Community events calendar
Free and low-cost workshops, webinars, festivals, volunteering and more around Maine!
Seaweed Week: 8th Annual Food & Drink Celebration of Maine’s Kelp Harvest
Maine Seaweed Week is a statewide celebration of edible seaweed, a delicious, nutrient-dense, sustainable local food that supports working waterfront jobs.
2026 Maine Land Conservation Conference
The 2026 Maine Land Conservation Conference will take place at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday, April 28th, and Wednesday, April 29th, and includes two full days of activities and networking. The main event on Wednesday will focus on the evolution of conservation and how it continues to grow to meet the needs of local communities – their people, plants, wildlife, and environment.
Jane's Walk ME
Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement.
The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May, in more than 500 cities and towns around the globe. In 2026, the walk roster will be available in mid-April and the festival will be held in Maine on Saturday, May 2.
Maine Wild Wine Fest
We're so excited to celebrate some of our favorite natural wine producers and importers at Maine Wild Wine Fest. Hosted at the historic Mallet Barn on the water at Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport, Maine Wild Wine Fest is a joyful way to connect and taste with many of the top natural wine importers and producers in America. Crowds here are small, warm, and clustered around exhibitor tables —we've designed this event to give you plenty of space to talk in depth with the winemakers and importers in attendance. Industry colleagues will have their own separate window, guaranteeing an intimate experience with winemakers and importers in attendance.
Lecture: The Voices of Women in Ancient Literature, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Portland
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Classical Uprising host a free public lecture–The Voices of Women in Ancient Literature–providing historical and literary context for the upcoming Portland Bach Experience performance of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Penelope.
Bach & Beer
Classical Uprising x Rising Tide Brewing
Beer and Bach have always belonged together. From Leipzig coffeehouses to Portland breweries, great music and good drink have never needed a formal invitation. We revive this tradition at Rising Tide Brewing with live baroque music, local beer, and a fairy queen with a lot of feelings. Free and open to all. Beer available to purchase. Donations welcome.
Kennebec Savings Bank East Bayside Trail Festival • Portland Trails
On Sunday, June 28th, celebrate the local trails you love at this one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Portland's East Bayside neighborhood. Run the Trail to Ale 10K, bike the Bayside Ride, or walk the Trail Mix 2-Miler — all alongside hundreds of your community members! The events will be staggered throughout the morning and will culminate in a festival featuring music, food trucks, local beer, and more.
Kennebec Savings Bank East Bayside Trail Fest • Portland Trails
The Kennebec Savings Bank East Bayside Trail Fest is a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Portland's East Bayside neighborhood. Celebrate your local trails with one of our three events: run the Trail to Ale 10K, bike the Bayside Ride, or walk the Trail Mix 2-Miler. The events will be staggered throughout the morning and will culminate in a community celebration featuring music, food trucks, local beer, and more!
Maine Quilts 2026 • Pine Tree Quilters Guild
See over 500 judged and display quilts, from traditional to contemporary art styles. Opening Night Preview is Wednesday July 22 and Banquet Night is on July 23. Attend Workshops, Lectures, and a July 25th Children’s Class. Visit the Merchants Mall, Special Exhibits, and Demonstrations. Participate in the Silent Auction, Quilt Raffle, Quilters Walk Raffles, Vendors’ Drawing, Scavenger Hunt.
Air conditioned; convenient, free parking
Seaweed Saturday
Dive into seaweed with food, films, art, science, and vendors at this free, all-day expo!
Earth Day Film Festival in Brunswick
The 2026 Earth Day Festival in Brunswick will be at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, April 25. You're invited! To learn more, please come to one of our January information sessions. These are an opportunity to share ideas and help create a community event that benefits everyone.
First in-person info session is on Sunday, January 11, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm in Seminar Room 206 of Curtis Memorial Library. The other info sessions in January are on Zoom on Mon, Tue, and Wed, Jan 12, 13 and 14. For more details and Zoom links, please visit https://earthdayinbrunswick.com/
The Great Portland Pick Up • Portland Parks Conservancy
Join us for Portland’s annual community clean-up with the City’s Parks, Recreation & Facilities and Sustainability teams, along with local partners, on Saturday, April 25, 10am-12pm, at locations across Portland.
More details coming soon
Earth Day Celebration at Wells Reserve
Join Wells Reserve at Laudholm for a beach clean-up, visit from a humpback whale, seed planting and more in celebration of beautiful planet Earth.
Organic Gardening Workshop at Frinklepod Farm
Join Noah Wentworth, Frinklepod Co-Owner & Lead Farmer, as he walks you through all the basics of getting your organic vegetable garden going this season. New and veteran gardeners alike are welcome! What we cover will be largely driven by your questions, so bring a list of them along with a notebook and boots for heading outside. This workshop is part of our gardening series*; sign up for one, some, or all workshops!
Letting Our Lives Speak in a Climate-Changing World: A Conversation with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Barton Seaver • The Roux Institute
In this special conversation presented in partnership with the Parenting for Peace series, marine biologist and climate policy expert Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson joins chef, author, and sustainable food systems advocate Barton Seaver for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about living with intention in a time of climate change.
Common Currents: Art inspired by Casco Bay • Friends of Casco Bay
Exhibit: April 7-18, Congress Street Windows
Reception and light snacks: Wednesday, April 8, 5:30-6:30
Friends of Casco Bay is proud to partner with this year’s Ocean Currents class at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) for an exhibit of student work inspired by Casco Bay.
Over the past several months, students have stepped outside the studio to experience the Bay by participating in a shoreline cleanup, visiting Little Diamond Island, and learning about the dirty history of Casco Bay with our staff. Along the way, they’ve explored the science, stories, and environmental challenges affecting our coastal waters, from pollution and climate change to habitat health.
This exhibit showcases how those experiences took shape in their creative work—offering fresh perspectives on the waters that define our region and inviting viewers to see Casco Bay through a new lens.
A reception to celebrate the artists, artworks, and Casco Bay will be held on April 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby at MECA&D. Light refreshments will be provided by MECA&D Catering. April 9 is reserved as a snow date–because we all know how unpredictable the weather can be this time of year.
World Trails Film Festival • Greater Portland Land Trusts
Portland Trails is partnering with nine other Portland-area land trusts and trail organizations to host a screening of the World Trails Film Festival. This family-friendly event will present outdoor and trail-related short films. Be transported around the world with films featuring trail stories from over 34 countries. Meet trail builders, explore new trails, and see why trails matter.
Beginner Bird Walk • Hirundo Wildlife Refuge
Join us for a Beginner Bird Walk at Hirundo, learn how to ID birds in the field or just enjoy birding with others! Curious about birds but not sure where to start? Join us for a Beginner Bird Walk at Hirundo, designed for anyone who wants to learn how to identify birds in the field. No prior experience required.
Late Season Seed Sowing at Woodward Point • Wild Seed Project & Maine Coast Heritage Trust
March is late in the season?! For native plants it is! Most native plant seeds require a long time in the cold and snow of winter in order to germinate. But, there are a few species that don’t require this, and fortunately they’re all easy ones for beginning growers. Participants will practice winter seed sowing themselves, leaving one pot for the new Community Seed Garden at Woodward Point Preserve, and take one pot to build habitat at home.
What About Cultivars? • Wild Seed Project
What about cultivars? Are they good, are they bad, how do I know? What is a “nativar”? Where do cultivars even come from? And how do I make the right choices at the garden center?
These are some of the top questions we get when talking about what plants to bring into our growing spaces. Join us for an engaging conversation with a panel of researchers who are teasing out the layered interactions of garden plants with the larger ecological web.
Ecological Pruning with Anna Fialkoff • Wild Seed Project & Friends of Fort Williams
Join Anna Fialkoff, horticulturist at Connecticut College Arboretum, for a workshop on ecological pruning during the dormant season.During this two-hour workshop at Fort Williams Park, Anna will demonstrate best pruning techniques and provide an overview of basic pruning principles, while emphasizing how to enhance wildlife habitat. Participants will get hands-on experience with selecting tools, making proper cuts, and assessing trees and shrubs.
Spring Equinox Hike • Hirundo Wildlife Refuge
Join us in welcoming spring at Hirundo as we celebrate the Spring Equinox - the moment when daylight begins to overtake darkness and the natural world stirs back to life. Together, we’ll head out on a guided hike to observe the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs of spring emerging around us.
Maine Maple Sunday Weekend
March 21-22 Maine maple producers will be hosting the 43rd annual Maine Maple Sunday weekend.
Spring is a great time to get out and enjoy the great State of Maine and everything that it has to offer, including Maine Maple Syrup.
Most sugarhouses offer maple syrup samples and demonstrations on how pure Maine maple syrup is made. Many farms offer games, activities, treats, sugarbush tours, music, and so much more.
Maine Maple Sunday is always the fourth Sunday in March although some sugarhouses are offering events for both Saturday and Sunday. Please be sure to read the description of each sugarhouse to know what times they will be open and the activities they offer.
May you and your family enjoy your day
MudFest • Classical Uprising
A 10-day mash-up of music, mud, and mischief, MudFest breaks open the thaw with toe-tapping tunes, community spirit, and just enough chaos to wake the soul.
Sap-to-Syrup • Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Cabin fever setting in? Looking for a sweet pick-me-up? This March, Maine Coast Heritage Trust invites all ages to learn about making maple syrup from scratch (sap) at Aldermere Farm, 70 Russell Ave in Rockport.
Individuals may register for one or more hands-on sessions to learn about the syrup-making process: identifying sugar maples, tapping trees, collecting sap, and running the evaporator. A session will run from 3:30-4:30 PM during three Thursdays in March: 5th, 12th, and 19th. Those who are looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience, and who don’t mind a little heavy lifting, may sign up to assist as needed (hauling buckets of sap, tending the evaporator, boiling, and finishing the syrup). The finished product will be donated to area food pantries.
North Woods Walk & Talk • Portland Trails
Join us for a nature walk presented by Mechanics’ Hall, Momentum Conservation, and Portland Trails. On Wednesday, March 18th, we will gather for a meditative morning walk around Back Cove Trail with Maine author and mindfulness teacher Kara Douglas. We’ll reflect on writing, movement, and nature.
As we walk together, Kara will share conversation and reflections from both Daniel Mason’s North Woods and her own nature writing. Expect mindful moments as we move our bodies and walk the trail together, stopping along the way to reflect on the special places that connect us and support our sense of place.
You do not need to have read the book to attend. Water bottles and comfortable shoes are recommended. We will be walking 3.6 miles for approximately 90 minutes.
This event is free, but please register in advance! Space is limited.
Which Native Plants Help Wildlife? • Wild Seed Project & MOFGA
You’re ready to plant more native species in your garden to support wildlife. As you start to plan, you might have a few questions. Which plant species make the biggest difference? How important is local ecotype? Which plant traits attract which pollinator?
In this talk, Desirée L. Narango, Ph.D., from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, will share research that evaluates how native plants influence interactions with pollinators and songbirds.
Sap-to-Syrup • Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Cabin fever setting in? Looking for a sweet pick-me-up? This March, Maine Coast Heritage Trust invites all ages to learn about making maple syrup from scratch (sap) at Aldermere Farm, 70 Russell Ave in Rockport.
Individuals may register for one or more hands-on sessions to learn about the syrup-making process: identifying sugar maples, tapping trees, collecting sap, and running the evaporator. A session will run from 3:30-4:30 PM during three Thursdays in March: 5th, 12th, and 19th. Those who are looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience, and who don’t mind a little heavy lifting, may sign up to assist as needed (hauling buckets of sap, tending the evaporator, boiling, and finishing the syrup). The finished product will be donated to area food pantries.
LMF Action Day at the State House • NRCM
Come to the State House to let legislators know you want them to fund the Land for Maine's Future (LMF) program this year. LMF is the state's most successful and popular land conservation program, but it is out of money and legislators need to act this session to provide funding. We need LMF to protect working lands and waterfronts, support our outdoor recreational economy, and protect the beauty and open space that define Maine's way of life.
Greendrinks x Cultivating Community
Cultivating Community’s Mission is to grow food justice in Greater Portland by providing education, resources, and opportunities to cultivate and share local, sustainable, and culturally familiar food. Founded in 2001, our place-based programs prioritize people most likely to experience hunger and be excluded from access to fresh food and land – including children, immigrants, people of color, older adults, and those with limited resources.
Women's Wave • Two Maine Mermaids
Join 3000+ women: Register for the largest and the coldest International Women’s Day celebration in the USA on March 7th in South Portland, ME!
Gather at 12pm and Dip at 12:30pm
4th Annual Women in the Wild • Maine Outdoor Film Festival
Join The Maine Outdoor Film Festival at in Freeport to celebrate International Women’s Day with an evening of women* directed films exploring outdoor adventure, conservation, friendship, and resilience.
Roads, Rain, and Couple Thousand Amphibians; Call it a Big Night! • Maine Audubon
Big nights are fascinating and unique natural events that occur every spring. With spring rain and warming temperatures, frogs and salamanders move to their breeding grounds by the truckload. However, these miniature migrations often put them in harm’s way on roads. How we can assist and protect these ancient populations will be the subject of this presentation. Join us to hear how you can get involved in this important work. Volunteer kits will be available on-site at Fields Pond and Gilsland Farm for check out. Greg LeClair is the creator and Director of the “Maine Big Night” community science project where he coordinates the collection of statewide data on Maine’s amphibian migrations.
Sap-to-Syrup • Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Cabin fever setting in? Looking for a sweet pick-me-up? This March, Maine Coast Heritage Trust invites all ages to learn about making maple syrup from scratch (sap) at Aldermere Farm, 70 Russell Ave in Rockport.
Individuals may register for one or more hands-on sessions to learn about the syrup-making process: identifying sugar maples, tapping trees, collecting sap, and running the evaporator. A session will run from 3:30-4:30 PM during three Thursdays in March: 5th, 12th, and 19th. Those who are looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience, and who don’t mind a little heavy lifting, may sign up to assist as needed (hauling buckets of sap, tending the evaporator, boiling, and finishing the syrup). The finished product will be donated to area food pantries.
Coffee with the Casco Baykeeper: Our 2025 Science Report • Friends of Casco Bay
Join us for an engaging morning conversation with the Casco Baykeeper, Staff Scientist, and our Community Organizer as they connect the dots between data, local observations, and how science guides our work to advocate for Casco Bay. Ivy and Mike will walk through highlights from 2025 using both continuous and seasonal monitoring, sharing what the data is telling us about climate change, ocean acidification, and stormwater pollution in Casco Bay.
Learn more >>
Full Moon Wildlife Hike • Hirundo Wildlife Refuge
Join us for a serene Full Moon Walk as we explore the trails under the glow of the moonlight. Experience the peaceful beauty of the forest at night, listen for nocturnal sounds, and connect with nature in a whole new way. Learn about Maine's nocturnal wildlife and their adaptations as we hike along. We will finish up with snacks and moon viewing with telescopes.
Winter Tracking Walk at Gilsland Farm • Maine Audubon
Following our Winter Tracking online program on February 26, we’ll explore the trails at Gilsland Farm to look for signs of wildlife.
Webinar attendance is not necessary to enjoy this walk. If attending both programs, please register separately for each.
Belfast Ice Festival
Join us in downtown Belfast February 27, 28, & March 1, 2026 for the weekend. A safe and fun way to get out of the house this winter and the State of Maine Ice Carving Championship.
Come take a walk and visit the ice sculptures that will be located throughout downtown Belfast. Take a break and have a drink at one of the ice bars or participate in one of the many outdoor activities Belfast has to offer throughout the winter. If you’re visiting from out of town, make it a weekend!
WinterKids Downhill 24
The WinterKids Downhill 24 is an around-the-clock celebration of winter, movement, and community at Sugarloaf. For 25 years, WinterKids has helped children across Maine discover the joy of outdoor winter play, and this event brings that spirit to life.
When you register, you join friends, families, classmates, and colleagues who ski, ride, or skin up to help kids get outside and thrive. Every lap supports programs that open the door to winter adventures for children in all 16 counties.
Bring your crew, share the excitement, and help us celebrate 25 years of joyful outdoor learning and play.