Brian Rhodes-Devey of Portland emerges from the bracing water at East End Beach at the 12th annual Polar Bear Dip & Dash in 2019. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Polar Bear Dip & Dash

9 a.m. run, 9:01 a.m. walk, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Southern Maine Community College, Fort Road, South Portland. Polar Plunge at Willard Beach, sliding scale registration fee. ncrm.org

Natural Resources Council of Maine invites you to chill out, literally, on New Year’s Eve. The Polar Bear Dip & Dash starts with a 5K walk or run. Then at 10:30 a.m., brave souls gather at Willard Beach for a dash into the ocean. Participants can join just the walk/run, just the dip, or the whole shebang. The event is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year, so hit up your pals for donations and be ready to commune with the elements for a very good cause.

Singer-songwriter Reed Foehl • Photo courtesy of the artist

Reed Foehl Band

7 p.m. Saturday. The Hill Arts, 76 Congress St., Portland, $30 in advance, $34 day of show. thehillarts.me

Vermont-based singer-songwriter Reed Foehl will perform a night of folk and other tunes in Portland. Backed by musicians Jefferson Hamer, Jeff Berlin and Putnam Murdock, Foehl has a several albums’ worth of songs to choose from, including 2022’s “Wild Wild Love.” Hill Arts is an intimate venue with plenty of tasty treats and beverages for sale in the lobby snack bar.

Start Making Sense

8 p.m. Saturday. State Theatre, 609 Congress St., Portland, $20 in advance, $25 day of show. statetheatreportland.com

Portland is almost a second home to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based Talking Heads tribute act Start Making Sense; they usually perform here at least once a year. Fronted by Jonathan Braun, Start Making Sense pays incredible homage to the new wave band that started the career of David Byrne. The members of the Talking Heads parted ways decades ago, so this is a fun way to hear their iconic songs live. The set list typically includes bangers like “Burning Down the House,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody),” “And She Was” and “Life During Wartime.” Local anti-genre alternative band SeepeopleS open the show.

Liz McLeod from the Strand On The Air radio broadcast, presented by Strand Theatre. Photo by Sam Carlson

Strand On The Air: What Now? Edition

5 p.m. Sunday. Broadcast on WRFR 93.3 FM in Rockland and streaming at wrfr.org. strandtheatre.org

There’s no need to leave your house for an hour’s worth of terrific, old-fashioned entertainment. Strand On The Air: What Now? Edition features Liz McLeod and Strand Family Players Ryan Jackson, Olivia Vanner and Brad Gunnell, along with musical director Brittany Parker in a radio show full of music and laughs presented by the Strand Theatre. You’ll listen in as the brave reporters of All Things Rescinded prepare themselves for 2025. Set in a place called Abysmal Point, Mrs. Grunden, Gertie Crummett and other colorful characters at the clam shack clamor for common ground. Also, Waldo County old-time harmony duo Patty Jackson and Rusty Blake will regale listeners with some sweet selections. If you miss the broadcast, the show will be available on podcast platforms.