Portland Ovations hit the right note in moving its annual fundraiser called POP (Portland Ovations Presents) to a larger venue and a new season. The 300-person event Dec. 12 at Ocean Gateway sold out nearly 10 days in advance.

Inspired by its name, the evening featured “pop-up” performances and culinary delights celebrating creativity, community and diversity of culture.

“We’re a Maine-based organization that is global and local at the same time,” said Executive Director Aimee Petrin. “And, like the performing arts, the culinary arts are a way that we express our cultures and come together to share an experience.”

To that end, guests sampled a half dozen global cuisines, including Ethiopian from Niyat Catering, Greek from Hellenic Kitchen, Latin American from Empanada Club and soul food from Black Betty’s Bistro. A performance troupe from Portland Youth Dance warmed up the crowd with a medley of dance styles from Broadway and tap to Afro jazz and hip hop, followed by a bit of theater by a take-charge drag king. For the encore: A rainbow of brightly frosted mini-donuts from Eighty8 and a funky dance party with eight-piece band Gina and the Red Eye Flight Crew.

Thanks to the support of more than 15 corporate sponsors and about 60 host committee households, POP raised funds to connect Maine students with performing artists.

“The first time I went to a School-Time Performance, I was in a sold-out Merrill Auditorium with nothing but excitement and engagement from thousands of students,” said board member Nate Henry of Kennebec Savings Bank. “I just knew I wanted to do anything I could to support their mission.”

Upcoming 2025 School-Time Performances include the whimsical musical “A Year with Frog and Toad,” activist dance theater company CONTRA-TIEMPO, “Russell Kaback: 25044, A Jewish Grandson’s Musical  History of the Holocaust” and “HERO: The Boy from Troy, a New Musical About Young John Lewis.”

Going back to its origins as the Portland Music Commission in 1931, Portland Ovations has a long tradition of bringing innovative and masterful performing to Maine’s largest city. Each season is a curated mix of Broadway tours, classical artists, innovative dance companies and other genre-bending and boundary-pushing acts from a variety of cultures.

“It’s so reassuring to live in a town that continually prioritizes the arts,” said Emily Miklovich. “Portland Ovations is a pillar in that space.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at amyparadysz@gmail.com.