Benefits

Friday 12/14

Scandinavian Northern Lights Christmas Charity Event, 6-8:30 p.m., Portland Ocean Gateway, Scandinavian-inspired food, live music, art exhibit, grand raffle drawing, $150, benefits the Telling Room, eventbrite.com.

Call for Volunteers

Knit for Your Neighbors, through Dec. 31 Portland Public Library will be collecting handmade and new hats, mittens and scarves at the Research Desk on the lower level of the main branch at 5 Monument Square.

Salvation Army donations accepted at all Southern Maine Hannaford supermarkets at checkout; proceeds serve families in the community where the donation is made.

South Portland Christmas Toy Drive, volunteers needed to adopt families for which to buy coats, boots and toys; donations also needed of new, unwrapped toys, art supplies and gift cards, call Liz Darling, 767-4243, lad@maineroofinginc.com.

Fairs & Festivals

Holiday Sale, Dec. 7, 4-8 p.m. & Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-5, Mechanics’ Hall, 519 Congress St., Portland, presented in partnership with Dooryard Arts Collective, features local Maine fine arts and craft workers.

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Friday 12/7

Holiday Fest 2018, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by the city of South Portland and the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Community Chamber of Commerce at Mill Creek Park, 5:45-6:15 South Portland middle and high school singers, 6 p.m. tree lighting.

Saturday 12/8

Jolly Family Jamboree, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath. Explore the museum, crafts, activities, live music, visit from Santa, admission charged for 3+, MaineMaritimeMuseum.org.

Holiday Craft Fair, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., hosted by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at Brunswick Elks Lodge, 179 Park Row. Vendors, crafters, bake sale, “Be the Voice” apparel and information table, cristalhoman@live.com.

St. John’s Catholic School Christmas Craft Fair, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 132 McKeen St., Brunswick. Maine crafters, lunch served all day.

“Night Tree,” 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on the hour Dec. 8, Wolfe’s Neck Farm, Freeport. Reading of Eve Bunting’s book with cocoa and cookies, ornament-decorating and a hike, register at wolfesneckfarm.tfaforms.net/113.

Tree Lighting Celebration with carols,cocoaand cookies, 5:30 p.m., Centennial Hall opposite 929 Harpswell Neck Road, Harpswell Center.

Designing Women Holiday Fine Art and Crafts Show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Ocean Avenue School, 150 Ocean Ave, Portland, $2/door benefits Ocean Avenue PTO.

Sunday 12/9

Picnic Holiday Sale, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.,juried craft fair with 120 vendors of handmade indie crafts and vintage goods, Brick South Building at Thompson’s Point, Portland.

Music/Theater

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” 7 p.m. Dec. 15, 2 & 7 p.m. Dec. 16, Freeport Grange, 13 Elm St., $6/$10 at opendoor.brownpapertickets.com, When Pigs Fly bakery and Wilbur’s of Maine, $15/door.

“A Winter Idyll … with Spring in Sight,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-8; 2 p.m. Dec. 9, USM Gorham campus, original performance of spoken word, dance and music, $8-$12, usm.maine.edu/theatre, 780-5151.

Maine Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Concert, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 & 8; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9, First Parish Church, 425 Congress St., Portland, all ALS interpreted, $20/door, $17 at squareup.com/store/maine-gay-mens-chorus.

Magic of Christmas, Friday-Sunday, Dec. 14-23, Merrill Auditorium, Portland City Hall,  $25-70 through PortTIX at 842-0800, www.porttix.com.

“Nutcracker Burlesque,” 7:30 p.m. Dec 14, 16, 18 & 22, St. Lawrence Arts, $20 (adults only), vividmotion.org. 

“The Christmas Song,” 5 p.m. Dec. 8 & 10 a.m. Dec. 9, Royal Ridge Church of God, 6 Royal Ridge Road, Scarborough, free.

“White Christmas,” Lyric Music Theater, 176 Sawyer St., South Portland, Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays 2:30 p.m. through Dec. 16, $19/$23, lyricmusictheater.org. Free sensory-friendly performance 2 p.m. Dec. 15, details at specialevents@lyricmusictheater.org.

“Season of Light,”  through December, Southworth Planetarium, 70 Falmouth St., USM Portland Campus, $5.50/adult, $5/child, senior. See usm.maine.edu/planet/season-light-full-dome-show for details.

Saturday 12/8

“The Rose I Have in Mind,” Greater Freeport Community Chorus, 7 p.m. Dec. 8, Unitarian Universalist Church, 1 Middle St., Brunswick; 70-voice chorus with traditional and seasonal music, $10/adults, under 18 free, www.gfccsings.org.

“A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” 1 p.m., Mechanics’ Hall Library, 519 Congress St., Portland. Story by Dylan Thomas read by Abraham A. Schechter, slide show of Wales, refreshments.

Sunday 12/9

Interfaith Christmas Concert, 6:30 p.m., Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, 280 Ocean House Road, free concert will include both adult and children’s choirs from area churches.

“Charlie Brown Christmas,” Heather Pierson Jazz Trio, 4 & 7 p.m., One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland, $25, onelongfellowsquare.com.

“The Rose I Have in Mind,” Greater Freeport Community Chorus, 2:30 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, 326 Main St., Yarmouth; 70-voice chorus with traditional and seasonal music, $10/adults, under 18 free, www.gfccsings.org.

Friday 12/14  

Pine Tree Academy Bell Ringers, 1 p.m.,Freeport Community Library, free and open to the public. Original handbell compositions and seasonal selections.

Songs Of The Season, 7 p.m., First Parish Congregational Church, Yarmouth. Featuring the Main Street Revelers teaching artists from 317 Main, $10-$15 at  www.317main.org and the door.

Museums

Christmas at Swan Hall, noon-5 p.m., Dec. 7, 8, 15 and 16, Swan Hall Historical Home, 555 Cumberland Ave., Portland. Historical home with 17 themed trees, by donation, all proceeds benefit Lyric Music Theater in South Portland.

Polar Express, various dates and times at Narrow Gauge Railroad, Ocean Gateway Visitor’s Center, Portland. Train ride with Santa, refreshments, Christmas reading, details at https://boxoffice.porttix.com/755/789.

Portland Fire Museum, 157 Spring St., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Dec. 8 & 15. Visit with Santa, Christmas village scenes, animated figures, by donation.

Tate House Museum Colonial Christmas open house, noon-4 p.m. Dec. 8 & 9, 1267 Westbrook St., Portland. See how an affluent mast agent’s family may have celebrated the holidays in the 18th century. Tickets $12/$15/free under 12 at eventbrite.com or at the door.

Sunday 12/9

“Livingston Taylor’s Christmas Show, (pop, folk, gospel, jazz)” 2 p.m., Chocolate Church Arts Center, Bath, $30, https://bit.ly/2Si3BsF.

Visit with Santa

Santa Reads, Dec. 13, 6-6:30 p.m. & Dec. 15, 1:30-2 p.m., Topsham Public Library, 25 Foreside Rd. Santa will read to children and give out award-winning books.

Saturday 12/8

Pejepscot Historical Society Santa Day, 9 a.m.-noon, Skolfield-Whittier House, 161 Park Row, Brunswick. Free pictures with Santa, carols by Bowdoin’s Miscellania, crafts, refreshments.

Wednesday 12/12

Storytime with Santa, 10 a.m., Topsham Public Library, 25 Foreside Rd. Special storytime with Miss Mariah, meet Santa, holiday treats, photos encouraged.

Looking for a feel-good adrenaline rush? Be bold in the cold with a plunge into the Atlantic and/or winter jaunt around the East End to support the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s work to reduce climate change pollution. The bone-chilling fun 5K and dip will take place at Portland’s East End on Dec. 31. The 5K begins at 11 a.m. and the dip will be at noon – the “warmest” part of the day.

Join Friends of Lincoln Park at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec 7, when the renowned Pandora LaCasse will flip the switch that will activate the second annual Pandora Winter Lights display at the newly-restored park at Congress and Franklin Streets.

A perennial favorite, “A Christmas Carol” is being performed at Portland Stage on Forest Avenue through Dec. 24. For dates and ticket information see www.portlandstage.org.


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