August
EventsMUSIC
Sugar & Spice
John Hiatt's got a gruff voice, somewhere between a growl and a rasp. Shawn Colvin's pipes are clear and unfiltered. Together, they give you goosebumps, especially when they take on creative covers (Colvin does a plaintive version of the Bee Gees' "Words" on her latest album) and their own literate, rootsy compositions. Hiatt and Colvin, who are touring together for six weeks this summer, show up in Freeport on Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Free. L.L. Bean's Discovery Park, Main Street. 800-559-0747, ext. 37222.
SIGHTSEEING
Hot Air
There's nothing like a hot air balloon to inspire flights of fancy, both literal and figurative. Spark your imagination at the fifteenth annual Great Falls Balloon Festival, when the skies of Lewiston-Auburn will be filled with colorful balloons and the streets will be jammed with performers, carnival rides, and good things to eat. Aug. 17 - 19. The festival is free; balloon rides cost $175. 207-782-2637. www.greatfallsballoonfestival.org
HISTORY
Liberty Ship
During World War II, the manufacture of Liberty Ships transformed the waterfront in South Portland as the city hosted two new shipyards building oil- and coal-fired cargo ships for the war effort. A piece of that history returns with the visit of Liberty Ship S.S. John W. Brown. Built in Baltimore, the Brown is one of two Liberty Ships still in service, and is identical to those built in South Portland during the 1940s. Public tours are available Aug. 17 and 19 to 22, with a six-hour Living History Cruise on Aug. 18. Tours are $5; tickets for the cruise are $125. Maine State Pier, Commercial Street, Portland. 410-558-0646. www.liberty-ship.com
Before making plans to attend any of these events, call ahead to confirm, since dates and times may be subject to change. To submit event listings to Down East, send an e-mail to editorial@downeast.com.
MUSIC AND DANCE
Alive at 5 Concert Series
As good for people-watching as they are for toe-tapping, the Alive at 5 Concerts attract office workers, hipsters, young families, and random passersby to Portland's Monument Square on Thursday evenings. Aug. 2: Assembly of Dust (rock). Aug. 9: Sister Carol (reggae). Aug. 16: the Rebirth Brass Band (New Orleans funk, jazz). All shows at 5 p.m. Free. www.989wclz.com
American Folk Festival
A celebration of multicultural traditional arts - music, dance, crafts, food, and storytelling. Aug. 24 - 26. Free. Bangor waterfront. 207-992-2630. www.americanfolkfestival.com
Bates Dance Festival
Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, the Bates Dance Festival brings together an international community of choreographers, performers, educators, and students in a cooperative community to study, perform, and create new work. Through Aug. 11. $12-$18. Bates College, 163 Wood St., Lewiston. 207-786-6381. www.bates.edu/x61422.xml
Bay Chamber Concerts' Summer Music Festival
Award-winning international artists performing on Wednesday nights at the Strand Theatre in Rockland and on Thursday nights in the historic Rockport Opera House. The August concerts begin on the first with Max Levinson, winner of the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, who will be joined by Fareed Haque on guitar and the Vermeer Quartet. They'll perform music by Schubert, Schumann, Villa-Lobos, and Piazzola. $8-$33. 207-236-2823 or 888-707-2770. www.baychamberconcerts.org
Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Music Festival
A slew of acts - Goldwing Express, the Larry Gillis Band, the Kati Penn Band, Carolina Rebels, and lots more - get their fingers blistered. Aug. 23 - 26. $10-$55. Silver Spur Riding Club, Sidney. 207-873-6539. www.blisteredfingers.com
Blue Hill Brass Quintet
A versatile Maine ensemble renowned throughout New England for more than twenty years will perform music from five centuries as part of the Vanderkay Summer Music Series, "The Sounds of Maine." Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. $15. Blue Hill Congregational Church. 207-374-2891.
Bowdoin International Music Festival
The Friday evening MusicFest series features the Aeolian Chamber Players, distinguished guest artists, and members of the festival faculty in performances held each week during the festival at 8 p.m. The Wednesday evening Upbeat!, at 7:30 p.m., is a faculty concert series that presents a mixture of contemporary and traditional works in a casual setting. Crooker Theatre at Brunswick High School, 116 Maquoit Rd. Through Aug. 4. $5-$30. 207-373-1400. www.bowdoinfestival.org
James Taylor
Sweet Baby James has earned forty gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, five Grammy Awards, a Century Award - Billboard magazine's highest accolade that is bestowed for distinguished creative achievement - he's in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and in 2006 the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences selected him Person of the Year. No wonder his tour's called a one-man band. Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. $65. Cumberland County Civic Center, Spring St., Portland. 207-775-3458. www.theciviccenter.com
Kneisel Hall Festival Concerts
On Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, classical music students and faculty from some of the finest musical institutions in the world delight Blue Hill audiences with Kneisel Hall's summertime concert series. Through Aug. 26, Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. $20-$30. 207-374-2203. www.kneisel.org
L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series
Not just a place to get boots. Bean's increasingly
popular concert series continues with an array of big names. Aug. 4: Arlo Guthrie (folk). Aug. 11: Great Big Sea (Celtic rock). Aug. 18: Indigo Girls (contemporary folk). Aug. 25: John Hiatt & Shawn Colvin. All shows at 7:30 p.m. Free. L.L. Bean Discovery Park, Main St., Freeport. 800-559-0747, ext. 37222.
Music in the Meetinghouse
Enjoy music at the oldest meetinghouse in Maine. On Aug. 4 it's the Balkan Women's Choir and then on the 17th it's Acadia Brass. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. Donation accepted at door. Sedgwick Town House, intersection of Old County Rd. and North Sedgwick Rd. 207-359-8977.
The Nordica Trio
A Maine-based chamber group that incorporates flawless individual and ensemble playing performed with imagination, passion, and enthusiasm. Part of the Vanderkay Summer Music Series. Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. $15. Blue Hill Congregational Church. 207-374-2891.
Portland Chamber Music Festival
Celebrating its fourteenth season of summer concerts, this popular performance series is dedicated to bringing classical classics - from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky to David Horne - to wider audiences. Opening night on Aug. 16 features actress Stockard Channing. Aug. 16 - 25. $20. Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St., Portland. 800-320-0257. www.pcmf.org
Summer in the Parks Concerts
Portland Parks & Recreation and local businesses sponsor these free outdoor concerts held at Deering Oaks Park bandstand on Tuesday nights and Western Prom Park on Wednesdays. Tuesday night performers include, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.: Music Makers (big band). Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.: Todd Royce Band (jazz, rock, and blues). Wednesday acts include, Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m.: Slaid Cleaves (Americana). Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m.: Darien Brahms (contemporary folk). Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m.: Tree By Leaf (contemporary folk). 207-756-8275.
THEATER
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Way back in 1987 - think Iran-Contra, Graceland, the death of Andy Warhol - a group of theater buffs in Belfast decided to put on a show. Twenty years later, the Belfast Maskers are going strong. They're celebrating this milestone with one of Shakespeare's most delicate confections. July 26 - Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. $5-$15. Steamboat Landing Park, Belfast. 207-338-9668. www.belfastmaskerstheater.com
Crazy for You
This Gershwin extravaganza is an artfully constructed tale of boy meets girl in the Wild West, where they spread goodness and ultimately fall in love. Through Aug. 4. $39-$43. The Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main St. 207-646-5511. www.ogunquitplayhouse.org
Crimes of the Heart
The three Magrath sisters reunite at Old Granddaddy's home to find out that the youngest sister, Babe, shot her husband. And so the comedy begins. Aug. 16 - 25. $8-$10. Gaslight Theatre, Winthrop St., Hallowell. www.gaslighttheater.org
Grand Hotel
1928 Berlin. At the Grand Hotel the guests and staff are suffering from an excess of hope and optimism as the stock market booms and the city's decadent high life is in full swing. Through Aug. 4. $27-$49. The Maine State Music Theatre, 22 Elm St., Brunswick. 207-725-8769. www.msmt.org
Hairspray
Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad is a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, with one big passion - dancing. This musical is the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Aug. 28 - Sept. 15. $39-$43. Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main St. 207-646-5511. www.ogunquitplayhouse.org . Also at the Maine State Music Theatre Aug. 8 - 25. 22 Elm St., Brunswick. 207-725-8769. www.msmt.org
Jack the Ripper: Monster of Whitechapel
A comical, but also scary, treatment of the serial killer who terrorized London in the 1800s. Many of the characters and events are taken right from history, but others are pure comic invention, such as Pegeen Macdougal, a practitioner of white magic, and her familiar, Hogarth, who speaks only in cookbook terms. Aug. 30 - Sept. 5. $19-$25. Lakewood Theater, 76 Theater Rd., Skowhegan. 207-474-7176. www.lakewoodtheater.org
Judevine
Vermont writer and musician David Budbill's play is a portrait of ordinary people, mingling the sweetness of Thornton Wilder and the raunchiness of Lenny Bruce. Aug. 31. $9-$26. The Theater at Monmouth, Main St. 207-933-9999. www.theateratmonmouth.org
The King and I
A young English widow's stormy relationship with the king of Siam. Aug. 7 - 25. $39-$43. Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main St. 207-646-5511. www.ogunquitplayhouse.org
Leading Ladies
It's pandemonium as two Shakespearean actors don drag to get a million greenbacks from a dying spinster and fall in love with two girls. As girls. But they're guys. Got it? Aug. 14 - Sept. 1. $24-$35. Arundel Barn Playhouse, 53 Old Post Rd. 207-985-5552. www.arundelbarnplayhouse.com
Man of La Mancha
Terry Gilliam couldn't make it into a movie but the Camden Opera House can bring you the musical retelling of Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza. Aug. 10 - 12. $12-$16. Camden Opera House, 29 Elm St. 207-236-2281. www.camdenoperahouse.com
Measure for Measure
The Bard's tale of hypocrisy, corruption, and sexual scandal in government. Enough said. Aug. 4 - 23. $9-$26. The Theater at Monmouth, Main St. 207-933-9999. www.theateratmonmouth.org
Nobody's Perfect
Under a female pseudonym, Leonard Loftus submits a novel called Love Is All Round to a publishing house. Only thing is, it's a feminist publishing house. In high heels and lipstick, Loftus is caught in a comedic dilemma of cross-dressing and cross-purposes. Aug. 2 - 11. $19-$25. Lakewood Theater, 76 Theater Rd., Skowhegan. 207-474-7176. www.lakewoodtheater.org
Sight Unseen
A provocative and moving drama about successful American artist Jonathan Waxman, who travels to the north of London to see his former lover. Winner of the 1992 Obie Award for best Off-Broadway play and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Aug. 14. $9-$26. The Theater at Monmouth, Main St. 207-933-9999. www.theateratmonmouth.org
Vivien
Janis Stevens returns in her Drama Desk nominated tour de force about the life and loves of the legendary actress Vivien Leigh. Aug 7. $9-$26. The Theater at Monmouth, Main St. 207-933-9999. www.theateratmonmouth.org
ART MUSEUMS
Bates Museum of Art
Green Horizons. The cornerstone of this exhibition is Manifest Destiny, a large mural by Alexis Rockman and commissioned by the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The painting depicts the artist's apocalyptic vision of global warming's impact on the city. Through December. Free. 75 Russell St., Lewiston. 207-786-6158. www.bates.edu/museum.xml
Center for Maine Contemporary Art
Art Makes a Difference. Twenty-ninth annual CMCA benefit auction, featuring works by more than a hundred contemporary Maine artists. Through Aug. 4. u Misuse. This small group show will look at how familiar, often domestic objects are made exotic, emblematic, or political. Through Oct. 7. u Up Close. A group show for representational artists focusing on the subjects that constitute an important part of their oeuvre. Aug. 11 - Sept. 29. u Aaron Stephan. Stephan's sculpture evokes rather than spells out his concerns with history, language, and meaning, playing with ordinary objects that unsettle our unquestioned assumptions. Aug. 11 - Sept. 29. $5. 162 Russell Ave., Rockport. 207-236-2875. www.artsmaine.org
Colby College Museum of Art
Whistler and Printmaking. While he achieved fame as a painter, James McNeill Whistler was also an extremely serious and innovative printmaker, producing some 450 etchings and about 180 lithographs over the course of his career. This exhibition comprises another selection of prints, never previously exhibited at the museum, from a major collection of Whistler prints on loan to the Colby College Museum of Art. Through Sept 9. Free. 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr., Waterville. 207-872-3228. www.colby.edu/museum
Farnsworth Art Museum & Wyeth Center
Factory Work: Warhol, Wyeth, Basquiat. An examination of the collaborative role Andy Warhol filled for two younger artists from opposite corners of the art world. Through Aug. 26. u The American Made Alphabet: Aerial Photographs by Margot Balboni. In this series of twenty-six large-scale color photographs, aerial photographer Balboni reveals the American landscape that lays "over the hedge" and "past the 'No Trespassing' " sign. Through Sept. 23. u The Constructed Landscape. This exhibition brings together work by five contemporary artists - Rackstraw Downes, Linden Frederick, Yvonne Jacquette, John Moore, and Dennis Pinette - who portray in their paintings the constructed, rather than the natural, landscape. Through Oct. 7. u Bo Bartlett: Still Point. Working in Seattle and on Matinicus and Wheaton Islands, Bartlett draws upon such richly diverse artistic sources as Renaissance fresco painting. Through Oct. 14. u Andrew Wyeth at Ninety. In celebration of Andrew Wyeth's ninetieth birthday, the Farnsworth will present an exhibition of some of his best-known Maine works. Through Oct. 28. $8-$10. 16 Museum St., Rockland. 207-596-6457. www.farnsworthmuseum.org
Ogunquit Museum of American Art
Mainescapes: Paintings by Jamie Wyeth. Wyeth's first recognition came as a result of his exceptional portraiture works, including a celebrated posthumous portrait of President John F. Kennedy. Today, he is also as renowned for his portraits of the animals (such as pigs, chickens, dogs, cattle, rams, and seagulls) and the individuals who inhabit the rural Pennsylvania and Maine environments where he spends his time. Through Aug. 21. u Jacob Lawrence: Prints 1963-2000. Lawrence (1917-2000) spent his childhood in various locations until moving with his family to New York City in 1930. In 1940, he began work on what would become one of his most famous creations, a series of sixty paintings on "the great Negro migration during the World War." Through Aug. 21. u Connie Hayes: Pastels and Oils from France. In May 2006, Rockland painter Hayes traveled to the small French township of Courtonne-la-Meurdrac. For several weeks, during walks in the countryside, trips to local markets, and visits to nearby villages and towns, Hayes spent her time drawing and using pastels to make sketches for the landscape paintings that would be completed upon her return to Rockland. Through Aug. 21. u Paintings by Lincoln Perry. Perry is described as "a figurative painter of narratives." His elegantly crafted paintings have been compared to the work of such European masters as Poussin, de Chirico, and Balthus. This exhibition will consist of a selection of oils and watercolors created by the artist during the past three decades. Aug. 26 - Oct. 3. u Ansel Adams: The Man Who Captured the Earth's Beauty. Adams (1902-1984) was among the last of the Romantic artists who saw the great spaces of wilderness as a metaphor for freedom and heroic aspirations. The twenty-five black and white photographs that comprise this exhibition include many of his most famous images of the Yosemite, Sierra Nevada Sequoia, Yellowstone, and the Grand Teton national parks. Aug. 26 - Oct. 31. $4-$7. 543 Shore Rd., Ogunquit. 207-646-4909. www.ogunquitmuseum.org
Portland Museum of Art
Vividly True to Nature: Harrison Bird Brown, 1831-1915. This exhibition features approximately forty paintings and a smaller group of works on paper by the late-nineteenth-century landscape painter Harrison Bird Brown. From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the White Mountains to the Alps, Brown's views both capture and communicate an abiding love for nature along with a fascination for humankind's place within it. Through Sept. 9. u Frank Lloyd Wright and the House Beautiful. This exhibition focuses on Wright's legendary skill in creating harmony between architectural structure and interior design while fulfilling the needs of a modern lifestyle. Featuring approximately one hundred original objects, the exhibition includes furniture, metalwork, textiles, drawings, and accessories from the collections of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and other public and private collections. Through Oct. 8. $4-$10, and free Fridays 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. 7 Congress Square, Portland. 207-775-6148. www.portlandmuseum.org
The University of Maine Museum of Art
Millions Taken: Daily Photographs from Everyone and Everywhere. This exhibition explores the idea that photographs are an integral part of daily life and that we all have a hand in creating and collecting them. Displayed floor to ceiling in the museum will be photographs from all over the globe, submitted by the public. Through Oct. 6. $3. Norumbega Hall, 40 Harlow St., Bangor. 207-561-3350. www.umma.umaine.edu
University of New England Art Museum
On Island: Women Artists of Monhegan. Works by thirty-five women who capture the essence of Monhegan and its role in the history of American art. Ranging in age from young to old, these artists cover the most recent fifty years on an island that has at-tracted its fair share of artists since 1850. Through Sept. 23. Free. 716 Stevens Ave., Portland. 207-221-4499.
OTHER MUSEUMS
Owls Head Transportation Museum
One of the museum's most anticipated shows of the year, the thirtieth annual New England Auto Auction. Bidders and spectators from around the world will look on as up to two hundred outstanding consigned antique, classic, and special-interest automobiles from every era head to the auction block. Aug. 18. $6-$8. Route 73, Owls Head. 207-594-4418. www.ohtm.org
Penobscot Marine Museum
Through the Photographer's Lens: Penobscot Bay and Beyond. A celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Benjamin Mendlowitz's Calendar of Wooden Boats and a look at the work of noted photographers, past and present, whose work has captured the light and shadows of Penobscot Bay and beyond. Through Oct. 21. Church St., Searsport. $3-$8. 207-548-2529. www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org
Seashore Trolley Museum
Historic Trolleys Celebration. The museum celebrates the history of its many streetcars, with special exhibits and a birthday cake for visitors. Aug. 25 - 26. 195 Log Cabin Rd., Kennebunkport. $5.50-$8. 207-967-2712. www.trolleymuseum.org
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
For a complete list of Maine agricultural fairs, visit www.getrealmaine.com/visit/maine_fairs.html
Bangor State Fair
An old-fashioned summer fair with spectacular entertainment, livestock, and sinful food. Through Aug. 5. $3-$6. 100 Dutton St., Bangor. 207-947-5555. www.bangorstatefair.com
Blissful Revolution Arts and Crafts Fair
The St. Lawrence Arts Center's annual craft fair is always wildly popular. Paper, fiber, clay, leather, image, icon, metal, jewel, stone, wax, ink, food, tarot, mind, and more. Aug. 11 &12, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Free. 76 Congress St., Portland. 207-885-5883. www.stlawrencearts.org
Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival
Up to fifty artists will exhibit their original works along Maine Street in downtown Brunswick. This is a juried exhibit and features visual arts as well as music and dance. Aug. 18. Free. 207-443-3608 or 207- 729-3321. www.brunswickdowntown.com/festival
Georgetown Working League Fair
One of Maine's oldest community fairs, the event includes crafts, fine art, children's activities, quilt raffle, seafood lunch, and much more. Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Georgetown Central School, off Rte. 127. 207-371-2074. www.georgetownworkingleague.org
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
A Down East smorgasbord of blueberry pies, muffins, pancakes, and jams, along with family entertainment, a grand parade, crafts, and games in Machias. Aug. 17 - 19. Free. 207-255-6665. www.machiasblueberry.com
Maine Antiques Festival
Maine's antique show of shows gathers a wide variety of dealers with all sorts of specialties - everything from seventeenth-century European furniture to Asian antiques to 1950s Americana collectibles. Aug. 10 - 12. $7. Union Fairgrounds. 207-563-1013. www.maineantiquefest.com
Maine Lobster Festival
Rockland, the Lobster Capital of the World, celebrates its clawed claim to fame. Aug. 1 - 5. $2-$10. Harbor Park. 207-596-0376 or 800-LOB-CLAW. www.mainelobsterfestival.com
Skowhegan State Fair
It's all here - livestock pulling, stage shows, arts and crafts, a demolition derby, carnival rides, and harness racing. Aug. 9 - 18. $3-$6. Madison Ave., Rte. 201 North, Skowhegan. 207-474-2947. www.skowheganstatefair.com
Topsham Fair
Agricultural exhibits, carnival rides, harness racing, animal pulling events, 4-H crafts, and a fireworks display - what more do you want in a country fair? Aug. 5 - 11. $1-$6. Topsham Fairgrounds. 207-729-1943. www.topshamfair.net
Union Fair
Celebrating agriculture in general and the blueberry in particular, the Union Fair has all the favorite attractions, plus a he-man competition. Aug. 20 - 25. Union Fairgrounds. $6. 207-785-3281. www.unionfair.org
WCSH 6 Sidewalk Art Festival
The oldest and largest one-day art show in northern New England puts a museum's worth of art on the streets of Portland. Aug. 25. Free. 207-828-6666.
Windsor Fair
Just a stone's throw from the state capital, Windsor hosts a country fair famed for its large midway, animal pulling events, and harness racing. Aug. 26 - Sept. 3. $6-$8. Route 32. 207-549-5249. www.windsorfair.com
WLBZ 2 Sidewalk Art Festival
The TV station-sponsored sidewalk art festival has become a nationwide tradition. The Bangor version is the city's largest and most celebrated one-day art festival, showcasing more than a hundred artists from Maine, New England, and beyond. Aug. 4. Free. 207-942-4821.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Artists of Corea Studio Tour
A tour of studios that includes Marsden Hartley's work space and bedroom and the studio of artist Louise Z. Young. Aug. 18, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $10. 207-963-2067.
Cowboy Ball
Go wild - as in West. Events include a barbeque, dancing to the music of the Starline Rhythm Boys, mechanical bull riding, Spring Creek Derby, and a silent auction. All proceeds support Equest's therapeutic riding programs. Aug. 25, 6 - 10 p.m. $15- $50. Spring Creek Farm, Drown Ln., Lyman. 207-985-0374. www.equestmaine.org
44* Latitude
An art event celebrating the preservation of Maine's maritime traditions through the creation, display, and sale of original art. Found nautical items such as oars, rudders, half-hull models, bits of sailcloth, and more are transformed into original works of art by nationally recognized and well-known Maine artists, including Eric Hopkins, Frederic Kellogg, Gil Coyle, Gideon Bok, Mary Bourke, and more, and then auctioned off. Aug. 1 - 16. Knight Marine Service, 525 Main St., Rockland. 207-594-1800. www.atlanticchallenge.com
Friends of the Rockland Public Library Garden Tour
This tour, appropriately named Our Neighbors' Gardens, will feature ten beautiful swards of green at residences within a mile radius of the library. Aug. 11. $12-$15. 207-594-0310.
Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show
The fifth annual show features boats in the water, boats on land, fine furniture, home wares, the arts, architecture, and delicious food. This event is Maine's only in-the-water boat show, and it is also the only show to feature dozens of Maine's most talented furniture makers, architects, and builders. Aug. 10 - 12, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $10. Harbor and Buoy parks, Rockland. 800-565-4951. www.maineboats.com
Maine Cultural survival Bazaar
Unique, hand-crafted, fairly traded gifts from more than forty vendors selling items such as Afghan and Tibetan hand-knotted rugs, Zapotec pottery, San jewelry, African batik, Apache silver, Thai silk, reed baskets from Ghana, Nipmuc flutes, Maasai beadwork, silk weavings from Madagascar, lace from Brazil, and many more items from around the world. The entertainment includes traditional Lakota drumming, Native American storytelling, Native American music by Hawk Henries, African drumming, and more. Aug. 4 & 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. Maine State Pier, Portland. 617-441-5418. www.culturalsurvival.org
Merryspring's Kitchen Tour
Visit nine imaginative kitchens, from cheerful cottage style to sleek and sophisticated, in Camden and Rockport. The chefs at work in each kitchen give you a sampling of the wonderful, ever-expanding dining choices available in the midcoast area. Aug. 1, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $5-$30. 207-236-2239. www.merryspring.org
Miles Memorial Hospital League Rummage Sale
Summer is the perfect time to rummage, and the Miles Memorial Hospital has a plethora of new trinkets to clutter your home. Aug. 16 & 17, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m., and 18, 8 a.m. - noon. Free. Chapman Field, intersection of US Rte. 1 and Business Rte. 1, Damariscotta. 207-563-6083.
Paintings from Your Grandmother's Attic Art Fair
Want to clean out the attic or basement? Reclaim wall space? Or relieve the remorse of having purchased a piece of art that just isn't you? Then bring along original paintings, prints, art posters, lithographs, engravings, sculptures, mixed media, antiques, and collectibles to the sale. Aug. 18, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tate House Museum, 2 Waldo St., Portland. 207-774-6177. www.tatehouse.org
Pull Up a Chair
Spaulding Memorial Library of Sebago sponsors this Adirondack chair auction. The Adirondacks are made by local craftspeople and designed and painted by nationally and locally known artists. Aug. 18. $10. Camp O-AT-KA, Rte. 114, Sebago. 207-787-232. www.spaulding.lib.me.us
Seeking Sustainability: An Exploration of Simple Living
This conference, at the homestead of the late Scott and Helen Nearing, will combine ideas and experiences to explore different aspects of the simple life, and attempt to answer what it means to live well, live right, and leave the world a better place than we found it. Aug. 19 - 24. $400-$500. The Good Life Center, 372 Harborside Rd., Cape Rosier. 207-326-8211. www.goodlife.org
TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race
Some of the world's fastest runners and a bunch of local joggers tear around Cape Elizabeth. Aug. 4 at 8 a.m. 888-480-6940. www.beach2beacon.org
