Agenda- Nov/Dec 2009
Eat
Just like Homemade
You love cookies, but you hate baking. Not to worry. Order two dozen tea cookies from Montes International Catering before the office party/holiday tea/cookie swap. If you take them out of the box beforehand, everyone will think you’re a genius in the kitchen. We won’t tell.
72 Columbia St. | Bangor | montesinternational.com
Chex Appeal
You’ve waited all year for this. And we’re not talking presents. We’re talking Chex Mix. It only shows up at the holidays and you can’t stop stuffing your face with it. But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s a holiday every day at Megunticook Market in Camden, where Lani Temple and her crew make batches of the addicting mix every day. They also make incredible pies, and their meat market is fabulous, but right now, we’re all about the mix.
2 Gould St. | Camden | megunticookmarket.com
Gobble, Gobble
Here’s what you won’t find in a turkey from Maine-ly Poultry of Warren: a pop-up thermometer, antibiotics, or hormones. Instead, you’ll get a succulent, moist bird and requests that you hold Thanksgiving at your house every year. The farm is known for its chicken, which is equally tasty, but the turkey is a once-a-year treat. Order early— supplies are limited—and get a big one. You’ll want to have a freezer full of leftovers.
1461 Atlantic Hwy. | Warren | 207.273.2809
Holiday How-To
Chef Bryan Dame of The Edge in Lincolnville is known for putting out an amazing holiday spread—nobody makes eggnog like he does. On December 6, Dame will share his secrets during a holiday cooking class at Cellardoor Vineyard as part of the area’s Christmas by the Sea weekend. Dinner with wine pairings will be served after class.
367 Youngtown Rd. | Lincolnville | mainewine.com
Drink
Apple Sauced
We can’t think of a better way to end the day than sitting by a roaring fire, sipping a snifter of Apple Brandy from Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery in Union. This Maine-made calvados captures the essence of autumn.
Not-So-Strange Brew
Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something brew—that’s what’s in store at this year’s Maine Brewers Festival, November 6 and 7. Bar Harbor Brewing Co., an old favorite, is back, as is Maine’s original craft brewery, Geary’s. New to the mix is the much-lauded Maine Beer Co. And the Maine festival is so popular, New Hampshire decided to borrow the idea, too. Grab your tasting glass—and a DD—and get ready for some not-so-strange brew.
Portland Expo | 239 Park Ave. | Portland | mainebrew.com
A New Year’s Kiss
There are two things every New Year’s Eve reveler wants: a glass of bubbly and a smooch. Kiss, the Elder, created by John Myers at The Corner Room in Portland, gives you both—a flute of prosecco and St. Germain (elderflower liqueur) with a twist of orange. No matter what you order, the best seats in the house are at the bar. Cheers!
110 Exchange St. | Portland | hardingleesmith.com
See
The Son Also Rises
Tom Burckhardt couldn’t help but be a talented artist—his parents are celebrated painters Yvonne Jacquette and Rudy Burckhardt. But his style—eclectic abstraction—is distinctly his own. His work will be on view in November at Aucocisco Gallery in Portland.
89 Exchange St. | Portland | aucocisco.com
Clothes-Minded
Think you’re a fashionista? Chances are, your closet has nothing on Maine women of the Victorian era. Case in point: do you accessorize with a fan? During the second half of the nineteenth century, as Maine ports experienced a boom, lumber barons and sea captains traveled worldwide and brought their wives along with them. And they were quite the shoppers, as Elegantly Attired: Victorian Apparel and Accessories Found in Coastal Maine shows. The exhibition, on view at the Farnsworth Art Museum through April 2010, includes dresses, jewelry, day and evening attire, and—of course—fans.
16 Museum St. | Rockland | farnsworthmuseum.org
Go Marching In
Feel like a Renaissance man—or woman? Head to Bowdoin College Art Museum, where gilded iconography and luminous portraits
highlight For All the Saints. This exhibition, curated by Bowdoin art history professor Susan E. Wegner, focuses on portrayals of saints. On view through January 10.
9400 College Station | Brunswick | bowdoin.edu/art-museum
Hear
Slaid Low
Maine’s own Slaid Cleaves has made a name for himself nationally with what Entertainment Weekly calls “a voice packed with Texas trail dust.” He comes to One Longfellow Square November 13.
181 State St. | Portland | onelongfellowsquare.com
All That Jazz
The style of Satchmo takes center stage when guest conductor Matthew Fritz and trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling join the Portland Symphony Orchestra PSO for “A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” November 14 and 15.
Merrill Auditorium | 20 Myrtle St. | Portland | portlandsymphony.com
Bear Necessities
When Gen X-ers think about Seattle’s indie rock scene, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains come to mind. Today, Minus the Bear continues the tradition—albeit a little mellower and a lot less grungy. They come to the Port City Music Hall—which at least one local music insider calls Portland’s premier music venue—Nov. 18.
504 Congress St. | Portland | portcitymusichall.com
Read
The Writer’s Voice
A diverse group of authors will take the stage—and the page—during the Maine Literary Festival, November 6– 8 at the Camden Opera House. This year’s focus is on literature of new voices in America reflecting cross-cultural experience.
Camden Opera House | 29 Elm St. | Camden | maineliteraryfestival.com
Cold Frame of Mind
If you live in Maine, the idea of eating all local produce is awesome in August, sublime in September, and dreadful in December. Unless you know Eliot Coleman. Coleman, who lives and farms in Harborside, is internationally known as an expert on many things organic and garden related. But his ability to coax vegetables out of the ground in the depths of a Maine winter—using an unheated greenhouse—is legendary. He shares his secrets in The Winter Harvest Handbook, recently published by Chelsea Green.
Woods Wise
In 1846, Henry David Thoreau left Massachusetts for the wilds of Maine—an unforgettable journey. His eloquent musings on the forests and waterways surrounding Mount Katahdin make The Maine Woods required reading for environmentalists and those who love the Pine Tree State. Jeffrey S. Cramer’s new, fully annotated edition of the book, published by Yale University Press, adds even greater insight to this classic work.
How the Cookie Crumbles
Cookie swaps are a given during the holidays, but author and part-time Stonington resident Julia Usher extends the fun in Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year, published by Gibbs Smith.
Shop
Stockings 101
Stocking stuffers are our favorite part of the holidays, and Folly 101 in Portland’s Old Port is our go-to spot for unique gifts, often with a vintage flair. This year, the shop will offer more stockings, too. So when we say stuff it, we mean it in a good way.
101 Exchange St. | Portland
Hanukkah Sparkle
Shine during the festival of lights with a gorgeous piece of jewelry from Dalet Designs. Created by Davida Newman of Windham, the elegant, sterling silver accessories are inspired by the Hebrew alphabet.
Go
Big Fish
On New Year’s Eve, New York City drops a ball made of Waterford crystal. Bangor drops a beach ball covered in tiny lights. In Eastport, which shares a bay and a sense of community with its neighbors in New Brunswick, revelers drop two things—a giant maple leaf at the stroke of midnight, Atlantic time, and a great sardine at the stroke of midnight Eastern Standard time. Live music, dining and lodging specials abound.
Eastport | tidesinstitute.org
Bash in Belfast
It all started out as a nice little familyfriendly party in Belfast. But New Year’s by the Bay, now in its 12th year, has grown to include more than 20 live music performances—ranging from indie rock to pre-Medieval vocals—curling (yes, curling), arts events, and more.
All Aboard
Imagine catching a train in Portland, but instead of heading to Boston, you’re off to the North Pole. Intrigued? Board Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad’s Polar Express—trips start the day after Thanksgiving and run through December 23. Holiday decorations light
up the night alongside the tracks, and this year, the Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine will give a theatrical reading of The Polar Express and sing carols.
58 Fore St. | Portland | mngrr.org
Prelude in the Port
There’s a reason why Kennebunkport is the No. 2 Christmas Town in America, according to HGTV: The Christmas Prelude, December 4–13 in Kennebunkport and Cape Porpoise. Festivities include a craft fair, special art exhibitions, sales, wine and dining events, and a lobster-trap tree.
Kennebunkport + Cape Porpoise | christmasprelude.com
11+12.2009 | To Do
11.3 Le Vent Du Nord at the Franco American Heritage Center, Lewiston
francoamericanheritage.org
11.6–7 Maine Brewers Festival, Portland
mainebrew.com
11.6–8 Maine Literary Festival, Camden Opera House
maineliteraryfestival.com
11.13 Slaid Cleaves, One Longfellow Square, Portland
onelongfellowsquare.com
11.14–15 Portland Symphony Orchestra’s “A Tribute to Louis Armstrong,” Portland
portlandsymphony.com
11.18 Minus the Bear at Port City Music Hall, Portland
portcitymusichall.com
11.21 Early Bird Sale and Pajama Party, Bar Harbor
barharborinfo.com
Through 12.31 Farnsworth Art Museum’s Elegantly Attired, Rockland
farnsworthmuseum.org
Through 12.31 For All the Saints, Bowdoin College Art Museum, Brunswick
bowdoin.edu/art-museum
Through 12.31 Tom Burckhardt at Aucocisco Gallery, Portland
aucocisco.com
12.6 Chef Bryan Dame at Cellardoor Vineyard, Lincolnville
mainewine.com
12.4–13 The Christmas Prelude, Kennebunkport and Cape Porpoise
christmasprelude.com
12.23 Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad’s Polar Express, Portland
mngrr.org
12.31 New Year’s Eve sardine drop, Eastport
tidesinstitute.org
12.31 New Year’s by the Bay, Belfast
nybb.org
