GO TO THE OXFORD COUNTY FAIR
OXFORD – The annual Oxford County Fair will run from Wednesday, Sept. 10, through Saturday, Sept. 13, with everything you could want in what organizers are calling a “Good Old Country Fair.” It will include a host of agricultural events, a Woodsmen’s Day, a demolition derby, live entertainment every day, food and much more.
New this year is Cirque Cyber – what the fair is calling “a modern thrill show that features a variety of great acts.” Multiple shows will be held every day.
For the full lineup and more information, go to oxfordcountyfair.org.
HEAR FOLK LEGEND CHRIS SMITHER
BATH – Singer-songwriter Chris Smither will bring his blend of folk, blues and timeless storytelling to the Chocolate Church Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
After more than 50 years of performing, Smither remains a powerful voice in American roots music. As he himself has said, his playing is “one-third Mississippi John Hurt, one-third Lightnin’ Hopkins, and one-third me.”
His current tour follows the release of his latest album, “All About the Bones.”
The Chocolate Church Arts Center is at 804 Washington St. Tickets are $33 in advance, $38 at the door, $10 for students.
For more information call 207-873-7000 or go to www.chocolatechurcharts.org.
DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY
LEWISTON – The Lewiston Contradance series at Trinity Commons will kick off its new fall season Friday, Sept. 12, from 7:30-10 p.m.
The dance is always preceded at 7 p.m. with a workshop for people who would like to learn contradance basics before the program, during which the dances are taught and called to live music.
Ellen Hodgekin will be the caller, with fiddle and guitar music provided by Greg and Aidan Boardman. No previous experience or partner are required.
Cost is a sliding scale: adults $15-$25, teens and students $5, children 12 and younger free. Dancers may pay what they can, with no one turned away for lack of funds.
Trinity Commons is at 247 Bates St. For more information visit lewistoncontradance.org.
SIT IN WITH DAVY STURTEVANT
DENMARK – Davy Sturtevant will perform Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Denmark Performing Arts Center.
Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, Sturtevant is a veteran touring artist, producer, engineer, songwriter and performer who makes his home in the western foothills of Maine.
“Blessed with a gorgeous tenor voice and skilled in a range of instruments that come to life in his capable hands, Davy is at once a witty, thoughtful and engaging stage presence,” promotors say.
For ticket reservations and more information, go online at www.denmarkarts.org. The Denmark Arts Center is in the town’s historic 1883 Odd Fellows Hall at 50 West Main St.
GO BACK TO THE ’50s
GREENE – The Carol Bailey String Band, with its unique sounds and diverse range, will play at Sawyer Memorial on Friday, Sept. 12, at 2 and 7 p.m.
The music of the 1950s brought the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, the awareness of folk music from many lands, and the roots of the protest movement. “From the rocking sound of Bill Haley and The Comets to the emotional strains of Hank Williams and Patsy Cline to the sweet harmonies of the Everly Brothers, the Carol Bailey String Band will share the songs and stories of the ’50s,” say organizers.
Sawyer Memorial is at 371 Sawyer Road. For more information call 207-946-5311, email [email protected] or go to www.sawyer-foundation.com. All programs are free.
HEAD TO NORWAY’S ARTS FESTIVAL
NORWAY – Arts, crafts, music, performances, demonstrations, speakers, food and more are all on tap Saturday, Sept. 13, as part of the annual Norway Maine Arts Festival.
The free festival will center around the historic buildings on Main Street in downtown Norway, bringing the community together for enjoyment, learning and to support the Maine arts community.
Vendors will be tabling from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with more events going into the evening, according to organizers.
LISTEN TO THE MOVIES
LEWISTON – The Franco Center will be the glitzy setting for a night at the movies as Hooray for Hollywood! will present some of the most popular songs to come out of Hollywood, on Friday, Sept. 12, from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Say organizers: “Glam up and step into the spotlight as we kick off our 2025-26 season in true Hollywood style. Enjoy iconic hits from ‘Titanic,’ ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Frozen,’ ‘Grease,’ ‘The Greatest Showman,’ ‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘9 to 5,’ ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ and Disney favorites – performed by a talented local cast. Sing along to timeless classics, walk the red carpet, snap star-worthy photos, and sip themed cocktails from our cash bar.”
The Franco Center is at 46 Cedar St. Advance tickets before noon on show day are: adults $30, and seniors (65+)/youth (under 18) $20; at the door: adults $35, seniors (65+)/youth (under 18) $25.
For box office information and tickets call (207) 689-2000 or go to francocenter.org.
BOOK IT TO THE BLOCK PARTY
AUBURN – The city is turning Spring Street into a celebration Saturday, Sept. 13, as the Auburn Public Library hosts a block party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The free celebration will feature lawn games, kids crafts, food from Cheese the Day, Lucky Cat Coffee and Cibo Pizza. The Auburn Recreation Department will offer face painting, and L/A Arts will bring live screen printing. And there will be live music by Jim Toscano and Sons and Honey. A host of community organizations will also be there.
The Auburn Public Library is located at 49 Spring St.
EXPERIENCE ‘EXQUISITE’ SONGS IN FARMINGTON
FARMINGTON – ArtsFarmington will start the 2025 fall season by presenting the Resinosa Ensemble, three women musicians who will play “a diverse collection of exquisite songs and instrumentals exploring the depths of human love in its various forms.”
The concert will be Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. in Emery Arts Center, University of Maine at Farmington. Suggested price is $20 for adults (more if you can, less if you can’t – everyone welcome, nobody turned away); UMF students and youth 18 and younger are free.
Organizers say The Resinosa Ensemble combines a love of chamber music with the desire to offer innovative music slightly off the beaten path. The group has appeared in numerous chamber music series, including Colby College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Eastport Arts Center, University of Southern Maine, University of Maine at Augusta, and the Back Cove Contemporary Music Festival in Portland.
For its 2024-25 season, the Resinosa Ensemble will present the program “Touch the Hand of Love,” featuring the world premiere of “Three Paintings” by Maine composer Philip Carlsen. Carlsen selected poems by his wife, Franco American poet Jeri Theriault, that were inspired by paintings of Marc Chagall, Andrew Wyeth and Annette Lemieux.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or through the website at artsfarmington.org. ArtsFarmington is an affiliate of the University of Maine at Farmington.
For more events, go to www.sunjournal.com/lifestyle/encore/.
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