Carol Harrell believes a man named Steve Moody is to thank for “the pretty views on Belfast’s city streets.” To prove her point, she and adjacent neighbor David Perry will open their Moody-designed gardens on Saturday, August 2, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., as part of the Belfast Garden Club’s Open Garden Days. Admission to both gardens – one at 11 Condon Street, the other at 30 Northport Avenue –costs $5. The event will be held rain or shine.

Denise DeSpirito will lead a Mid-Season Herb Garden Tour at Merryspring Nature Center on Tuesday, July 22, at 12 noon.

Please join Denise DeSpirito for a mid-season herb garden tour to see what is growing.

JEFFERSON — Once again Tina’s Daylilies will be hosting their eleventh annual garden party fundraiser, Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Tina’s Daylilies, 310 East Pond Road in Jefferson. The event, which includes door prizes, refreshments, and live music, is open to the public.

Each year 20% of the proceeds that day is donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for MS research. Along with donations folks give throughout the season, people can also go online to Tina’s Daylilies website anytime to donate.

The annual memorial service to honor the life of Revolutionary War hero Major General Henry Knox will take place July 26, at 10:30 a.m., at the Thomaston Village Cemetery.

The Maine and New Hampshire Sons of the American Revolution and Col. Henry Knox Regimental Colors Guards will begin the ceremony with a Revolutionary War period color guard followed by the laying of the wreaths.

Camden-Rockport has a lively network of food gardeners, according to CamdenCan, in a news release. Discover the vibrant gardens on a free community tour, Sept. 5 and 7, 2025. This is CamdenCAN’s second annual tour celebrating local food, ecological resilience, and shared abundance.

Thirteen home gardens and local farms, with very different food garden concepts, will be open for the public to view, gather ideas and share knowledge. 

On Tuesday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., the film The Buzz on Native Plants will be shown in the Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion of local experts including Avy Claire and Cathy Rees co-founders of the Native Gardens of Blue Hill and Pete and Julie Beckford, owners of Rebel Hill Nursery in Liberty.

The Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial 2025 tile dedication ceremony scheduled for Sunday, July 13 has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 27, due to serious accident at the South Portland facility that manufactures the tiles. The schedule for July 27 remains the same as the July 13 schedule.

Initial news release:

The 2025 New Tile Dedication Ceremony at the Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial will be held Sunday, July 13, 2025.

Wednesday, July 23, from 2 - 4 p.m., Rockland's Public Services, EMS & Fire Department, and Police Department will be treating Rockland Public Library to a meet and greet with their cars, trucks, and machines.

Join Public Services Head Todd Philbrook, Deputy Chief Alex Gaylor, Lieutenant Carl Anderson from the Fire Department, and Miss Katie for an afternoon of stories, crafts, learning about local service vehicles, and even getting to climb inside some!

This program is free. No sign up necessary.

“A standing ovation!” - Grand Ole Opry

When virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond and runs through the wide open fields of bluegrass and Americana JigJam is born. Bluegrass and American folk music originated from Ireland, and Jigjam is touring the US, showing audiences what it’s like when the music returns to the fast pickin’ and nimble playing, along with some fine story-telling, of four lads from the old country. Jigjam performs at the Boothbay Harbor Opera House on Tuesday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m.

The Big Parade, part of the 2025 Maine Lobster Festival, kicks off Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, at 10 a.m., on Main Street, in downtown Rockland.

This year’s parade theme is “The Dog Days of Summer," and participants are encouraged to bring their most creative interpretations to life. From costumed pups to sun-soaked seaside floats, the possibilities are endless. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will even make appearances at the parade and afterward at the Festival grounds.

The 2nd annual Hope Day will be raising money for Homeworthy during Hope Day, Saturday, July 26, at Hope Corner, 441 Camden Road.

The Friends of Rockland Public Library are hosting an Open Air Market on the Rockland Library lawn, plus a used Book Sale in the Library’s Community Room, on Saturday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friends members may shop at 10 a.m. (Not a member? You may join at the event). 

Two Searsport gardens will be open to the public on Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., as part of the Belfast Garden Club’s Open Garden Days. The event, which will take place rain or shine, will showcase gardens at 22 Union Street and 15 Water Street. $5 covers admission to both gardens.

Join Georges River Land Trust on Sunday, July 27 for a group paddle along the St. George River from Warren town center. Stop by St. George Pizza before the paddle for a partial proceeds brunch and pizza party supporting local conservation work in the watershed.

10am-2pm Visit St. George Pizza in Warren for brunch, pizza, and ice cream with partial proceeds supporting the land trust's work to conserve and care for the watershed. Stop by the land trust’s table, where staff will provide information about the land trust’s new paddling trail.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering two food preservation workshops at the Maine Tasting Center, 506 Old Bath Rd, in Wiscasset.

The first, Spirited Spreads: Boozy Jams Happy Hour, will take place on Friday, August 1, 2025, from 4:30 - 7 p.m. Participants will learn how to effectively and safely incorporate spirits and liqueurs into fruit jams.

I have been a volunteer with PAWS Animal Adoption Center for more than 20 years, primarily as a dog walker, and during that time there have been plenty of special dogs who have come along, but most recently we’ve had one that really captured everyone’s heart, Guinness.

Guinness originally came to Maine as a puppy thanks to a partnership PAWS has with shelters in the south and the Bissell Foundation, assisting to save animals from possible euthanasia due to overcrowding. 

Vikki Webster, from Maine Health, will present a Fall Prevention Workshop on Tuesday, July 15, at 1 p.m., at the Rockland Public Library, as part of the Aging Well series co-sponsored with the Library.

Falls are one of the top three causes of nonfatal injuries in adults aged 65 and older, according to a news release.

United Midcoast Charities (UMC) will hold its signature summer event, the 2025 Rising Tide Party & Silent Auction, Thursday, August 21, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Sail, Power & Steam Museum Boathouse in Rockland.

This celebratory evening brings the Midcoast community together in support of UMC’s mission to strengthen nonprofit services across Knox and Waldo counties. With the theme “Be the Tide That Lifts All Boats,” the event features:

● Bold fire-crafted flavors of Applecroft Catering

● Lively swing, jive, and Latin sounds from the Right Track Jazz Combo

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust naturalist Sarah Gladu will lead a hike at Plummer Point Preserve in South Bristol, Tuesday, July 15, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. 

"Plummer Point is a locally popular hiking spot, with its lovely coastal spruce forest and stunning views of the Damariscotta River, Seal Cove, and nearby islands," said CRCT, in a news release.