see Kennebunk musicians Dana Pearson and Andy MacLeod covering the Beatles at the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s Town House School at 135 North St. The shows are Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. followed by an encore on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. Courtesy photo

The next Mid-Week Music concerts will see Kennebunk musicians Dana Pearson and Andy MacLeod covering the Beatles at the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s Town House School at 135 North St. The shows will be presented Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. followed by an encore on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m.

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Tickets are $15 for Kennebunkport Historical Society members and $18 for non-members, and may be purchased at the door or at kporths.com/buy-tickets. The evening show is BYOB (21 and older only). For more information, email
info@kporths.com or call 967-2751.

Dinosaurs visiting Seashore Trolley Museum

Join the Seashore Trolley Museum for Dino Trolley on Saturday and Sunday Aug. 13-14.

Visitors can take a trolley ride on a heritage railway aboard the Dino Trolley, which will be decked out with jungle-themed decorations. 2D Dinosaurs will be hidden in the woods along the railway.

Visitors are also invited to several activities for youth of all ages back at the museum’s Visitors Center and main campus, including:

Dino Big Dig. Search for dinosaur bones hidden in Seashore’s very own archeological dig site.

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All Aboard for Dino Trolley, a new event hosted by Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport Saturday and Sunday Aug. 13-14. Courtesy image

Dino Egg Hunt. Search for dinosaur eggs filled with candy and prizes across campus.

Let’s Explore Dinosaurs. A scavenger hunt across campus, learn more about five different types of dinosaurs and stamp a dino passport along the way. Families with a fully stamped dino passport get to enter for a chance to win a free 2023 Family Membership to Seashore Trolley Museum.

Frozen Fossil. Dig through ice (snow cones) to find a frozen dinosaur.

Craft in a Bag. Make it at the event or take it home.

Photo Station. Take a photo with a group or family to remember the day.

Enjoy the Museum. Explore three carhouses filled with restored trolleys and several other transit artifacts around the outdoor campus.

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Admission to the event includes all activities and will be the same as the museum’s regular admission prices: Adults (age 17-59) $13; Seasoned adults 60-plus and youth age 6-16 $11; Children (age 3-5) $6; infants age 2 and under are admitted free.

Saturday and Sunday are also COVID-19 First Responder Weekend at Seashore Trolley Museum, where health care professionals who are on the front lines during the pandemic get in for free. Bring workplace badge with and show it to staff at the Museum Store to receive a free ticket. Purchase tickets in advance at http://dinotrolley.eventbrite.com For questions or additional information, email events@trolleymuseum.org or call 207-967-2800 x101.

Dino Trolley, a new event hosted by Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday Aug. 13-14.

Experience history in motion on interactive trolley rides on the museum’s private heritage electric railroad, which once served as a portion of Maine’s Atlantic Shore Line Railway (1902-1927). Subway cars, locomotives, buses, a switching tower and other interesting artifacts are also on display around the museum’s grounds. The Museum Store offers several locally-made gifts to choose from. The campus and trolley rides are dog-friendly.

Face coverings are optional anywhere on museum property and onboard the trolleys. Those who feel more comfortable wearing face coverings should continue to do so. If groups or families would like to be socially distanced onboard the trolleys, let the conductors know prior to boarding and the museum will do its best to accommodate.

For more information about Seashore Trolley Museum and its special events calendar, visit www.trolleymuseum.org.

Kennebunk Land Trust to host golf fundraiser

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Summer is for beaches – and making sandcastles, as these folks were doing last week at Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk. Tammy Wells photo

Kennebunk Land Trust will host a golf event at Hillcrest Golf on Aug.17 from 3 to 6 p.m. Registration has been extended to Aug. 15 or until capacity is reached.

Participants can register as an individual or as a team of up to four people. The event includes a nine-hole pitch and putt course, a putting contest, and games. Afterward, participants are encouraged to stay on the course for complimentary food and drinks.

Sponsors can be businesses, families or other organizations and receive two free tickets to the event. For sponsorship information, email info@kennebunklandtrust.org.

For more information and to register, visit https://KLTPitchandPutt.eventbrite.com, or email info@kennebunklandtrust.org.

Town seeks Tibbetts Plaza tree

The town of Kennebunk is looking for a donation of a Christmas tree to help celebrate the holiday season. The tree will be displayed at Tibbetts Plaza.

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The town is seeking a fir tree approximately 30 to 40 feet in height and full all the way around. The tree should also be easily accessible for transportation to the plaza. The town has a team ready to look at candidates.

For more information, email Linda Johnson at ljohnson@kennebunkmaine.us or call 207-604-1341.

Summer Band Blast 5 set for Aug. 21

The Waterhouse Center in Kennebunk will be rocking once again on the afternoon of Aug. 21, when Summer Band Blast 5 kicks off at 5 p.m. The center is located at 51 Main St. in downtown Kennebunk.

An afternoon of entertainment will be offered by local musicians including Lincoln Continental, The Dock Squares, The Biddo Honeys, Byon Yeatts, Dana Pearson, Andy MacLeod, Gary Vail and other special guests.

The free event runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The show is a benefit for Community Outreach Services and concert-goers are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item or cash donation to help those in need in the community.

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Patrons are also encouraged to bring a chair and dancing shoes and enjoy the community event. The event is rain-or-shine. For more information, call  Faith at 985-6570.

New look for Riverfest ducks

Little ducks newly painted. Courtesy photo

How does an organization add pizzazz to its largest fundraiser that’s celebrating its 30th year? That’s what Kennebunk Portside Rotarians asked themselves as they embarked on another summer of selling plastic ducks to be raced in the annual Riverfest race. Member Laura Andrews came up with the idea of giving new life to the old ducks with a little paint and a lot of creativity. A makeover has been in the process for many of the old, river-worn little ducks.

According to a Rotary press release, “Buyers of the refurbished ducks have been enthusiastic about the chance to sponsor a little duck with personality for the race to be held on Saturday Aug. 13 in the Kennebunk River basin near Dock Square.”

The fastest duck will win its sponsor $1,000. Rotary members will offer the ducks on weekends at locations in the Kennebunks, including Bradbury Brothers, H & B Provisions and Cape Porpoise Kitchen.

Last year’s event raised nearly $10,000. All proceeds were used to support community or international projects including youth development programs, college scholarships, dictionaries for third graders, Community Outreach Services food pantry, Caring Unlimited, substance abuse prevention, and disaster relief — to Ukraine refugees and Midwest tornado victims.

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Bohemian Sunday Poetry Readings scheduled

WePoets & Verse will present Bohemian Sunday Poetry Readings at the Brick Store Museum auditorium from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14. Admission is free and open to the public.

A gathering of poets, both beginners and established, will read original poems and verse. Those who write poetry and wish to join the session, can email poetryawakenings@gmail.com.

For more information, visit wepoets.weebly.com.

Recycling tips offered at library presentation

Kennebunk Free Library will present Easy Ways to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle on Tuesday Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Library Assistant Kat Boucher will share a method to minimize single-use plastics, recognize and utilize reusable materials, and reduce purchases of expensive and harmful household chemicals. Participants will be encouraged to share their own methods.

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The program is free and wheelchair accessible. Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main St. in Kennebunk. For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Encaustic artist to give demonstration

On Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m., encaustic artist Kathy Ostrander Roberts will be at Kennebunk Free Library to give a demonstration of her technique. Encaustic painting is an ancient technique that involves the use of hot wax mixed with resin and pigment.

For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Discussion features lighthouses of southern Maine and New Hampshire

Kennebunk Free Library will host lighthouse expert Jeremy D’Entremont on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. for a presentation about the lighthouses of southern Maine and New Hampshire.

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D’Entremont is the author or co-author of more than 20 books, including “The Lighthouses of Maine,” “The Lighthouses of Massachusetts,” “The Lighthouses of Rhode Island,” “The Lighthouses of Connecticut,” “Great Shipwrecks of the Maine Coast,” “The Lighthouse Handbook: New England,” “All About Nubble Light” and “Ocean-Born Mary: The Truth Behind a New Hampshire Legend.”

D’Entremont is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation, founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and the historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society. He has appeared on the History Channel, the Travel Channel, Public Television, and National Public Radio speaking about lighthouses and other subjects. He also produces and hosts a weekly podcast called Light Hearted for the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

For more information, call 207-985-2173 or email kfl@kennebunklibrary.org.

Legion Post 159 plans drive-thru barbecues

American Legion Post 159 announced that it will host free drive-through barbecues on Aug. 19 and Sept. 2. The barbecues will be held at 5 p.m. at Legion Post 159, Route 9, Kennebunkport (across from the police station).

The menu will feature pulled pork, smoked chicken, bratwurst, beans, cole slaw, potato salad, jalapeno corn bread and brownies. Donations are welcome. For more information, call 967-2400.

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Chalk the Port seeks artists

Kennebunkport is inviting local artists to show off their talent and is asking them to register by Aug. 24 for Chalk the Port.

The Chalk the Port event returns Sept. 23-24 after a two-year hiatus; local artists participate starting at 8 a.m. on Sept. 24 and finishing up by 5 p.m. that day, creating pieces that celebrate the theme, “Kennebunkport: Past, Present, and Future.”

The free, family-friendly event takes place at the Recreation Complex at 20 Recreation Way, near Consolidated School.

“The first 10 qualifying local artists selected will be awarded a $100 stipend, to show the community’s appreciation for the talent right here in our own backyard,” said Town Manager Laurie Smith in an email.

To register, complete the application at www.chalktheport.com by Aug. 24.

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