The 1893 Maine State Building located at 37 Preservation Way, Poland Spring.
Celebrate 50 years with historic Poland Spring Preservation Society
POLAND — The Poland Spring Preservation Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a three-day Golden Anniversary Open House May 15-17, with free admission to all museums for the season, a 50th anniversary concert, a commemorative ceremony, and the first public service at All Souls Chapel in more than 30 years.
Founded in 1976, the Poland Spring Preservation Society has played a vital role in protecting and sharing the legacy of Poland Spring, including the Maine State Building and All Souls Chapel.
On Friday, May 15, at 7 p.m. a 50th Anniversary Concert at All Souls Chapel will feature the musical team of Phil House and Kathy Haley. Tickets are $10, seating is limited. Proceeds from the concert will support slate roof restoration of the Maine State Building. A reception with punch and cookies will follow.
On Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be an open house at the Maine State Building & Museum sites. Visitors can explore Poland Spring’s historic sites, including the Maine State Building and All Souls Chapel, along with exhibits highlighting the Poland Spring Bottling Museum and the original source of Poland Spring Water.
At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, a special ceremony will honor five decades of the Poland Spring Preservation Society with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a presentation recognizing 50 years of preservation efforts, remarks from a member of the Ricker family, and reflections from past and current board members. A cake and champagne reception will follow.
On Sunday, Mary 17, at 10 a.m., a nondenominational service at All Souls Chapel will be held.
Led by the Moss Brook Church of South Paris, Maine, this meaningful gathering marks the first public service held at All Souls Chapel in over 30 years. All are welcome to attend.
For tickets to the concert and more information, go to polandspringps.org/50th-anniversary-open-house-weekend.
At the 2023 Auburn Lobster Festival Tiana Lacombe rocks her lobster. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
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Get crackin’ at Auburn’s Lobster Festival
AUBURN — The Auburn Lobster Festival will take place Saturday, May 16, from 1-6 p.m. on Main Street at Festival Plaza.
The event will be packed with bands playing all day, a beer garden, six local food trucks and of course lobster, all overlooking the beautiful Androscoggin Ocean … er… River.
For more information go to www.auburnlobsterfestival.com.
Be immersed in Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2 in Auburn
AUBURN — On Saturday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at the Donald M. Gay Performing Arts Center in Auburn, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra will present Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
The performance will be one of the largest in the orchestra’s history, including two guest vocalists, a live choir, and a group of offstage musicians.
“Few symphonies capture the range of human emotions packed into the five movements of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. … Audiences will not only see more musicians on stage than ever before, but they will also hear vocal soloists Roselin Osser and Jessica Kenlan, along with a choir in the last movement directed by Bowdoin College professor Zen Kuriyama,” organizers say.
The same presentation will take place Sunday, May 17, at 2:30 p.m. in the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham.
Tickets are $27 in advance and $30 at the door, with free admission to anyone 25 and younger, and can be reserved at midcoastsymphony.org or by calling the box office at (207) 481-0790.
Head to the Country Music Hall of Fame induction in Mechanic Falls
Robin Right
MECHANIC FALLS — The Maine Country Music Hall of Fame will hold its 49th Induction Ceremony & Show on Sunday, May 17, from 1-4 p.m. to celebrate country music and induct two legends into the Hall of Fame.
Held at the The Silver Spur, 272 Lewiston St./routes 121 and 11, the event will induct Maine country musicians Per Hanson and Robin Right.
The live music ceremony will showcase performances by Hanson and Right, as well as several legendary Hall of Famers including Johnny Hiland, Denny Breau, Lisa Overlock, Brian Gelina, Bobby Reed, Peter Allen and his band Hurricane Mountain.
Tickets are $22, general seating, available at the door. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The museum, on the lower level of The Silver Spur, will be open and free to the public from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and after the show. Food concessions will be open before and during the show. It is a family-friendly event.
For more information, call 207-613-5411 or follow the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame on Facebook.
Namory Keita
Beat it to the Maine MILL in Lewiston for drumming
LEWISTON — A free performance and artist talk with Namory Keita that showcases West African drumming will be held at the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor, 35 Canal St., at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14.
Master drummer and cultural ambassador Keita shares his culture in order to build bridges of understanding and acceptance through engagement.
Contact the Maine MILL for more information by emailing[email protected] or calling 207-333-3881. The Maine MILL is at 35 Canal St.
A scene from “Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk” at the Public Theatre in Lewiston through the weekend.
Take a walk with Grandma Gatewood in Lewiston
LEWISTON — The last few productions of “Grandma Gatewood Took at Walk” at The Public Theatre run from Wednesday, May 13, through Sunday, May 17, with evening and matinee performances.
At the age of 67, “Grandma” Gatewood set out with her duffel bag and a pair of Keds sneakers to become the first woman to solo hike the Appalachian Trail.
According to the theater, most performances are sold out, but some seats remain. For tickets and more information, go to thepublictheatre.org or call the box office at (207) 782-3200.
The Public Theatre is at 31 Maple St.
Go urban birding in Lewiston
LEWISTON — As part of the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor‘s Movement at the Museum program, an urban bird walking experience will be offered Friday, May 15, from 5-6 p.m.
Christine Murray, a Maine master naturalist, will lead the free, urban birding experience. Participants will gather at the museum for an hourlong walk. Participants are urged to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes, and bring water.
Organizers say a limited number of binoculars will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants are encouraged to bring their own.
For more information, go to mainemill.org or call 207-333-3881.
The museum is at 35 Canal St.
Alakazam juggles for the crowd at a recent Lewiston Live! Busking Festival on Lisbon Street. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
Busk 3.0 comes to Lewiston on Friday
LEWISTON — The third and final Lewiston LIVE! Busking Festival will take place Friday, May 15, from 4-7 p.m. on Lisbon Street between Ash and Main streets.
The festivals have brought top entertainment to the street level, offering attendees performance art and interactive activities, as well as music, food, vendors and more.
Have an event you’d like to get in? Email details to [email protected] to be considered for inclusion in the weekly listing. And add your event to the Sun Journal calendar here: www.sunjournal.com/events-calendar/.