The Southern Maine Classic Dog Show will feature many different AKC-recognized breeds at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. Julia Zavalishina/Shutterstock.com

Southern Maine Coastal Classic Dog Show
Thursday through Saturday. Cumberland Fairgrounds, 197 Blanchard Road, Cumberland. yckc.org
The dog days of summer won’t be here for a while, but here’s a way to see plenty of actual dogs competing for awards and some paws-itively righteous bragging rights. Vacationland Dog Club and York County Kennel Club of Maine present the 13th annual Southern Maine Coastal Classic. There will be upward of 180 AKC-recognized breeds, including terriers, toys, sporting, herding, working and hounds living their best lives, right before your eyes. Some of the more unusual pooches you might see include Vizslas, Barbets, Dandie Dinmont terriers and Affenpinschers.

The rock trio Weakened Friends is part of the All Roads Music Festival in Belfast. From left, they are Annie Hoffman, Sonia Sturino and Adam Hand. Photo by Adam Parshall

All Roads Music Festival
Friday and Saturday. Downtown Belfast locations, $10 for opening and closing party and youth pass, $45 for Saturday pass, $80 VIP pass. allroadmusicfest.org
All Roads Music Festival takes over downtown Belfast and features a diverse range of indie music of many stripes.  The venues are within walking distance of each other and by the time it’s over, you’ll have discovered a ton of new solo acts and bands to love. This year’s lineup includes Mallett Brothers Band, Weakened Friends, GoldenOak, Kenya Hall, Rigometrics, Dan Blakeslee, Viqueen, The World Famous Grassholes and many more. There’s also a Maine songwriters’ circle featuring Gina Alibrio, Cody Landry, Dilly Dilly and Becca Biggs.

The Maine Middle Eastern Orchestra. Photo by Caitlin Carolan

Mal Barsamian & The Maine Middle Eastern Orchestra
2 p.m. Sunday. Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St., Portland, $29, $10 kids and students. porttix.com
The Maine Middle Eastern Orchestra presents an afternoon retrospective of Armenian music featuring oud and clarinet virtuoso, Mal Barsamian. You’ll hear tunes from the classical and folk traditions, including pieces from Ottoman music composer Tatyos Ekserciyan and the premiere of a newly discovered composition by Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian. The orchestra comprises music faculty members from Bowdoin, Bates and Colby colleges, the Portland Conservatory of Music and musicians from the New York Arabic Orchestra, DaPonte String Quartet, Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble, Seyir Duo and Casco Bay Tummlers.

View of the White Mountains from the East Windham Conservation Area. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

East Windham Conservation Area
Sunrise to sunset daily. East Windham Trailhead, 187 Falmouth Road, Windham. prlt.org
The East Windham Conservation Area opened to the public in early May for hiking, running, mountain biking and seasonal cross-country skiing. The 700 acres of land are part of a 2,000-acre conservation corridor, and it’s the largest wildlife habitat, clean water and recreational corridor in southern Maine. It’s rated as moderate to difficult, and depending on which route you take, you may wind up at picture-perfect Little Duck Pond.

Singer Clarisse Karasira performing at the Franklin Theater at Waynflete in Portland in May 2023. Photo by Tim Greenway and courtesy of Sylvain Dejoie Ifashabayo

Maine Voices Live with Clarisse Karasira
7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21. One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland, $10. pressherald.com
Hear about Rwandan singer-songwriter Clarisse Karasira’s rise to stardom in her home country and about her new life in Maine when Portland Press Herald staff writer Megan Gray interviews her on stage at One Longfellow Square. Karasira, who will also perform a few songs throughout the event, released her first song in 2018. On YouTube, her videos have more than 40 million views. Here in Maine, where she’s been since 2021, Karasira is working on her fourth album and has performed at Merrill Auditorium and Mayo Street Arts.

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