MidCoast Maine Journal

History buffs take note: A fascinating series of MidCoast history events and exhibits take place in the next few months, featuring items and presentations from the Penobscot Marine Museum.  Admission to all is free!

Photo from the Elmer Montgomery Collection
Courtesy of the Penobscot Marine Museum 

Knox County Through Eastern’s Eye
Camden Public Library
Through January 31

This exhibit features snapshots of MidCoast life from the massive archives of the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company, a Belfast-based postcard company of the early 1900’s.

Selections from the Elmer Montgomery Collection and Selections from The Atlantic Fisherman
Hutchinson Center
Belfast
Through April 30

The Atlantic Fisherman, a Belfast-based trade paper for commercial fishermen, donated its collection of photos from the beginning days of mechanized fishing to the Penobscot Marine Museum. Stop by the Hutchinson Center for this display of some of the most dramatic photos from the collection and from the Pre-World War II collection of Thomaston-native Elmer Montgomery.

Maine Agriculture: Views from the Past
Belfast Co-op
Belfast
February 1-28 

Historic farm photography on display at one of the MidCoast’s superb natural foods stores—what a perfect combination!

Digging Deeper into the Eastern Illustrating Collection
Belfast Free Library
Belfast
February 9 at 6:30pm

Penobscot Marine Museum Photo Archivist Kevin Johnson explains the MidCoast’s agricultural history of the photos on display at the Belfast Free Library.

Digging Deeper into The Atlantic Fisherman Collection
Hutchinson Center
Belfast
February 22 at 6:30pm

Ben Fuller, Penobscot Marine Museum Curator, will thrill attendees with fascinating details of the MidCoast’s fishing history during this illustrated talk.

Digging Deeper into the Elmer Montgomery Collection
Hutchinson Center
Belfast
April 25 at 6:30pm

Early 20th century Thomaston-native Elmer Montgomery donated his collection of hundreds of pre-World War II photographs of MidCoast communities, boats and waterfront scenes to the Penobscot Marine Museum.  Museum Curator Ben Fuller puts the Hutchinson Center exhibit of these photos in context with this illustrated talk.

Photo from The Atlantic Fisherman Collection
courtesy of the Penobscot Marine Museum 

It seems odd in the middle of winter, but in the MidCoast there’s always something in season!  Winter is the season of plentiful Maine seafood: scallops, Maine shrimp, lobsters, and crabs.  And when inspired cooks and chefs share tasty recipes for scallops and Maine shrimp.

While Maine lobsters are harvested all year, winter is a good time to find hard shell lobsters before they cast off their shells and become “shedders” or “soft shells” in the spring molting season.  Lobster lovers’ preferences are divided on whether hard shell or soft shell are the best. Some consider soft shell meat to be sweeter.  But hard shell lobsters actually have more meat within their shells, and it’s denser than the meat of soft shells, which have a higher water content.  Hard shells are also hardier than soft ones, so they’re better suited for shipping to non-Maine locations.

Whatever your preferences, you’ll find plenty of fresh seafood in MidCoast stores this time of year, or you can purchase it online. Visit the MidCoast Maine website for searchable listings for local seafood purveyors.

Pies on Parade, a workshop on cooperative business success, music and art—all part of this week in the MidCoast:

By Land and By Sea: Leveraging Co-ops for Business Success
Common Ground Education Center
Unity
January 19

If you’ve ever wondered how fishing or farming cooperatives work or would like to start one, this workshop can provide you with the essentials needed to create a cooperative, and insight on what it’s like to be part of one. For more information or to register for this daylong conference visit the website.

Midwinter’s Night Dream Exhibit
Chocolate Church Art Gallery
Bath
January 20
5-7pm

How do local artists interpret winter in their work?  Visit this exhibit including paintings, ceramics, mixed media, and don’t miss the opening reception at Bath’s Chocolate Church Art Gallery.

Holy Mackerels, Cattle Call & the McCarthys
Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
Boothbay
January 21
7:30-10pm

Three bands — one fabulous concert at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor this Saturday night!  Doors open for seating at 7pm. Tickets and more information are available on the Opera House’s website.

Pies on Parade Tour
Rockland
January 22

Mmm… pie.  45 different types of pie from Rockland area restaurants and inns.  Apple, raspberry, cranberry apple, and whoopie pies…. Along with savory pies such as crab quiche, Cornish Meat Pasties, and Italian Galettes.  Sample some (or all) of them as you tour Rockland’s Historic Inns.  Tickets are available at participating inns only.  All proceeds of the tour benefit the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry.

A beer tasting and brewery tour, orchestra concert, and snowstorm christen the opening days of new Nordic Ski and Snowshoe trails at the Camden Snow Bowl—all in the MidCoast this week!

Kitchen Dinner Garden Series
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Boothbay
January 12
6pm

Reserve your seat for this multi-course meal featuring a mix of coastal New England and French cuisine by Pierre Gignac, chef of 98 Provence in Ogunquit.

Opening Celebration for New Nordic and Snowshoeing Trails
Camden Snow Bowl
Camden
January 14
10-11am

Celebrate the opening of these eagerly anticipated new trails at this weekend’s celebration!  Nordic and snowshoeing trails—another great part of the Camden Snow Bowl and Coastal Mountains Land Trust.

Beer Tasting and Brewery Tour
Hartstone Inn/Shag Rock Brewing Company
Camden
January 14
1-3pm

Beer aficionados won’t want to miss out on this tour of Shag Rock Brewing Company, guided by brewing expert Richard Ruggiero.  Participants can also sample 10-12 seasonal hand crafted ales and lagers.

Midcoast Symphony Orchestra Concert
Orion Performing Arts Center
Topsham
January 15
2:30pm

This “orchestra showcase” includes three sections to feature different parts of the orchestra: a Brass Fanfare, a Woodwind Serenade, and a symphony movement to highlight the string section.  For more information or tickets visit the Midcoast Symphony website.

In an age when movies are routinely delivered to one’s home by mail and web, a movie at the theater is still a memorable experience.

Whether a gripping thriller has you on the edge of your seat or a love story destined to be a classic makes you cry into your popcorn, a movie night at a MidCoast theater is worth the price of admission.

Maybe you’ll take in a film at Rockland’s plush, retro Strand Theatre, Belfast’s Colonial Theatre or Damariscotta’s Lincoln Theater, which take you back to the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age.  Or see a film at the modern Flagship Cinema in Rockland, where stadium seating and stereo surround sound make you feel like you’re in the middle of a scene yourself. Or maybe you’ll visit Brunswick’s Frontier Café, Cinema and Gallery for an unusual new local or independent film and a light meal.

Make your next date night an old-fashioned dinner and a movie night at one of the MidCoast’s movie theaters!

Colonial Theatre
163 High Street
Belfast, Maine
(207) 338-5087

Flagship Cinemas
9 Moody Drive
Thomaston, ME
(207) 594-2100

Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery
14 Maine Street
Brunswick, ME
(207) 725-5222

Lincoln Theater
2 Theater Street
Damariscotta
(207) 563-3424

Strand Theatre
345 Main St.
Rockland, ME
(207) 594-0070

Today brings a bit of much anticipated snow to the MidCoast! Followed by a weekend of events–bingo melds with a post-holiday castoff gift swap in Boothbay, an Open House for artisans interested in cooperative sales, a Yoga Mala and more.

Film Noir for Dark Nights
Curtis Memorial Library
Brunswick
January 6, 13, 20, and 27

Curtis Memorial Library makes the most of January’s long, dark nights with this series of free film screenings.  Settle in on the library’s cozy couches in front of the fire and enjoy the show.  For more information visit the Curtis Memorial Library website.

Wacky Bingo
Boothbay Fire Station
Boothbay
January 6
6-8pm

This truly unique bingo experience will be fun.  Bring a holiday gift that you can’t bear to keep, re-wrapped and labeled with a suggested recipient gender and age.  Your gift will be one of the bingo prizes… and you’ll win someone else’s gift for every bingo round you win. It’s all part of the fun at this year’s Wacky Bingo game.  For more information call (207) 633-3112.

Lupine Cottage Open House
Belfast
January 7
1:30pm

Are you an artisan thinking about selling your handmade products through a cooperative? Learn about cooperative sales opportunities and membership at this weekend’s Open House!  You can even bring your handmade products to the event so that a juried committee can assess them and provide you with feedback.   For more information call (207) 338-4300.

Lecture: America’s Cultural Soft Power
Strand Theatre
Rockland
January 8
1pm

Roger Dell, Farnsworth Art Museum Director of Education, will explain the history of American mass culture and its world influences through this illustrated lecture.

New Year’s Yoga Mala: 108 Salutations to the Sun
High Mountain Hall
Camden
January 8
10am-12:30pm

Offer your prayers and intentions for 2012 through this traditional yoga practice that will include live drumming, chanting, meditation, and celebration.  It’s an impactful way to celebrate your New Year’s “Resolutations” and part of the proceeds will go to help local families in need. Visit the High Mountain Hall website for more information.

It’s time… for the MidCoast’s outdoor ice-skating rinks to open for the season!

Due to this week’s chilly weather, outdoor rinks are almost ready.  So bring your skates to one of these locations for an old fashioned, outdoor ice skating experience:

Belfast Ice Skating Rink
High Street

This large, portable rink is brand new and open for the season! Hockey games are held from 7-10am and 1-10pm, and open ice skating hours are 10am-7pm.

Brunswick Parks and Recreation Ice Rink
Town Mall
Brunswick

Ice skaters of all ages and levels love to glide at Brunswick’s Town Mall during the winter.  The rink will open any day now, weather dependent.  Check the Brunswick Parks and Recreation website for updated information.

Lishness Field
Pine Tree Road
Brunswick

Lishness Field hosts endless hockey games during the winter months.  Like the Brunswick Town Mall rink, Lishness Field is maintained by the Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department, and is scheduled to open as soon as the weather allows.

Coffin Pond
River Road
Brunswick

Also scheduled to open any day now, weather dependent!

Camden Amphitheatre
Atlantic Avenue

This 52 x 80 foot rink is located near Camden Public Library will likely open this week.

Goddard Pond
At the corner of Marshall and High Streets
Bath

This football-field size, well-lighted outdoor rink is maintained by the City of Bath and will open as soon as the ice freezes completely. It features a warming hut, concession stand, and bathrooms.

Ring in the New Year with style at these MidCoast events:

Paul Revere Bell Ringing
December 30
12-1pm
Bath

Bath City Hall’s historic bell begins tolling a few minutes before noon as the city rings in the New Year with this annual ceremony of singing and bell ringing.  Bring your party hat and noisemaker, and stick around for refreshments at City Hall afterwards.

New Year’s Eve Count Down Party
Natalie’s
Camden Harbour Inn
December 31

Book your ticket now for one of the New Year’s Eve dinner seatings and/or for Natalie’s New Year’s Eve Count Down party—they’re selling fast.  The Count Down Party begins at 10:30pm, and features live jazz music, complimentary party favors and appetizers, and a champagne toast.

New Year’s Eve at the Thistle Inn
Boothbay
December 31

See 2011 out with a beautiful feast at Boothbay’s Thistle Inn.  Visit the website for more information and the special New Year’s Eve menu.

Here Comes the Sun Party
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Boothbay
January 1
12-2pm

The days are growing longer now that the solstice has passed.  So Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens welcomes everyone to this annual, free celebration of the sun! Toast marshmallows, make s’mores, grill hot dogs, and enjoy live music and a roaring fire.  Share the warmth of the event by bringing a non-perishable item to donate to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry.  For more information, call (207) 592-7347 or visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens website.

New Year’s by the Bay
Belfast
December 31-January 1

The 15th Annual New Year’s by the Bay will include horse and carriage rides, a family fun balloon show, magic show, theater performances, poetry readings, fiddlers, dancers, live music (everything from folk to jazz to sea shanties), a Native American storyteller, caricature drawings, a bonfire by the bay, and much more. For more information visit the New Year’s by the Bay website.

During the cold winter months, there’s sometimes nothing better than spending an afternoon reading a good book… And a good book is something you’ll find waiting at any of the MidCoast’s public libraries!

Even better, the MidCoast’s public libraries offer so much more than books. You’ll also find DVDs, audio books, community meeting rooms, comfortable reading chairs, free wireless internet, computers, along with many other resources. Book clubs and knitting groups meet regularly at many libraries. There are plenty of children’s story hours, and a wide selection of programs and presentations scheduled over the next few months. Upcoming presentations focus on a diverse group of topics including: creating a Japanese Garden, genealogy, setting up an ereader to borrow ebooks from the library, and financial planning.

Public library members even receive special perks. For example, Curtis Memorial Library members can visit local museums for free or at discounted rates.

What will you find at your local library this winter?

Belfast Free Library
106 High St
Belfast
(207) 338-3884

Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library
4 Oak Street
Boothbay Harbor
(207) 633-3112

Camden Public Library
55 Main Street
Camden
(207) 236-3440

Curtis Memorial Library
23 Pleasant St.
Brunswick
(207) 725-5242

Patten Free Library
33 Summer St.
Bath
(207) 443-5141

Rockland Public Library
80 Union Street
Rockland
(207) 594-0310

Skidompha Library
184 Main Street
Damariscotta
(207) 563-5513

Vose Library
392 Common Road
Union
(207) 785-4733

Despite all of one’s best intentions, the holiday season is often a busy, hectic time of year.  So what better way to unwind than visiting a spa?

Maybe you’d like to relax away the hustle of the season with a little pampering and massage.  And wouldn’t a gift certificate to one of the MidCoast region’s spas, or for a manicure or pedicure be a winning choice for a last minute holiday gift?

You’ll find searchable listings for the MidCoast’s spas and personal service providers on our website.

Wishing you relaxing and fun holidays this year!