THOMASTON — Periwinkle Needlepoint is celebrating one year in business in downtown Thomaston this June. Owner Jen Webber will mark the occasion with an open house celebration, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m., at the shop, located at 159 Main Street. The community is invited to stop by for snacks, bubbles, and a chance to celebrate Periwinkle Needlepoint’s first year in town. 

The Belfast Bay Fiddlers will share the stage with the Boston Scottish Fiddle Orchestra in a concert Saturday, June 6, at 2 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast.

"The groups’ performances will include jigs, reels, waltzes, strathspeys, and other music from Scottish, Cape Breton, French Canadian, Irish, and American traditions that get feet tapping and soothe the soul," said Belfast Bay Fiddlers, in a news release.

"Freedom of speech is a cherished American right," said a Rockland Public Library news release. "It is highly protected by the First Amendment, and a majority of Americans from all political perspectives claim to strongly support free speech. At the same time, free speech controversies and conflicts regularly rock American society."

Thursday, May 28, at 6 p.m., in the Community Room of the Rockland Public Library, Dr. Phillip Buckley will examine freedom of speech from two overlapping perspectives: American constitutional law and American culture. 

Teens aged 11-17 can create their own scrapbook on Thursday, May 28, from 3:30-4:30 p.m., at the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street, Belfast. 

"Start a memory-keeping journey together with others," said the Library, in a news release.

Scrapbooking supplies will be provided; bring your own photos and ephemera. 

No registration necessary.  

The Strand Theatre will present the “Strand Summer Bash: A Film Noir Cocktail Party Fundraiser” on Thursday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m., at the theater. This year’s event brings Eddie Muller, host of Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), to host a film program that will include a screening of Noir classic Woman on the Run (1950).  

From violinists to flautists, Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School will recognize eleven young musicians in their free 2026 Young Stars of Maine Prizewinners concert on May 21, at 7 p.m. The concert is free and no advanced registration is required.

The annual Young Stars of Maine program awards prizes to music students between the ages of 12 and 25 who are serious in their performance and study of music. The award for each prize is $1000.

The Cushing Community School is gearing up for its 5th annual Little Sprouts plant, seedling, and bake sale on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., rain or shine, at Langlais Art Preserve, 576 River Road, in Cushing. 

This fundraiser is a collaborative effort of the school community, the local farm community, and the Georges River Land Trust, who will again host the event.

SOUTH THOMASTON — "Summer marks the return of the bobolinks, who are known not only for their truly impressive migration, but their unique song," said Georges River Land Trust, in a news release. 

Learn more about these birds at Breakfast and Bobolinks, hosted by Georges River Land Trust, Saturday, June 6, from 8 - 10 a.m., at Riverview Hayfields Preserve in South Thomaston. The preserve is home to several pairs of breeding bobolinks, who rely on the grassland habitats found at places like Riverview Hayfields, according to GRLT.

The St. George Historical Society will honor the life and legacy of Eliza Jane Steele during its 2nd Annual Women in St. George program, May 21, at the Town Office Meeting Room. A community potluck will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.

"In celebration of Mother’s Day, we invite you to learn about one remarkable woman whose dedication and compassion left a lasting impact on our region," said the Historical Society, in a news release.

Midcoast Maine Community Square Dance will be held Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Simonton Corner Community Hall, 366 Main Street, in Rockport.

4:00pm - Family Dance                

5:00pm - Community Potluck Dinner               

6:00pm - Community Square Dance Party

The band will include the musical talents of Emily Jeffries, Benjamin Foss and Baron Collins-Hill. Sit-in musicians are welcome. Please check in with the band if you are interested.

The Good Trouble Project is presenting its Spring concert on May 30, at 7 p.m., at Pascal Hall. The show will be a benefit for The Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition.

"Based in Portland, this organization does important work, especially at this time, for Maine’s immigrant community all over the state," said the Good Trouble Project, in a news release.

Down East Singers and Mozart Mentors Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Antolini, will present J.S. Bach's Kyrie-Gloria Mass of 1733 (the first half of the Mass in B minor that Bach assembled in 1749), Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day), at 4 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 55 Elm Street, Camden.

Soloists include Jennifer Bates and Erin Chenard, sopranos; Jazmin DeRice, contralto; David Myers-Wakeman, tenor; and John David Adams, bass; Jennifer McIvor, keyboard continuo.

Concert running time: 1 hour. Dessert reception to follow.

Pascal Hall will be hosting Darrowby Farm Sanctuary for a free, immersive event on Tuesday, June 2, from 5 - 7 p.m. The public is invited to this open program and reception. Pre-registration is encouraged as space is limited, according to a Darrowby news release.. 

Pascal Hall, located at 86 Pascal Ave, Rockport, will be transformed into a sanctuary haven, according to Darrowby.

Local Color Gallery welcomes guest artist Amy Nichols from May 19 through June 21. She will talk about her Art Quilts at the May Art Walk reception Friday, May 22, from 4 - 7 p.m. Nichols will speak at 5:30 p.m.

The Strand Theatre will conclude its season of Metropolitan Opera simulcasts with the premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego,” a portrait of Mexico’s painterly power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, on Saturday, May 30, at 1 p.m. An encore screening will be presented on Thursday, June 11, at 5 p.m. 

The award-winning documentary Natchez, which explores the Mississippi town’s reliance on romanticized antebellum tourism, will be screened as part of the Points North Presents series at the Strand Theatre on Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m. 

Once home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in America, Natchez, Mississippi, now survives on a unique and problematic cottage industry: antebellum tourism. 

On Friday, May 15, join the Jackson Memorial Library for a celebration of books and poetry with two events.

From 3 to 5 p.m., the library will host a Book Binding Workshop with Len Germinara of the Midcoast Poetry Calendar and the Midcoast Poetry Journal.

The long-running Harbor Arts Fair returns to Camden's Harbor Park and Amphitheatre July 11 and 12 for a two-day art exhibit and sale along with live music, the Camden Public Library’s used book sale, and a free community art project. The fair will run from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday. 

THOMASTON — Watts Hall will once again turn into a lively honky-tonk dance floor, according to a news release, on Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m., as Country Roads returns for another Country Western Dance Night.