And in the near future.

Mar 31, 2025

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Shops.

THINGS TO DO

It’s our weekly round-up, and we may have missed some things, so apologies! If you have something you’d like in here, please let us know.

Also, you may have to click through to see everything. There are so many things that this email is a bit long for a lot of inboxes.

We hope you have some great adventures this week!

To check out our news stories from the past week, click on the archive section, and you’ll see them in chronological order.

WHAT IS OPEN FOR RESTAURANTS?

This list is constantly updated by Jennifer Cough at First Express and she lets us share her latest version. This often changes and tweaks throughout the week, so for the absolute latest version, head to that First Express page or Jennifer’s page, which are on Facebook.

ARTWAVES CLASSES AND EVENTS

ArtWaves often has classes, a variety every week. For the updated selection, check out its website here

Its spring courses are below.

JESUP EVENTS

For a full list of Jesup Memorial Library events, click through to its calendar here.

EVENTS AT THE GILLEY

For a full list of Gilley events, click here.

DOWNEAST PILATES

THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE SCHEDULE

The calendar is here.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE CLASS SCHEDULE!

MDI YMCA

Events are here and the gym schedule is here. You can peruse its website for other schedules. The fitness schedule is below.

NORTHEAST HARBOR LIBRARY

A list of events is here.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR LIBRARY

A list of events is here.

SOMESVILLE LIBRARY

A list of events is here.

THE COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC

A list of events is here. Make sure to choose “open to the public” on the side bar.

MDI HIGH SCHOOL

A list of events is here.

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

A list of events is here.

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND ADULT EDUCATION

A list of classes and events is here.

TIMBERLAND ACRES CAMPGROUND

ALL MONTH

MONDAY, MARCH 31

MARCH 31 – CHOWDAH FEST AND SILENT AUCTION

COMPOST-MAKING WORKSHOP

LEGO CLUB!

Divine Play Yoga at the Neighborhood House

Mon/Wed; 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Cost: $15/class

with Mike Bouscaren

Dear Yogis,

You’ll recall that our flow yoga classes progressively tease out more body aliveness and mental acuity in you. And they’re fun!

For one hour you alone as do others around you, return to the grounded center that is the unburdened original self. Freer in every way.

You’ll walk away feeling more open, calmer, and sharp. And mightily prepared for whatever the day throws at you.

Divine Play yoga invites you to shine, to be your best, to transform into a Beacon of Joy. It works!

Monday events via the Bar Harbor Chamber:

TUESDAY, APRIL 1

OPEN TABLE MDI!

Open Table MDI is at 116 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor.

THE WAY OF BEING

Move Free Run Club

BAR HARBOR—The runs take place every week of the year and meet Tuesdays at 6 p.m. from the Bar Harbor Village Green and Sundays at 7:30 a.m. from Choco Latte.

Winter is here, and so is run club! The cold just means getting creative with layers haha! Sharing an open invitation to come out and join the crew for an upcoming run! The Move Free Run Club (Acadia Chapter) meets every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. from the Bar Harbor Village Green and every Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. from Choco Latte! Hope to meet more members of the community!

TWO SHOES LINE DANCING!

Tuesday events via the Chamber:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2

APRIL 2 – DATA PRIVACY INFO AND TIPS

WEDNESDAY BOOK CLUBS

Northeast Harbor Library

Love reading? Join us for Readers Unite! Reading Club. This will be an opportunity to read together, share books we love, and have quiet independent reading time. Grades 3 and up are welcome. Come every week, or pop in anytime! Link to register is here.

Somesville Library

GIRLS WHO CODE

GUIDED MEDITATION

CHRONICLES OF YARNIA

BLOCK PARTY!

Baby Storytime at Southwest Harbor

10:00 a.m. Southwest Harbor Public Library. Stories, songs, rhymes, bubbles. www.swhplibrary.org. 207-244-7065.

Library hours 9-5, Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri., 9-8 Wed., 9-1 Sat.

Wednesday events via the Chamber:

THURSDAY, APRIL 3

APRIL 3 MDI HOSPITAL DISCUSSION

ArtWaves April Member’s Show Opens at Northeast Harbor Library

NORTHEAST HARBOR—ArtWaves is proud to present the April Member’s Show, an all-media exhibition celebrating the creative talents of its artist community. The show will be on display from April 3 to April 29 in the Mellon Room at the Northeast Harbor Library, located at 1 Joy Road, Northeast Harbor.

APRIL 3 WORKSHOP

ICE HARVESTING DISCUSSION

STITCHES KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP!

Stitches Knitting & Crochet Group meets on Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. at the Trenton Town Office. The town office is located at 59 Oak Point Road, Trenton, ME 04605. We will meet through mid-May, then take a break for the summer. All levels are welcome. Please join us. You don’t have to live in Trenton to come knit with us.

FIGURE DRAWING AT ARTWAVES

Thursday events via the Chamber:

FRIDAY, APRIL 4

PINK MOON POETS

RESIDENT CRAFT SHOW

FUN FRIDAY AT THE JESUP!

FAMILY STORYTIME AT SOUTHWEST HARBOR

10:00 a.m. Southwest Harbor Public Library. Interactive books, puppets, songs, movements, bubbles.

Library hours 9-5, Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri., 9-8 Wed., 9-1 Sat.

Friday events via the Chamber:

Paint ‘n’ Sip: Paperwhites

SATURDAY, APRIL 5

ALL APRIL FOOD DRIVE WITH APRIL 5 KICK OFF EVENT

DANCE MARATHON!

EASTER EGG AND SCAVENGER HUNT

MACEDONIAN MUSIC AND DANCE NIGHT

Dance to the intricate rhythms and beautiful harmonies of Macedonian music, April 5, 7-9:00 p.m. at the YWCA 36, Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor. Music by the Kotwica Band with dance teaching by David and Carolyn Rapkievian – no experience and no partner is needed. Admission is $10 at the doo

SATURDAY STORY TIMES

NORTHEAST HARBOR

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

SATURDAYS! BABY AND ME YOGA!

PRAYER SHAWL MISSION GROUP

Saturday events via the Chamber:

SUNDAY, APRIL 6

Move Free Run Club

BAR HARBOR—The runs take place every week of the year and meet Tuesdays at 6 p.m. from the Bar Harbor Village Green and Sundays at 7:30 a.m. from Choco Latte.

Sunday events via the Chamber:

FUTURE EVENTS:

APRIL 9 – LAND AND GARDEN PRESERVE DOG LEASH POLICIES WEBINAR

NORTHEAST HARBOR—The Land and Garden Preserve will hold a free webinar on Wednesday, April 9 from 4-5 p.m. about the new dog leash policies on its natural lands.

New dog policies go into effect on May 1, 2025 at the preserve’s natural lands. Tate Bushell, director of natural lands, will share how the preserve concluded that a policy change was needed, and address frequently asked questions.

The webinar will be followed by a Q&A with Tate.

Registration link: https://gardenpreserve-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0-78wifyQTiAwNejU8vqZA#/registration

APRIL 9 – SPRING COMMUNITY SOUP NIGHT

APRIL 10 – “Managing Invasive Plants on the Acadian Landscape: Challenges & Opportunities”

Jesse Wheeler, Vegetation Program Manager, Acadia National Park

Caption – Jesse Wheeler, Acadia National Park staff, Vegetation Program Manager Photo courtesy of Jesse Wheeler

Monthly Meeting and Presentation

Birch Bay Retirement Village – April 10, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

LIBRARY TEAS IN SOUTHWEST

April 17

Library Tea 2-3:30 p.m. Southwest Harbor Public Library. Tea, treats, music, and conversation. www.swhplibrary.org. 207-244-7065. All welcome.

APRIL 14 – Examining Potential PFAS Contamination of Well Water on MDI

Monday, April 14, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Online event via Zoom

With PFAS linked to serious health risks—including metabolic disruptions, high cholesterol, and increased cancer risks—this discovery raises urgent questions: How widespread is the contamination? What can be done to protect our communities? What if a local school was unknowingly contaminating drinking water in your neighborhood?

Groundbreaking research from MDI Biological Laboratory scientists Dr. Jane Disney and Dr. Richard Hilliard has uncovered a surprising source of PFAS contamination in the environment—rural schools. Everyday items like floor wax and toilet paper used in rural schools may be leaching dangerous “forever chemicals” into wastewater, ultimately contaminating groundwater that supply private wells on nearby properties.

Join us for an eye-opening discussion on this critical issue and the next steps for ensuring safer water in rural states like Maine.

APRIL 17 – MDI YMCA

APRIL 10 and APRIL 24 MEETINGS

We are parents of people with developmental delays, Autism and neurodiversity and need support for daily living. These meetings are supported by Local Solutions.

The meeting is in the rectory of St. Saviour’s Church in Bar Harbor.

This meeting is every other Thursday.

Next meetings are April 10 and 24.

Discussion topics include check in, any problems with support, that someone is having, and ideas for activities for families and people with Neurodiversity and developmental delays in the community.

Please share this information with parents of people in high school or older.

APRIL 10—FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

APRIL 14 ELLSWORTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Two Presentations:

GLOBAL ACCESS AND DIGITIZATION WITH FAMILY SEARCH
Stephanie Outhier

When Stephanie moved to Ellsworth, she didn’t know anyone and she thought most of her relations were from out-of-state. Then she applied her genealogy research skills to Family Search, and found her Maine ancestors and her Maine roots. She will outline the capabilities of Family Search, and how anyone can access their relations.
_____

COLLABORATION AND THE HISTORY TRUST
Holly Hendricks

When Holly Hendricks learned that the central belief of The History Trust is that historical collections should be a community resource, she – as Chair of the EHS Collections Committee – collaborated with other area history-focused organizations. She will describe how together with 10 other organizations created a regional alliance that monitors its members, supports collections manage, and engages the public with our shared regional histories.

APRIL 11 – FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT AT CONNERS EMERSON!

April 16—Film screening and panel discussion: Building Hope: Ending Homelessness

6:30 p.m.
College of the Atlantic
Davis Center for Human Ecology, Rm. 102
105 Eden Street
Bar Harbor
Free of charge
coa.edu/calendar

APRIL 26 – KRAZY 4 KOMBUCHA

APRIL 25 – Internationally Renowned Piano Duo Comes to Mount Desert Island

NORTHEAST HARBOR—On Friday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. the Northeast Harbor Library will host renowned pianists Michael Coonrod and Danny Holt for a free performance of beloved classics by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms and more.

APRIL 26 – Free Tools Available at the Northeast Harbor Library

NORTHEAST HARBOR—On Saturday, April 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Northeast Harbor Library will host a tool swap in collaboration with the Sustainability Committee of the Town of Mount Desert.

APRIL 26 – MDI Hospital to Host April Wellness Fair with Free Health Checks and Screening

BAR HARBOR—Mount Desert Island Hospital is set to host their 2025 Health & Wellness Fair on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the YWCA, Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor. This free event is open to the public and will provide an opportunity to learn about many resources for a healthy lifestyle.

APRIL 30 – COMMUNITY DRIVEN ENERGY PLANNING WORKSHOP

APRIL 30 – HOME COMPOSTING

MAY 3 – PENNY RAFFLE

JUNE 14 & 15

JUNE 29 – LOBSTER BOAT RACES

MAY 18 – OPEN BARN DAY AT WILLOWIND

JUNE 22-28 ACADIA FESTIVAL OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE

ONGOING:

GET YOUR HERO ON!

BAR HARBOR FIRE DEPARTMENT

To check if Bar Harbor Fire Department is currently hiring, please go to the town’s jobs page.

But even if it isn’t, you can become a call member.

Becoming a call force firefighter requires extensive training, hard work, and dedication to the community. We rely on call force firefighters to respond quickly to emergencies, to perform firefighting duties, and to provide assistance and support to career firefighters. To be a fall force firefighter is to have a chance to aid and serve the community, which is an extremely rewarding experience.

GET YOUR VOLTA ON!

Volta, in Trenton, has a ton of things always going on. You can check that out here.

GET YOUR MUSIC ON!

man playing the piano in front of open music book — Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

THE FINBACK ALEHOUSE

The Finback has entertainment most nights in Bar Harbor. The schedule is posted every Tuesday.

QUICK NOTE

“Things To Do” is mostly curated by me looking for things happening in the upcoming week, which takes a lot of time and I truly do not know all that is going on.

If there’s something in Bar Harbor (or MDI or Trenton or Ellsworth) that you’d like me to mention, please let me know, because I’m definitely always missing some events every week.

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