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 08, 2025

Silhouette of three hikers with backpacks standing on a hilltop during sunset, discussing their plans. Text overlay reads 'Bar Harbor Story - Things to Do in the Mount Desert Island Region This Week and the Near Future!'

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Psychiatry.

Banner for Acadia Psychiatry featuring a brain illustration and text about adult and child psychiatry, mental health services, and contact information.

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.

A detailed list of restaurants in Bar Harbor, Town Hill, Trenton, and Southwest Harbor, including their contact information, hours of operation, and available services like dine-in and takeout.

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 event titled 'Give and Take: Produce Exchange.' The poster features illustrations of various vegetables and fruits, with text indicating the program encourages community members to share and exchange extra produce starting June 10th.

DECEMBER—JAYNE DWYER

Promotional poster for Jayne Dwyer's Paper Moon Jewelry exhibit at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring colorful artwork and earrings, highlighting hand-sculpted artistry.

DECEMBER — PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF ACADIA

A watercolor painting depicting coastal cliffs and pine trees, promoting the 'Plein Air Painters of Acadia' art exhibit scheduled for December 1-31, 2025, at the Southwest Harbor Public Library. The reception is on December 11 from 5:00 to 6:30 PM.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 8

LEGO CLUB!

Poster for LEGO Club at Northeast Harbor Library, featuring a cartoon of a girl building with colorful LEGO bricks and information about the event, including registration details and QR code.

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 9

MDI HOSPITAL AUXILIARY JEWELRY SALE

Promotional image for MDI Hospital Auxiliary's Jewelry Sale, featuring various jewelry items arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree. Includes sale date, time, and location details.

THE GRINCH! The Neighborhood House. Northeast Harbor.

4 p.m. The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers present the Grinch.

ACADIA HANDBELL CHOIR! Southwest Harbor Public Library. Southwest Harbor

Ring in the holiday season with a concert and sing-along by the Acadia Handbell Choir at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, Tuesday, December 9, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. For more information, please call the Library at 244-7065.

DECORATE A BUOY FOR THE TREE!

A festive announcement for a free buoy tree decorating class hosted by the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. The design features a winter scene with colorful houses, decorated trees, and holiday motifs, encouraging community participation on December 9th.

CRANE FOLDING

Promotional poster for a Crane Folding event at Southwest Harbor Public Library, focusing on promoting peace and hope, scheduled for Tuesdays from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The poster invites all ages and skill levels, encouraging past participants to attend, as it marks the library's 130th anniversary.

STORY AND PLAY

A group of children and adults participating in a 'Story and Play' session at the Jesup Library, surrounded by books and playful seating.

PLAY-DOH PLAYTIME

Event poster for Play-Doh Playtime at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring colorful text and illustrations. The event is scheduled for Tuesdays from 10:00 to 10:30 AM, and is recommended for ages 2 and up. Play-Doh and tools will be provided.

THE WAY OF BEING

Promotional image for 'The Way of Being' class, hosted by Tom Speare, featuring details about the event's timing, location, and contact information over a scenic background of mountains and sky.

Move Free Run Club

Logo of the Move Free Run Club featuring a stylized design with waves and a rising sun in shades of orange and yellow.

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!

A colorful promotional poster for a line dancing class called 'Two Shoes Dance'. The poster features vibrant graphics, including a disco ball and playful shapes. Text highlights include class details such as 'Pop, Latin, Club, & Hip Hop Style Line Dancing for Adults', schedule, location, and contact information.

Tuesday events via the Chamber:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10

DECEMBER 10 EMPOWER HOUR

Event poster for YW Empower Hour featuring a lantern graphic and details about a mindfulness session on December 10 at YWCA MDI.

DECEMBER 10 & 11 — AUDITIONS FOR FROZEN!

A promotional poster for auditions for 'Frozen: The Broadway Musical' presented by Acadia Community Theater, featuring details on audition dates, location, and ways to get involved.

WEDNESDAYS THRU DECEMBER: ZUMBA AND TAI CHI

A promotional flyer for Zumba and Tai Chi classes at the Mount Desert Island YMCA, featuring class details, schedule, pricing information, and contact details.

WEDNESDAY BOOK CLUBS

Northeast Harbor Library

Illustration promoting the Readers Unite! After School Reading Club at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring a girl and a boy engaging with large books, surrounded by clouds and flying pages.

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

An advertisement for a book club meeting at the Somesville Library, featuring the book 'Frozen River' by Ariel Lawhon, scheduled for April 2 at 1:30 PM.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

Colorful graphic promoting storytime sessions for babies and families, featuring a caterpillar reading a book, a house, flowers, and an owl with books. The event details indicate storytimes for babies on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM and for 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, highlighting meeting details and contact information.

GUIDED MEDITATION

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

CHRONICLES OF YARNIA

Young person crocheting with a green yarn in a cozy setting, promoting a fiber arts group for tweens and teens.

BLOCK PARTY!

A promotional image for a Block Party event at Jesup, featuring colorful building blocks and the text 'What will you build?' with details about the event including time and age suitability.

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:

None listed.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11

DECEMBER 10 & 11 — AUDITIONS FOR FROZEN!

Poster for auditions for 'Frozen: The Broadway Musical' by Acadia Community Theater. Includes event details like dates, times, location, and contact information.

DECEMBER 11 — ANCESTRAL JOURNEYS

Event promotion for 'Ancestral Journeys' featuring Carolyn Rapkievian at Jesup Memorial Library on December 11th at 6:30 PM, with a scenic background.

DECEMBER 11 — Exhibit in December & Reception

A serene landscape painting depicting a calm water scene with distant islands and rocky shorelines, showcasing soft colors of early morning light.

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

WICKED: FOR GOOD

Promotional poster for the musical 'Wicked: For Good' featuring two characters on opposite sides against a colorful sky with details about the show, including date and location.

STITCHES KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP!

A knitted cowl and knitting supplies with the text "STITCHES KNITTING GROUP MEETS THURSDAYS 3-5" overlaying the image.

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

Flyer for Two Shoes Dance adult line dance classes, featuring details about styles (pop, Latin, hip hop, country), schedule (Thursdays 5:15-6:15 PM), location (Harbor House), drop-in cost ($15), and contact email.

FIGURE DRAWING AT ARTWAVES

A figure drawing class in progress, featuring participants sketching a model in a bright studio setting. The image shows different angles of the session, with easels and drawing supplies. The ArtWaves logo is displayed at the bottom.

Thursday events via the Chamber:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12

DECEMBER 12 — AMPLIFY GOOD

Promotional poster for the 'Amplify Good' event featuring live music to support local non-profits, including details about date, time, and location at The Annex at Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor.

DECEMBER 12 — MUSIC AND CONVERSATION

Two musicians, Danny Holt and Molly Gebrian, posing together outdoors for a promotional event banner. Holt holds a book while Gebrian holds a violin. The banner announces 'Music & Conversation' at Jesup Memorial Library on December 12th at 5:30pm.

DECEMBER 12 — CHILI COOKOFF AND TOWN TREE LIGHTING

A flyer advertising a Chili Cookoff and Holiday Celebration scheduled for December 12th, featuring Santa's arrival at 5:30 PM and the cookoff from 5-7 PM, sponsored by the Acadia Chamber of Commerce and Harbor House. The design includes a festive Christmas tree and chili bowl graphics.

WICKED: FOR GOOD

Promotional poster for 'Wicked: For Good' featuring images of characters from the show, with event details including dates, time, and venue.

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

A colorful promotional poster for a music event featuring the band 'The Shitty Rolling Stones,' with a prominent red tongue logo and various vintage album covers in the background.

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 12 and 13 – COMMUNITY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

A promotional flyer for a Community Holiday Celebration at Harbor House, detailing events on December 12th and 13th, including a craft fair, chili cook-off, and visits with Santa.

DECEMBER 12 — BOARD GAME NIGHT

Poster for a Board Game Night event at Hidden Barn Books, organized by the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. The event is free entry, encourages attendees to bring their own beverages, and is for ages 21-40. It will take place on Friday, December 12th from 6 PM to 8 PM.

DECEMBER 12 — BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER!

A colorful poster advertising 'The Best Christmas Song Ever' musical event featuring local kids, with details on the date, time, and location.

BIRDERS’ CAFE

Logo for Birders' Cafe at the Oceanarium featuring a small bird perched on a turquoise coffee mug with the text prominently displayed.

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

Illustration for a children's storytime event featuring a caterpillar with glasses reading a book, a house under a rainbow, and an owl reading, announcing weekly sessions for babies on Wednesdays and families on Fridays at 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 13

DECEMBER 13 — WITHAM FAMILY HOTELS’ CHARITABLE CHRISTMAS

A young child interacts with Santa Claus, who is dressed in a traditional red suit with white trim, while seated in a festive indoor setting. The background includes holiday decorations, and details promote a charitable event to donate toys and hygiene items.

DECEMBER 13 — GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST

Promotional poster for the 2025 Gingerbread House Contest organized by the Bar Harbor Historical Society, featuring an illustration of a gingerbread house and festive decorations.

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

Two vintage Santa and Mrs. Claus figurines, decorated in festive red and white attire, standing together in a display case.

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 13 — PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA!

A festive scene featuring Santa Claus with a large white dog, surrounded by holiday decorations, including a Christmas tree and stuffed animals.

Have your pet’s photo taken with Santa Claus while helping to raise money for the SPCA of Hancock County.

The photo session will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, at the SPCA shelter at 141 Bar Harbor Road, Trenton.

The photos are by donation. Appointments are required and you can reserve your spot at https://form.jotform.com/253375349922061

All proceeds raised from the event will directly support the dogs and cats in the SPCA’s care.

DECEMBER 13 — SEAL COVE AUTO MUSEUM OPEN HOUSE

A festive holiday event advertisement for Seal Cove Auto Museum featuring Santa Claus and a decorated 1906 Wayne vehicle, with details about the open house, including date, time, and activities like a hot cocoa bar and cookies.

HARBOR HOUSE HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

Holiday Craft Fair announcement with festive decorations, listing event details and location.

WICKED: FOR GOOD

Promotional poster for the musical 'Wicked: For Good' featuring two characters on opposite sides of a colorful background, with event details including dates, time, and venue information.

SATURDAYS! BABY AND ME YOGA!

A graphic promoting Saturday Story Time at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring a green book held in hands surrounded by colorful stars and clouds, with details about the event in playful font.
Flyer for Baby and Me Yoga classes at Harbor House featuring details about the schedule, class levels, and instructor information.

PRAYER SHAWL MISSION GROUP

Promotional flyer for a Prayer Shawl Mission Team startup event at Bar Harbor Congregational Church, featuring images of individuals knitting and crocheting, with details about the date, time, and contact information.

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:

None listed.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14

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

A pair of vintage Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus figurines displayed together. Santa is dressed in a red outfit with white fur and has a long white beard, while Mrs. Claus wears a red dress with a white apron, holding a green gift in her hand.

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 14 — THE GREAT QUIETSIDE BAKEOFF

Event flyer for 'The Great Quietside Bake Off' featuring details about participants, date, time, and a question about the best cookies on the Quietside.

HOLIDAY DINNER AT SHAC

Invitation poster for a holiday dinner at the Safe Harbor Alano Club, featuring the date, time, location, and details about the event.

Lena Hatch will be singing from 4-5.
Sara Jones will be singing from 5-6 (or 7).

KIDS CHESS CLUB AT CHOCO-LATTE

Close-up of a chessboard with black and white chess pieces, featuring a prominent white king and black pieces, including a knight. The text overlay reads 'Chess Clubs for Kids'.

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 for the Move Free Run Club featuring stylized wave shapes in orange and yellow with a sun motif.

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 16 — TEEN SPACE ACTIVITY AT THE NEH LIBRARY

A decorated clay snowman wearing a red scarf and hat, positioned beside a Christmas tree adorned with ornaments and lights, promoting a DIY activity for teens on December 16, 2025.

DECEMBER 15 — HOLIDAY COOKIE PARTY!

A festive promotional poster for December events at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring details about a holiday cookie party, a winter break movie matinee of 'The Grinch,' and a kids reading challenge.

DECEMBER 16 — TABLETOP TREES

Event graphic for a tabletop tree workshop at the Northeast Harbor Library. Features a group of women smiling and holding evergreen arrangements. Text includes details about the workshop, stating 'Make your own table-top evergreen arrangement,' scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 at 10:30 AM.

DECEMBER 17 – YOUTH CHESS CLUB

Promotional graphic for the Youth Chess Club at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring a chessboard and chess pieces, with details about the club's schedule and open invitation for children.

DECEMBER 18 — RENEWAL CIRCLE

The Southwest Harbor Public Library invites community members to a calming and restorative Renewal Circle led by holistic educator Rebecca Brugman. The first session will take place on Thursday, December 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Library’s Clark Room. The series continues on four Thursdays in January — January 8, 15, 22, and 29 — as participants prepare to enter the New Year with intention and balance.

DECEMBER 18 —HCDC December General Meeting

Hancock County Democrats ~ Holiday Party with Shenna Bellows

The Hancock County Democrats are holding their annual holiday party at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Ellsworth on December 18 at 6pm. Maine Secretary of State and Gubernatorial Candidate Shenna Bellows will be a guest speaker and there will be other surprise guests, along with music, mocktails, appetizers, and a silent auction. A $5.00 donation will be requested.

DETAILS: 6 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 121 Bucksport Road, Ellsworth

DECEMBER 20-24 TRENTON GRANGE CRAFT AND VENDOR MARKET

Promotional flyer for the Trenton Grange Craft and Vendor Market featuring event dates, location, and vendor information, with festive decorations in the background.

DECEMBER 21 – WINTER MARKET

Poster for the Winter Market featuring a tote bag filled with vegetables and a loaf of bread. The event takes place every other Sunday starting November 9, from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM at YWCA MDI, Bar Harbor.

DECEMBER 21 — FROGTOWN MOUNTAIN PUPPETEERS

A promotional poster for the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers event featuring a puppet of the Grinch and a dog, with festive decorations. The details include the event date, time, and mention of a dance recital.


DECEMBER 29 —WINTER BREAK MOVIE MATINE

Event flyer for the Southwest Harbor Public Library's December activities, featuring a holiday cookie party, a winter break matinee showing of The Grinch, and a kids reading challenge.

2 p.m. Looking for something fun to do during winter break? Come by the library on Monday, December 29 for a 2:00pm showing of “The Grinch” (2018, PG). Enjoy popcorn, hot cocoa, and some fun winter crafts. Register for this event at www.swhplibrary.org

DECEMBER 31 — NEW YEAR’S EVE

A promotional poster for a New Year's Eve party at Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor, featuring colorful fireworks, elegant typography, and event details including live music, DJ, and ticket pricing.

DECEMBER 31 — NEW YEAR’S EVE

A promotional image for a New Year's Eve celebration event at Timberland Acres RV Park, featuring the Bullseye Band, with details about the dinner, pricing, and activities.

ONGOING:

Promotional poster for Paradis Ace Hardware featuring holiday shopping services. Text highlights booking a personal shopper to assist with shopping and wrapping 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

Promotion poster for the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance, featuring images of people playing instruments and dancing. Event details: June 21-27, 2026, at the College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine. Classes offered in various instruments and singing, with opportunities for workshops and social dances.

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.

THE CYGNET GALLERY

For a list of events, click through here.

DOWNEAST PILATES

Schedule for Downeast Pilates featuring Reformer and Mat classes offered throughout the week.

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 including Industry Night, Open Mic, Rob Reid, Karaoke, Square Roots, and Stephen Vecchionti.

FOGTOWN (In Ellsworth, but by request)

Weekly events at the Ellsworth Taproom including Open Mic Night, Trivia Night, and Live Music schedule.

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 artistic illustration of a rural landscape featuring colorful trees and houses, framed by a blue border.

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 class schedule for Mount Desert Island YMCA, displaying classes available from November 3 to December 21, including times, locations, and instructors.
Promotional flyer for youth programs at Mount Desert Island YMCA, detailing various activities for children ages 6 months to 19 years, including sports, art classes, and fitness programs.

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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