THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK And in the near future.
Events, news

THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK

And in the near future.

Carrie Jones

Dec 01, 2025

Silhouette of three hikers on a scenic overlook during sunset, with text overlay reading 'Bar Harbor Story: Things to Do in the Mount Desert Island Region This Week and the Near Future!'

QUICK NOTE: We’ve moved the list of organizations and links to the bottom of this article. If you are receiving this via email, you may have to click through to see it all.

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 and briefs from the past week, click on the archive section, and you’ll see them in chronological order.

WHERE CAN YOU EAT?

You can check out the list of all the restaurants at our new site, ACADIA ADVENTURES.

The restaurants are here!

If you’re an owner/manager/employee of a restaurant that isn’t on the list yet, please let us know and we’ll get you there, but please be kind about it and know that any lack of mention is not intentional.

And, the list of all the restaurants currently open in the winter season (this changes a lot) is here, compiled by Jennifer DuBois Cough of First Express in Bar Harbor.

C-19 Zombie Wasteland Master Plan for Bar Harbor, Town Hill/Trenton, Southwest Harbor, and local dining options with hours and contact information.

William’s on the Green (www.williamsonthegreenbarharbor.com) over at the Acadia Hotel is also open all year long! Open 3 p.m.- 11 p.m. (closed Tuesday and Wednesday).

ALL MONTH/ONGOING

PRODUCE EXCHANGE!

Promotional poster for a produce exchange program, featuring colorful illustrations of various vegetables and text that reads 'Give and Take: Produce Exchange' and 'Starting June 10th'.

DECEMBER—JAYNE DWYER

Promotional graphic for an exhibit and jewelry sale featuring Jayne Dwyer's Paper Moon Jewelry at Southwest Harbor Public Library, highlighting hand-sculpted artistry and displaying colorful images of nature and characters.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1

DECEMBER 1—HYGGE AT THE LIBRARY

A cozy promotional graphic for the "Hygge at the Library" event at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring cheerful illustrations of animals, cocoa, and festive decorations. The event is open to families, with activities like crafts and games planned.

STARS THEATRE WITH PURPOSE

Colorful flyer for STARS Theatre with Purpose program, featuring masks, stars, and information for grades K-6. Details include meeting times, activities, and registration instructions.

LEGO CLUB!

Promotional poster for a LEGO Club at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring a cartoon of a girl building with blocks and details on registration and meeting times.

Divine Play Yoga at the Neighborhood House

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

Cost: $15/class

with Mike Bouscaren

Register: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19801383

Monday events via the Bar Harbor Chamber:

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2

CRANE FOLDING

A promotional flyer for a Crane Folding event at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, highlighting the details of the event, including the time, day, and an invitation for participants of all ages and skill levels.

STORY AND PLAY

A vibrant library scene featuring adults and children engaged in reading during a 'Story and Play' session. The background shows shelves of books and colorful play areas.

PLAY-DOH PLAYTIME

Colorful promotional graphic for a Play-Doh playtime event at Southwest Harbor Public Library. Includes text about the event details such as time, age recommendation, and activities.

THE WAY OF BEING

Promotional image for 'The Way of Being' workshop featuring Tom Speare. It includes details about the workshop schedule, location, and contact information against a scenic background of mountains and a sunset.

Move Free Run Club

Logo of the Move Free Run Club featuring stylized wave shapes in orange and yellow with a sun at the top.

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.

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!

Colorful promotional flyer for a line dancing class titled 'Two Shoes Dance,' featuring details about dance styles, schedule, location, pricing, and contact information.

Tuesday events via the Chamber:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3

DECEMBER 3 – YOUTH CHESS CLUB

Promotional graphic for the Youth Chess Club at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring a chessboard and pieces, with event details including time, location, and a welcoming message for kids.

DECEMBER 3 — FIRESIDE JAZZ

Promotional graphic for 'Fireside Jazz' event featuring the Coffeehouse Quartet, highlighting good food, hot cider, and live music. Scheduled for December 3 at 5:30 PM.

DECEMBER 3 — A CONCERT OF SEASONAL DREAMS

The MDI High School Music Department presents Wishes: A Concert of Seasonal Dreams, featuring the MDI High School Band, Orchestra and Chorus on Wednesday, December 3 at 6 p.m. in Bernard Parady Gymnasium https://wdea.am/seasonal-dreams-concert/

WEDNESDAYS THRU DECEMBER: ZUMBA AND TAI CHI

Promotional flyer for Zumba and Tai Chi classes at Mount Desert Island YMCA. Includes details about class timings, registration, and pricing for general public, ArtWaves members, and YMCA members.

WEDNESDAY BOOK CLUBS

Northeast Harbor Library

A colorful illustration promoting the 'Readers Unite! After School Reading Club' at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring children reading and floating in the clouds with books.

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

A promotional image for the Somesville Library's book club featuring the book 'Frozen River' by Ariel Lawhon, scheduled for April 2 at 1:30 PM.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

A colorful graphic promoting story times for babies and families, featuring a cartoon caterpillar reading, a whimsical house under a rainbow, and an owl reading books. Text highlights the schedule: Babies on Wednesdays at 10:00 am and Families on Fridays at 10:00 am.

GIRLS WHO CODE

Promotional graphic for the Girls Who Code program at Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, featuring event details and contact information.

GUIDED MEDITATION

A promotional graphic for a guided meditation session at Somesville Library, featuring details about the event, including the instructor's name, the meditation type, schedule, and location.

CHRONICLES OF YARNIA

A person holding a crochet hook while working on a green yarn project. The image includes promotional text for a fiber arts group for tweens and teens.

BLOCK PARTY!

Promotional image for a Block Party event at Jesup Library featuring colorful building blocks with text encouraging participation. Details include the event time and age guidelines.

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.

Divine Play Yoga at the Neighborhood House

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

Cost: $15/class

with Mike Bouscaren

Register: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19801383

Wednesday events via the Chamber:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4

DECEMBER 4 — Community Cafe

The Community Café season is in full swing. If you haven’t had a chance to join us for lunch, this week is the perfect opportunity.

The fun gets underway at 11:30, with both dine-in or takeout lunch running until 1:00pm (or while supplies last). There’s just a $10 suggested donation, and seniors are invited to enjoy lunch “on the house.” Click to view upcoming Café menu and sponsor details.

DECEMBER 4 — GUS

Event poster for an author talk featuring David Bellows and Barbara Held, discussing their book 'Gus: A Bird's Life, in His Own Words'. The event is scheduled for December 4th at 6:30 pm at the Jesup Memorial Library, accompanied by images of budgerigars.

DECEMBER 4 — HISTORY HAPPY HOUR!

An illustration featuring a man and a woman at a table, with the woman in a red coat and a feather, smiling at the viewer while the man drinks from a beer mug. A black cat sits next to them. The text reads 'History Happy Hour' in a stylized font.

MDI Historical Society’s History Happy Hour is teaming up with the Seal Cove Auto Museum to bring you an evening of historical trivia that’s sure to be a joyride. Thursday, December 4, 5:30-7:30 at Pat’s Pizza, 6 Pleasant Street, Bar Harbor

Gather over good eats and good times while putting your knowledge to the test with 4 rounds of trivia on automobiles and transportation through the ages, the history of getting around on MDI, and cars in pop culture, past and present. All ages are welcome, and admission is free! Food and drink will be available for purchase.

History Happy Hour is an experiential, fun way to learn local history through trivia, tours, games, and other active experiences. Our goal is to support local establishments and residents by holding the free program every other month from October through April.

To register or for more information visit mdihistory.org/events

Promotional poster for 'Wicked: For Good' showcasing two characters on opposing cliffs, with a castle in the background. Text includes event details for December 4 at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor.

DECEMBER 4 — COMMUNITY CIRCLE

A promotional graphic for the Community Circle with Downeast Restorative Justice, featuring a circular design with the letters 'DRJ' in the center, and text highlighting a supportive discussion space with a new topic each meeting.

STITCHES KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP!

A colorful knitted piece with knitting needles and yarn, accompanied by the text 'STITCHES KNITTING GROUP MEETS THURSDAYS 3-5'.

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.

ADULT LINE DANCE CLASS

Promotional poster for adult line dance classes hosted by Two Shoes Dance, featuring details about class styles, schedule, location, and contact information.

FIGURE DRAWING AT ARTWAVES

A figure drawing class in progress, featuring participants sketching a model. The setting includes easels, wooden stools, and natural light illuminating the space.

Thursday events via the Chamber:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5

DECEMBER 5 — VILLAGE HOLIDAYS

A holiday-themed promotional image for the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce's Village Holiday Sale, featuring colorful gingerbread houses, Christmas trees, and festive decorations, with details about the sale date and contact information.

DECEMBER 5 — LIVING NATIVITY AT THE BAR HARBOR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

A living nativity scene featuring three individuals: a man in biblical attire, an angel, and a woman representing Mary, positioned around a manger.
File photo. Bar Harbor Story.

The Bar Harbor Congregational Church has its Living Nativity on December 5, from 6 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. on the front steps of the church. The address is 29 Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor.

DECEMBER 5 — A CHRISTMAS STORY

Poster for Acadia Community Theater's production of 'A Christmas Story'. Features a green background with a prominent image of a leg in a fishnet stocking and high heel, along with details about the adaptation and performance dates.

Acadia Community Theater is pleased to present A Christmas Story this holiday season. Starring Lina Boge, Ashley McLean, Adam McLean, and Helen Goss as the Parker family, this show has been a family favorite for decades. Directed by Doug Van Gorder and featuring the Red Ryder BB Gun and a very special lamp, we travel back to 1940 for a hilarious and joyful look at one family’s memorable Christmas celebration. Join us this weekend, December 5-7, or next, at the Acadia Repertory Theater in Somesville. Find show times at www.acadiatheater.net and tickets online or at the door.

DECEMBER 5 — HOLIDAY CRAFTERNOON

Children participating in a holiday crafting activity, creating handmade decorations with colored paper, glue, and markers at the Jessup Memorial Library. The event is titled 'Holiday Crafternoon with Mike Duffy'.

DECEMBER 5- 7 HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

Promotional poster for the 50th Anniversary Holiday Craft Fair organized by the Island Arts Association, featuring various artwork and details about dates and location.

BIRDERS’ CAFE

Logo for Birders' Cafe at the Oceanarium featuring a bird perched on a teal coffee mug with a scenic design.

Our hope is to bring together local and visiting bird watchers and lovers for a social event. Join us every other Friday morning from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Our museum shop will be open, offering a selection of baked goods from local cafes, restaurants, and caterers, along with coffee. Feel free to explore the trails as early as you like! After, relax in our courtyard and chat. The Oceanarium (museum and aquarium) opens at 9 AM.

FAMILY STORY TIME AT SOUTHWEST HARBOR

A colorful graphic promoting storytime events for babies and families, featuring a caterpillar reading a book, an owl with a stack of books, and a house under a rainbow. The text announces schedule details: 'Babies: Wednesdays 10:00 am' and 'Families: Fridays 10:00 am'.

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:

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6

DECEMBER 6 — NORTHEAST HARBOR CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

A flyer for the Northeast Harbor Christmas Festival, detailing event activities scheduled for December 6, 2025, including a Frosty 5K, family fun on Main Street, Santa's workshop, and various food vendors.

DECEMBER 6 — Swedish Lucia Festival Dance
Saturday, December 6, 7-9 p.m.

A promotional poster for the Swedish Lucia Festival Dance featuring details about the event, including date, time, and location. The poster shows a woman in a traditional outfit with candles on her head, surrounded by a group dancing in a hall.

According to Swedish tradition, Santa Lucia brings light and treats to all during the cold, dark days of December. The Downeast Folkdancers will feature the Langdans, Hambo, and other Swedish dances plus holiday songs and dances “from the Baltic to the Black Sea and Beyond”. Live music with the Kotwica Band

YWCA 36, Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor
No experience and no partner needed
$10 at the door. More info at KotwicaBand.org

DECEMBER 6 — MAKE YOUR OWN GIFTS

Promotional image for a gift-making event at the Jesup Memorial Library, featuring wrapped gifts, festive decorations, and event details.

DECEMBER 6—Library Kick-off of Holiday Book Sale and Scallop Raffle

A person holding a large shell while posing for a selfie.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Find wonderful treasures for everyone on your holiday gift list, at the Southwest Harbor Public Library’s Holiday Book Sale Kick-off beginning Saturday, December 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hundreds of new & nearly new hardcover and paperback books, perfect for gift giving, will be for sale, including a selection of glass ornaments. New this year: Love My Library wooden bookmarks, napkins, cups, and magnets – perfect for gifting to the library lover in your life!

DECEMBER 6 — ELI YOUNG BAND

Poster for the Eli Young Band's Strange Hours Tour featuring Joseph Gallant, with event details for December 6 at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, ME.

DECEMBER 6 MAINE SEACOAST MISSION EVENTS

A festive gathering aboard a boat with multiple people, including individuals dressed as Santa Claus, children wearing holiday attire, and a Christmas tree in the background.

On Saturday, December 6, join the Mission for events at its offices at 6 Old Firehouse Lane during Mount Desert Chamber of Commerce’s Northeast Harbor Christmas Festival. From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be an open house with light refreshments and a fun craft activity for kids. Then at 3:15 p.m., the Mission’s flagship boat, the Sunbeam, will deliver Santa and Mrs. Claus to Northeast Harbor’s marina.

DECEMBER 6 & 7 — TRENTON GRANGE CRAFT AND VENDOR MARKET

A festive flyer for the Trenton Grange Craft & Vendor Market, detailing event dates, location, and vendor information, adorned with holiday decorations.

DECEMBER 6 — A CHRISTMAS STORY

A promotional poster for 'A Christmas Story' presented by Acadia Community Theater, featuring a green background, a vintage lamp, and details about performance dates and credits.

Acadia Community Theater is pleased to present A Christmas Story this holiday season. Starring Lina Boge, Ashley McLean, Adam McLean, and Helen Goss as the Parker family, this show has been a family favorite for decades. Directed by Doug Van Gorder and featuring the Red Ryder BB Gun and a very special lamp, we travel back to 1940 for a hilarious and joyful look at one family’s memorable Christmas celebration. Join us this weekend, December 5-7, or next, at the Acadia Repertory Theater in Somesville. Find show times at www.acadiatheater.net and tickets online or at the door.

DECEMBER 6 — HOLIDAY CARD MAKING AND STORYTIMES

A promotional graphic for a holiday event titled 'Holiday Card Making and Storytimes' during the Northeast Harbor Christmas Festival on December 6, 2025, featuring festive decorations like snowflakes and Santa hats.

DECEMBER 5- 7 HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

A spacious indoor setting for the Island Arts Association Holiday Craft Fair, featuring various handmade crafts and decorations on tables. The event is promoted as supporting local artists, with dates and times displayed prominently on the poster.

SATURDAYS! BABY AND ME YOGA!

Promotional graphic for Saturday Story Time at Northeast Harbor Library, featuring colorful text and illustrations of hands holding an open book with clouds and stars.
A promotional flyer for 'Baby and Me Yoga' classes, detailing two class levels: 'Little Wigglers' for babies and 'Busy Bees' for toddlers, including information on dates, times, and instructor credentials.

PRAYER SHAWL MISSION GROUP

Promotional flyer for a Prayer Shawl Mission Team start-up event at Bar Harbor Congregational Church, featuring a collage of individuals engaged in knitting and crocheting activities.

Prayer Shawl Mission from 10 a.m. to noon at the church located at 29 Mount Desert Street.

The intention of the group is to create a flow of Prayer Shawls for distribution for those in need due to illness, loneliness, loss or in need of comfort and to create a sense of community with those who have a shared interest.

Supplies and instruction will be provided to those with skills for knitting and/or crocheting and for those with a desire to learn. For more information contact Pat by calling (203) 770-0063 or email: pgdizazzo@yahoo.com.

Saturday events via the Chamber:

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7

DECEMBER 7 — BEE PARKS AND THE HORNETS

Promotional poster for the event featuring Bee Parks and the Hornets, celebrating 35 years of Kids' Corner harmony. The poster includes colorful graphics with a yellow beetle car and a band of musicians dressed in black and yellow attire. Details about the event are provided, including the date, time, and location.

DECEMBER 7 WICKED: FOR GOOD

Promotional poster for the theater production 'Wicked: For Good' featuring characters in fantasy outfits, with the date December 7 and time 6:30 PM at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, ME.

DECEMBER 7 – WINTER MARKET

Poster for a winter market featuring a bag filled with bread, vegetables, and fruits, with text detailing the market's schedule and location.

DECEMBER 7 — DRESS UP DAY

Dress up day 2025 is a 15-minute portrait session and an opportunity to give back to the community. Dress your best, dress for fun, and make some photos together.

The session with photographer Katherine Emery includes five high-resolution downloadable images and a 5×7 print. You can learn more and book a spot here.

The sessions are:

  • Saturday, November 29, at Coffee Matter Cafe, MDI
  • Sunday, December 7, at Sassafrass Cafe, MDI

A portion of the proceeds will support The MDI Backpack Program.

DECEMBER 6 & 7 — TRENTON GRANGE CRAFT AND VENDOR MARKET

Promotional poster for the Trenton Grange Craft & Vendor Market, featuring event dates, location details, and an invitation to support local vendors during the holiday season.

DECEMBER 5- 7 HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

A promotional flyer for the Island Arts Association Holiday Craft Fair, featuring images of local artwork, details about the event, and dates from December 5-7, 2025.

KIDS CHESS CLUB AT CHOCO-LATTE

A close-up of a chess board featuring black and white pieces, including a fallen white king and a black pawn, with a banner reading 'Chess Clubs for Kids' in the corner.

Our chess club is great for beginners (at least know how the pieces move) and also intermediate level. All are welcome. We meet most Sundays from 4-5:30 p.m. at Choco-latte in Bar Harbor.

Move Free Run Club

Logo of the Move Free Run Club featuring wavy lines and a half sun in a warm color palette.

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.

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!

Sunday events via the Chamber:

FUTURE EVENTS!

DECEMBER 9 — THE GRINCH!

Poster for a puppet show featuring the Grinch, with a green background and an illustration of the Grinch's face, announcing an event on December 9th at the Neighborhood House.

DECEMBER 9 – MDI HOSPITAL AUXILIARY JEWELRY SALE

Graphic promoting MDI Hospital Auxiliary's Jewelry Sale scheduled for December 9, 2025, from 9 AM to 2 PM at MDI Hospital's Conference Room B.

DECEMBER 10 & 11 — AUDITIONS FOR FROZEN!

Poster for Acadia Community Theater's auditions for 'Frozen: The Broadway Musical', detailing dates, directors, and involvement opportunities.

DECEMBER 11 — ANCESTRAL JOURNEYS

Promotional image for 'Ancestral Journeys' event featuring Carolyn Rapkievian at Jesup Memorial Library, with event details and a background depicting nature.

DECEMBER 12 — Exhibit in December & Reception

A serene landscape painting depicting a calm body of water surrounded by rocky shores and small islands. The scene features soft hues of blue and pastel tones in the sky, with hints of autumn colors on the trees lining the islands.

Exhibit: Plein Air Painters of Acadia. Southwest Harbor Public Library. Thru December. Oil, acrylics, pastes, and watercolors. Hrs: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9-5; Wed 9-8; Sat 9-1. www.swhplibrary.org.

Reception: 5:00-6:30 p.m. Thursday 12/11 Southwest Harbor Public Library. Plein Air Painters of Acadia. Meet the artists, view the show, enjoy refreshments. www.swhplibrary.org

DECEMBER 12 — AMPLIFY GOOD

Poster for 'Amplify Good' live music event featuring performers on stage with microphones, promoting support for local non-profits. Dates and location details included.

DECEMBER 12 — MUSIC AND CONVERSATION

Promotional image for the 'Music & Conversation' event featuring Danny Holt and Molly Gebrian at Jesup Memorial Library on December 12th.

DECEMBER 12 — CHILI COOKOFF AND TOWN TREE LIGHTING

Promotional poster for a Chili Cookoff event on December 12th, featuring details about a town tree lighting and holiday celebration. Includes mentions of Santa's arrival and the cookoff timing, along with sponsor logos.

DECEMBER 12 — THE S*&*&Y ROLLING STONES

Event poster for 'The Shitty Rolling Stones' concert on December 1 at 7 PM, featuring the iconic Rolling Stones tongue logo surrounded by colorful album covers.

Free show to benefit the Trenton Grange and the egos of aging washed up rock’n’rollers, December 12, 7 p.m., at the Trenton Grange

BYOB, raffles, T-shirts, sex and candy.

Bring lots of cash to support Trenton Grange and the hawking vendors who will be lurking every where.

NO COVER. FREE PARKING.

DECEMBER 13 — WITHAM FAMILY HOTELS’ CHARITABLE CHRISTMAS

A child interacts with Santa Claus in a festive setting, showcasing a promotional graphic for a charitable Christmas event including details about the date, location, and activities such as free photos, letters to Santa, and a petting zoo.

DECEMBER 13 — GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST

Event poster for the 2025 Gingerbread House Contest organized by the Bar Harbor Historical Society, featuring a gingerbread house graphic, date, time, and location details.

DECEMBER 13, 14, and 20 — CHRISTMAS AT THE MUSEUM!

A pair of decorative Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus figurines, with Santa wearing a red outfit and white beard, and Mrs. Claus in a red dress holding a gift bag.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Once again the Southwest Harbor Historical Society will be open for Christmas at the Museum!

The dates are December 13, 14 and 20. Each day the society will be open from 1-4 p.m.!

Come visit us at the Manset Meetinghouse, home of the SWH Historical Society. Come enjoy the Christmas tree displays, nativity scenes, train sets and new exhibits! View our Christmas Memory Tree with the names reflected from donations. Smell the mulled cider, enjoyed with cookies! Hope to see you there!

DECEMBER 20-24 TRENTON GRANGE CRAFT AND VENDOR MARKET

A festive flyer for the Trenton Grange Craft & Vendor Market detailing event dates, location, and vendor information, adorned with holiday decorations.

DECEMBER 21 — FROGTOWN MOUNTAIN PUPPETEERS

A poster for a community event featuring Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers performing 'The Grinch' on December 21st at 4 PM. The poster includes images of puppets, festive decorations, and details about the performance.

DECEMBER 31 — NEW YEAR’S EVE

Promotional graphic for a New Year's Eve party at Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor, featuring details about the event date, time, and activities like live music, a DJ, and a photo booth.

ONGOING:

Promotional poster for Paradis Ace Hardware offering personal shopping assistance during the holiday season. Features holiday-themed graphics including a shopping bag and wrapped gifts.

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR EVENTS

THE ABBE!

For a list of Abbe events, click here.

ACADIA CHAMBER

For a list of Acadia Chamber events, click here.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

For a list of events at the park, you can visit the National Park Service’s calendar or Ranger Programs web pages.

ACADIA SENIOR COLLEGE

Acadia Senior College offers interesting talks, informative classes, lively discussions, field trips, retreats, and fun gatherings. For a list of its events, head here.

ACADIA TRAD FESTIVAL

Promotional poster for the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance, featuring text about classes in various instruments and dance, alongside images of participants playing music and dancing.

ARGOSY GALLERY

For the gallery’s newsletter and offerings, please visit www.argosygallery.com. In Bar Harbor at 6 Mt. Desert St.

ARTEMIS GALLERY

For a list of openings!

ARTWAVES CLASSES AND EVENTS

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

BAR HARBOR CHAMBER

For Bar Harbor Chamber’s calendar, click here.

BOOM—BAROQUE ORCHESTRA OF MAINE

For a list of upcoming concerts, click here.

THE COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC

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

CRITERION THEATRE

A schedule for summer and fall events at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, featuring live music performances and movie nights.

For a list of events, click through here. Movies are not included in the show schedule.

Show Schedule

BUY TICKETS

THE CYGNET GALLERY

For a list of events, click through here.

DOWNEAST PILATES

Schedule for Downeast Pilates classes, detailing timings for Reformer and Mat classes from Monday to Friday at their location in Southwest Harbor.

FRIENDS OF ACADIA

For a full list of Friends of Acadia events, click through here.

EVENTS AT THE GILLEY

For a full list of Gilley events, click here.

THE FINBACK ALE HOUSE!

The Finback usually has local musicians, open mic nights and karaoke all summer long. Its Instagram is here. A typical line-up looks like the one below. Usually, the Finback updates its list on Tuesdays.

Chalkboard listing of live music events and schedule, featuring a whale illustration at the top.

FOGTOWN (In Ellsworth, but by request)

Text graphic listing weekly events at the Ellsworth Taproom, including Open Mic Night on Wednesdays, Trivia Night on Thursdays, and Live Music on Fridays.

There is an open mic night Wednesday evenings, trivia nights on Thursday evenings and live music in the beer garden on Friday evenings.

The Ellsworth farmers market is also now held in the parking lot of Fogtown brewery Saturday mornings beginning at around nine.

Link to the website with all the events: https://www.fogtownbrewing.com/events

THE GALLERY AT SOMES SOUND

For a list of exhibitions and to find out more, click here.

THE GRAND THEATER (In Ellsworth, but by request)

For a list of Grand events, click here.

HARBOR HOUSE

For a full list of events, click here for programs, click here.

HEALTHY ACADIA EVENTS

For a list of events, click here.

HIDDEN BARN BOOKS IN BAR HARBOR

Hidden Barn Books is located in Bar Harbor behind Reel Pizza. For a list of events, click here.

JESUP EVENTS

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

REOCCURING PROGRAMS:

Bar Harbor Scrabble Club

Connect with fellow word-lovers: all skill levels are welcome! Players are encouraged to bring their own boards, and some boards will also be provided. Scrabble Club meets on second and fourth Saturdays from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

Write On! Writing Group

Join the Write On! Writing Group for support in your craft. The Write On! writers meet Saturday mornings at 9:00am on Zoom. For more information, please contact the library at info@jesuplibrary.org.

Jesup Knitters’ Guild

Fiber artists of all skill levels are welcome to drop in and enjoy crafting and conversation with the Jesup Knitters’ Guild, Thursday evenings at 5:00pm!

LAND AND GARDEN PRESERVE

For a full list of Land and Garden Preserve events, click through here.

LOCAL SOLUTIONS

An illustration depicting a colorful landscape with houses and trees, showcasing a vibrant sunset or sunrise in the background.

Are you a parent or guardian of an adult with developmental delays, ID/D or Autism? Would you like support?

We are a parent run support group. Join a community of parents and guardians helping each other with problem solving, understanding adult services, advocacy and policy awareness. Our group includes parents and guardians of high school age and older. Organized by Local Solutions. Meetings are at the rectory building of St. Savior’s Church in Bar Harbor at 4:30 every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month.

MAINE GRANITE INDUSTRY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM

The museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 to 4 through October 31

The museum believes on hands-on learning. A list of programs is here.

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.

MDI YMCA

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

Fitness schedule for Mount Desert Island YMCA detailing classes and timings from November 3 to December 21.
Graphic detailing youth programs offered by the Mount Desert Island YMCA, including activities for different age groups ranging from 6 months to 19 years old.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE SCHEDULE

The calendar is here.

THE NOR’EASTER POUND AND MARKET

Live music is in the air at The Nor’Easter Pound & Market!

Open Mic Thursdays 7-9 PM hosted by the one and only Dallas Hodgkins— bring your talent or just come enjoy the show!

Live Music Saturdays 7-9 PM featuring amazing local musicians bringing the coastal vibes to Northeast Harbor.

For more information, head over here.

NORTHEAST HARBOR LIBRARY

A list of events is here.

REEL PIZZA

To see what’s playing, click here.

SAFE HARBOR CLUB

22 Village Green Way, Southwest Harbor

A list of all events are here.

Safe Harbor ALANO Club open Fridays-Saturday: 4 p.m.; Sundays-11 a.m.

Beginners AA, Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.

AA, Thursdays, 7 p.m.

ALANON, Sundays, 7 p.m.

SOMESVILLE LIBRARY

A list of events is here.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

A list of events is here.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR LIBRARY

A list of events is here.

VOLTA!

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

WENDELL GILLEY MUSEUM!

The museum is full of art and craft and exhibit. You can check out its events here.

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 MDI or Trenton that you’d like me to mention, please let me know, because I’m definitely always missing some events every week.

If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here.

A NOTE FROM US

This is Carrie and Shaun, and as you’ve probably noticed, we’ve been working hard at the Bar Harbor Story, providing local news in a way that keeps you informed, but also embraces and promotes community and the good that is within it.

We take so much time—just the two of us, with a special needs kid that has to be homeschooled—to cover our island community’s (plus, Trenton) local news in a way that’s timely, daily, and remembers that underneath the news . . . there are people who are our neighbors.

We are working hard to get the news out there—for free—for everyone. But it’s taking its toll on our family financially and honestly, sometimes, emotionally, because frontline local news in a small community? It’s hard.

Most media isn’t local (even when it claims it is). Most media has paywalls and advertisers. We don’t. That’s not a smart financial decision for us. It’s a moral one. And we’re going to try to do it for as long as we can because we’re local, we’re passionate, and we’re all about getting the news to everyone—no paywalls.

Why?

Richard Stengel, writing in The Atlantic, said, “Paywalls create a two-tiered system: credible, fact-based information for people who are willing to pay for it, and murkier, less-reliable information for everyone else. Simply put, paywalls get in the way of informing the public, which is the mission of journalism.”

As a paper that is owned and staffed only by locals, we make every attempt to gather all of the facts for our readers, information that might not be part of the main story and/or information that may not be known even to our towns’ officials, but is still just as important, if not more important, to the story.

We currently have well over 5,000 subscribers, the vast majority of them free, with over 401,500 article reads every month. Every one of our stories is opened at least 3,500 times. Most are opened well over that amount.

To continue to provide you with fact-based, non-editorialized news, we really need your support! If you’d like to support us or subscribe? It would mean the world to us, and to the Bar Harbor Story!

There are a few ways to do that:

  1. You can send us a one-time support via this link here. It will say “Carrie Jones Books” because that’s what our PayPal account is through.
  2. You can become a paid subscriber at either site here (scroll to bottom) or here (scroll to bottom).
  3. Your business or nonprofit can sponsor the Bar Harbor Story with a banner ad. More information on that is here.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMITMENT TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY

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