A child gets a prime seat to watch fireworks at a previous Very Merry Falmouth, which returns Thursday, Dec. 5, with tree lighting at Village Park, fireworks at the American Legion Post 164 on Friday and an Ugly Sweater 5K on Saturday. Contributed / Very Merry Falmouth
Bulletin Board
Friday 11/29
Monument Square tree lighting: Eggnog, 1 p.m. princess/superhero meet and greet, 1:30 p.m. screening of “Frozen II,” 3:30 p.m. Portland Ballet dance and singer Julia Gagnon performance, 4:30 p.m. tree lighting, Monument Square, Portland. facebook.com/portlanddowntown
Sunday 12/1
Portland Maker’s Market: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Brick South, 8 Thompson’s Point Road, Portland. thompsonspoint.com
Thursday 12/5
HART Bids and Brews: Auction to benefit Homeless Animal Rescue Team, 5:30 -8 p.m., Maine Beer Co., 525 Route 1, Freeport. Free admission. hartofme.org
Thursday 12/5-Saturday 12/7
Very Merry Falmouth: Tree lighting at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Village Park, Ugly Sweater 5K to benefit Merrill Memorial Library at 9 a.m. Saturday. Other holiday events through Saturday. verymerryfalmouth.com
Friday 12/6
South Portland tree lighting: Activities start at 4:30 p.m., ceremony with speakers at 5:45, tree lighting at 6 p.m., Mill Creek Park. facebook.com/sopoparksrec
Boozy Holiday Book Fair: 5-7 p.m., Novel Book Bar and Café, 643 Congress St., Portland. novelmaine.com
Copper beech tree lighting: 6 p.m., music, food and poetry, Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square. portlandmuseum.org
Friday 12/6 & Saturday 12/7
International Artisan Fair: 2-7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Partners for World Health, 40 Walch Drive, Portland. partnersforworldhealth.org
Through 12/20
Scarborough Kiwanis Sock Drive: Drop off at Scarborough public schools, Town Hall or Ron Forest and Sons Fence, 354 Payne Road. scarboroughkiwanis2@gmail.com
Ongoing
Adult chess drop-in: 3 p.m., Saturdays. Bring a chess board if you have one. Prince Memorial Library, 266 Main St., Cumberland. princememorial.org
Bath ReStore: 1 Chandler Drive. 504-9340. habitat7rivers.org
Bellows Supportive Screaming Group: 7 p.m., second Friday, East End Beach, Portland; fourth Friday, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth. renewcounselingme@gmail.com
Bingo: 7 p.m., Mondays, Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6859, 687 Forest Ave., Portland. facebook.com/vfwportlandmaine
Career Center Services: 1-4 p.m., first and third Mondays, Scarborough Public Library, 48 Gorham Road. Book an appointment at 883-4723, option 4, or email askSPL@scarboroughlibrary.org. scarboroughlibrary.org
Citizens Climate Lobby Portland Chapter: 9 a.m., second Saturday, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 133 Pleasant St., Portland. Email portlandme@citizensclimatelobby.org or visit citizensclimatelobbymaine.weebly.com.
Conversational Spanish Group: Noon, Thursdays, South Portland Public Library, 482 Broadway. Open to all skill levels. Register at southportlandlibrary.com.
Cribbage games: 5:45-8 p.m., Tuesdays, Scarborough Lions Club, 273 Gorham Road, Scarborough. Free. 239-2836
Critical Home Repair program: For low-income homeowners in Cumberland County. habitatportlandme.org and habitat7rivers.org
Down East Ship Model Guild: 1 p.m., second Thursday, American Legion Post 21, 200 Congress St., Bath. 751-2453, groups.io/g/DESMG
Figure drawing: 7 p.m., last Sunday, Hustle and Flow, 155 Brackett St., Portland. 18-plus. hustleflowstudio.com
Freeport American Legion: 5:30 p.m., second Thursday, Freeport Masonic Lodge, 33 Mallett Drive. mainepost83@gmail.com
Live Tech Help: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Topsham Public Library, 25 Foreside Road. topshamlibrary.org
Maine Irish Heritage Trail: Self-guided historical Portland and South Portland tours, map at maineirishheritagetrail.org.
Portland ReStore: 659 Warren Ave. 221-0047. restoreportlandmaine.org
Scarborough 55-plus Games and Gather: Coffee, snacks and games, 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesdays and Fridays, Scarborough Community Services Hub, 418 Payne Road. Free, no registration necessary. scarboroughmaine.org
Senior Bingo: Noon, Mondays, Scarborough Community Services Hub, 418 Payne Road. 55-plus, $2 at door, no registration necessary. scarboroughmaine.org
Stump Trivia: 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Sea Dog Brewing Co., 3 Cabela Boulevard, Scarborough; and 6 p.m., Wednesdays, 125 Western Ave., Portland. sporcle.com/events
Trivia Night: 6:30-8 p.m., Thursdays, Byrnes’ Irish Pub, 38 Centre St., Bath. 7 p.m., Wednesdays at 16 Station Ave., Brunswick. byrnesirishpub.com
Weekly figure drawing: Hosted by Portland Drawing Group, 7-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 4-7:30 p.m. Sundays, 39 Exchange St., Portland. portlandrawingroup.com
Crafting
Wednesday 12/4
SoulCollage crafting: Hosted by Yarmouth Community Services and Merrill Memorial Library, 2 p.m., Yarmouth Community Center, 20 Mill St. Free, registration required. yarmouthlibrary.org
Friday 12/6
Mandala Rock Painting for Grown-ups: 10 a.m., Prince Memorial Library, 266 Main St., Cumberland. Free, registration required. princememorial.org
Ongoing
A Common Yarn: Textile craftsmanship group, 1-3 p.m., Thursdays, Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road. Email lnorman@falmouthmemoriallibrary.org to join. falmouthmemoriallibrary.org
Calico Quilters: 7 p.m., first and third Mondays, 20 Mill St., Yarmouth. Contact lclark@bates.edu.
Library Knitting Group: 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, hybrid on Zoom and in-person at Scarborough Public Library. Email erowe@scarboroughlibrary.org or call 883-4723, option 5. scarboroughlibrary.org
Health
Monday 12/2
Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic: 9-11 a.m., Scarborough Community Services, 418 Payne Road. Hosted by Northern Light Healthcare and Age Friendly Scarborough. Registration required. agewisemaine.org
Ongoing
Free Age-Friendly Yoga Class: 10 a.m., Mondays, Freeport Community Services, 53 Depot St., Freeport. fcsmaine.org
Living Well with Chronic Pain: Group workshop by Healthy Living for Me. Registration required. Contact 800-620-6036, info@healthylivingforme.org or healthylivingforme.org.
Walk with A Doc: Casual, drop-in monthly walk with Maine Medical Center staff, 4-5 p.m., third Thursday, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St., Portland. Free. mainehealth.org/lets-go/lets-go-walk-doc
YMCA: Free online workout videos at ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/videos and ymca360.org.
Kids
Ongoing
Children’s story time: 10:30 a.m., Saturdays, during the school year, Chebeague Island Library, 247 South Road. cheblib.wixsite.com/chebeaguelibrary
Creative Movement with Portland School of Ballet: Intro to ballet for ages 4-6, 10:30 a.m., first Saturday, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square. portlandlibrary.com
OUT Maine free youth programs: Free youth LGBTQ+ programs, registration required at outmaine.org/programs/youth.
Paws and Read with Therapy Dogs: 3:30-4:30 p.m., Mondays, Freeport Community Library, 10 Library Drive. All ages. Call 865-3307 to sign up for a 15-minute session or go to freeportlibrary.com.
Play Me a Story: Theater performances and workshops for ages 4-10, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave., Portland. $15 for a month, or specific date options. portlandstage.org
Storytime for Children: Ages 2-5, 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, downtown Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square. portlandlibrary.com
Storytime with Taylor: 10:15 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays, Freeport Community Library, 10 Library Drive. freeportmaine.libcal.com
Teen Video Games: 2-6 p.m. Thursdays, 2-5 p.m. Fridays, downtown Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square. portlandlibrary.com
Storytime at Merrill Memorial Library: 10:15 a.m., Thursdays for toddlers, Fridays for kids all ages, Merrill Memorial Library, 215 Main St., Yarmouth. yarmouthlibrary.org
Libraries
Tuesday 12/3
Cookie decorating workshop: 6:30 p.m., South Portland Public Library, 482 Broadway. Adults only. southportlandlibrary.com
Wednesday 12/4
Ugly sweater decorating: Any clothing acceptable, optional preparation for Merry Mile and Ugly Sweater 5K on Saturday, 4:30-6 p.m., Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road. Registration encouraged. falmouthmemoriallibrary.org
Ongoing
Chebeague Island Library: 4-8 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays. 247 South Road, No. 3. cheblib.wixsite.com/chebeaguelibrary
Cundy’s Harbor Library, Harpswell: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, to 7 p.m. Thursdays, to 3 p.m. Saturdays. 935 Cundy’s Harbor Road, Harpswell. cundysharbor.me
Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, to 6 p.m. Fridays, to 5 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick. Curbside pickup available Monday through Friday. curtislibrary.com
Falmouth Memorial Library: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. 5 Lunt Road. falmouthmemoriallibrary.org
Freeport Community Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to 2 p.m. Saturdays. 10 Library Drive. freeportlibrary.com
Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to 3 p.m. Saturdays. 215 Main St., Yarmouth. yarmouthlibrary.org
Orr’s Island Library, Harpswell: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, to 4 p.m. Fridays. 1699 Harpswell Islands Road. orrsislandlibrary.org
Patten Free Library, Bath: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to 1 p.m. Saturdays. 33 Summer St., Bath. Homebound delivery service to cardholders in Arrowsic, Bath, Georgetown, West Bath and Woolwich. 443-5141, ext. 23. patten.lib.me.us/new-homebound-delivery-service
Prince Memorial Library, Cumberland and North Yarmouth: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 266 Main St., Cumberland. princememorial.org
Portland Public Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, to 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays. 5 Monument Square. portlandlibrary.com
Scarborough Public Library: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, to 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays. 48 Gorham Road. scarboroughlibrary.org
South Portland Public Library: Main library (482 Broadway) open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, to 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays. Branch library (155 Wescott Road) open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and Sundays. southportlandlibrary.com
Thomas Memorial Library, Cape Elizabeth: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. 6 Scott Dyer Road, Cape Elizabeth. thomasmemoriallibrary.org
Topsham Public Library: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, to 4 p.m. Saturdays. 25 Foreside Road. topshamlibrary.org
Meals
Sunday 12/1
Free community dinner: 5 p.m., First Parish in Portland Unitarian Universalist, 425 Congress St., Portland. 773-5747
Friday 12/6
Pork/chicken pie dinner and Festival of Trees: 5 p.m., St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Ave., Portland. $20, takeout available. Order whole pies for $25, deadline noon Monday, Dec. 2. ladyofhopemaine.org
Ongoing
Brunswick Meals on Wheels: 10 a.m. Wednesdays, People Plus, 35 Union St., Brunswick. For more services, call 729-0757. peopleplusmaine.org
Free community dinner: 5:30 p.m., Thursdays, Deering Center Community Church, 4 Brentwood St., Portland. To volunteer, call 773-2423. deeringcentercommunitychurch.org
Freeport Community Services Food Pantry: In-person shopping 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 55 Depot St., Freeport. fcsmaine.org
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program: 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick, 725-2716. mchpp.org
Scarborough Weekly Senior Lunches: 11:30 a.m., Wednesdays, SCS Hub, 418 Payne Road, Scarborough. $8 suggested donation. scarboroughmaine.org
Souper Supper at St. Mary’s: 5-7 p.m., second and fourth Fridays, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 43 Foreside Road, Falmouth. Free. smary.org/souper-supper
The Sharing Table: Free food provided by MCHPP, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick. curtislibrary.libcal.com
Parks & Nature
Friday 11/29
Falmouth Green Friday Walk: Hosted by Falmouth Land Trust, 1 p.m., McCrann Preserve, 309 Falmouth Road. falmouthlandtrust.org
Ongoing
Explore Scarborough Trails: Explore local trails in Scarborough. scarboroughmaine.org
Falmouth Land Trust: Guided hikes throughout the year, free. falmouthlandtrust.org/events
Guided Walks with Freeport Conservation Trust: Freeport Community Services, 53 Depot St., Freeport. freeportconservationtrust.org
Maine Audubon sanctuaries in Falmouth, Freeport, Scarborough and West Bath: Free and open from dawn to dusk. No pets. maineaudubon.org/news
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
Scarborough Land Trust: Outdoor educational events for all, year-round. scarboroughlandtrust.org
Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport: Hiking, gardening, workshops and more, free and open from dawn to dusk. wolfesneck.org
Recreation
Thursday 12/5
Tri-Town Penguins Snowmobile Club meeting: Durham, Freeport and Pownal, 6 p.m., Acacia Lodge, 663 Royalsborough Road, Durham. 865-6188, 713-3116 or 319-7587
Ongoing
American Legion Junior Archery Program: 6 p.m. every other Thursday, American Legion George T. Files Post 20, 1 Columbus Drive, Brunswick. See Facebook page or contact 721-1172 or algtfpost20@gmail.com.
Bicycle safety classes, riding clinics: Bicycle Coalition of Maine, 38 Diamond St., Portland. Free. bikemaine.org
Maine By Foot: Maps of walking trails throughout Maine, including wheelchair-accessible trails. Can be filtered by town. mainebyfoot.com
Pickup softball: 1 p.m., Sundays, Payson Park, Portland. All ages and skill levels. For more information, call 808-8559 or email pepsi.epsi33@gmail.com.
Support
Ongoing
Al Anon: Alcohol addiction recovery resources for family members and friends. 1-888-4AL-ANON. findrecovery.com/alanon_meetings/me
All-Recovery Meetings: Faith-based support for any recovery, noon Fridays, Portland Recovery Community Center, 102 Bishop St., Portland. youngpeopleinrecovery.org
Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter: Helpline at 800-272-3900 available 24/7. alz.org/maine
Dempsey Center: Classes, workshops and groups for cancer patients and others impacted. Free, registration required. Email registration@dempseycenter.org or call 877-336-7287. dempseycenter.org
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous: 8 a.m., Saturdays, 30 Liza Harmon Drive, Westbrook. Additional dates and meetings on Zoom. foodaddicts.org
Grief Walks: 6 p.m., first Monday, various locations in Greater Portland. $18. yogaforyourgrievingheart.com
Health Care and Frontline Workers: Free confidential coaching, wellness workshops and connection groups. 1-800-769-9819, workforceeap.com/strengthenme or email strengthenme@northernlight.org.
Maine Coalition to Fight Prostate Cancer One2One Confidential line: Leave a message at 441-5374 or 1-855-552-7200 ext. 801; a volunteer will call back. mcfpc.org
National Alliance on Mental Illness Teen Text Support Line: For ages 13-24, text 207-515-8398, noon to 10 p.m. daily. namimaine.org/teentextline
OUT Maine: Nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ youths, connects at-risk youth with staff via phone and social media. More information at outmaine.org.
Overeaters Anonymous: Virtual meetings and in-person locations around the Midcoast. oamaine.org
Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine: Free and private virtual support groups at sassmm.org, or call 1-800-871-7741.
Stroke Support Group: 5:30 p.m., first Monday, New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland, 335 Brighton Ave. Contact 662-8428 or laura.young@encompasshealth.com or go to encompasshealth.com.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly: Weight loss support group, various locations and online. 729-6400, tops.org
The Yellow Tulip Project: Support and community for those with mental illnesses, online resources at theyellowtulipproject.org.
Volunteer
Through January
AARP tax aide training: In need of greeters, schedulers and tax preparers. Training, equipment and supervision provided. Greater Portland area. Email metaxaided2@gmail.com, “Volunteer” in subject line, with name and phone number.
Ongoing
Dempsey Center: Help make life better for people affected by cancer. Needed are Clayton’s House host in Portland, Reiki, community gardeners. dempseycenter.org/volunteer
Northern New England Region of the American Red Cross: Review the most urgently needed positions at redcross.org/volunteertoday or contact Volunteer Services at volunteerNNE@redcross.org or 800-464-6692.
Puppy raisers and sitters: Maine Region of Guiding Eyes for the Blind has ongoing need for people to teach basic skills and socialize puppies and for puppy sitters. maineregion@guidingeyes.net or visit guidingeyes.org/puppy-raising
Volunteer for hospice: Free training at Affinity Care of Maine’s South Portland office. Contact 870-7779 or dteague@affinitymaine.com.
Women Build: Habitat for Humanity program to construct affordable housing. habitatportlandme.org/womenbuild
Workshops/Talks
Tuesday 12/3
Maine Paid Leave Employer Webinar: Noon, virtual via Zoom, hosted by Maine Department of Labor. bit.ly/3V35gW9
Startup Maine/Nexus Maine Holiday Mixer: 5-7 p.m., Oxbow Brewing, 49 Washington Ave., Portland. bit.ly/4i0CIGA
“Politics of Climate Change Worldwide”: Presented by polar climate researcher Susana Hancock and Camden Conference, 6 p.m., virtual via Zoom. Free, registration required. falmouthmemoriallibrary.org
“Sales for Solo Entrepreneurs”: Presented by SCORE Subject Matter Expert Pete Nikitas, 6 p.m., Cloudport CoWorking Space, 63 Federal St., Portland. Free. score.org/southernmaine
Thursday 12/5
“Using Software and Devices for Better Health”: Presented by National Digital Equity Center, 11:30 a.m., Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road. Registration required. falmouthmemoriallibrary.org
“Conservation Options for Your Property”: Presented by Scott Kunkler, conservation director of Scarborough Land Trust, 1 p.m., Scarborough Public Library, 48 Gorham Road. Registration required. scarboroughlibrary.org
Ongoing
Career building, entrepreneurship and money management: Online classes by New Ventures Maine. Free, monthly schedule at newventuresmaine.org/class-schedules.
Free college courses: For adult education students through Maine DOE and community college system. bit.ly/3qL5RwC
“From Farm to Table Fare”: Seven-video series about preparing locally sourced cuts from a whole chicken, selecting and grinding cuts of beef, and using prepared beef and chicken in recipes, free at extension.umaine.edu/livestock.
Healthy Living for ME: Classes on a variety of health topics, many are free. Visit healthylivingforme.org for schedule and registration.
Interviews with the Irish in Maine: Hosted by Maine Irish Heritage Center on youtube.com.
Maine Audubon: Nature and environment classes and workshops, many free. maineaudubon.org/events
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Organization: Free newsletter at bit.ly/3ef1j9s. Resources and classes at mofga.org.
Songwriting Workshop: 6:30-8 p.m., first Tuesday, Thomas Memorial Library, 6 Scott Dyer Road, Cape Elizabeth. Registration closes at noon the day of the workshop. thomasmemoriallibrary.org
Southern Maine Agency on Aging: Resources, services and education for healthy aging, in-person and remote. Call 396-6500 or email SMAAResource@yarmouth.me.us. smaaa.org
Support Maine Wildlife with Native Maine Plants: Maine Audubon online plant finder at mainenativeplants.org for plants best suited for specific sites, provide best ecological function and benefit, and complement the landscape.
Techspresso: Help with technology, 2-3:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Merrill Memorial Library, 215 Main St., Yarmouth. Schedule a 15-minute appointment. Sign up at circulation desk or by phone. yarmouthlibrary.org
Wolfe’s Neck Farm: Educational environmental activities at wolfesneck.org/educational-activities.
Work Permit Clinic for Asylum Seekers: Presented by Hope Acts, 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square. Free, registration required. Call 207-331-7765 or email miriam@hopeacts.org to make an appointment. portlandlibrary.com
To contribute an item to the Community Calendar, go to theforecaster.net, click the Calendar heading and click Add Event.
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