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 22, 2025

Silhouette of three individuals hiking at sunset with text overlay 'Bar Harbor Story - Things to Do in the Mount Desert Island Region This Week'

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. We are using it with her permission and with many thanks to her for doing this.

A detailed list of restaurants in Bar Harbor and surrounding areas with their opening hours and services offered.

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).

Red Sky, which is not in the list, is another local restaurant, though it is closed for the winter, it is not closed for good! They’ll likely be placed on the master list soon.

ALL MONTH/ONGOING

DECEMBER—JAYNE DWYER

Promotional poster for Jayne Dwyer's Paper Moon Jewelry exhibit at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring colorful images of nature and whimsical designs alongside text about the exhibit.

DECEMBER — PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF ACADIA

A promotional poster for the Plein Air Painters of Acadia art exhibit, featuring a watercolor painting of rocky cliffs and trees. Details include dates, reception information, and the location at the Southwest Harbor Public Library.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22

LEGO CLUB!

Promotional poster for LEGO Club at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring a colorful design with a child building with blocks, along with details about the event, registration instructions, and a 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:

Which Stitch?

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23

DECEMBER 23 — Advent and Christmas Music with Spoken Meditations

St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church continues its Music and Meditation series on Tuesday, December 23 at noon. Julia Morris-Myers will present a half hour program of music for Advent and Christmas with spoken meditations. Music will include works by Bach, Buxtehude and Flor Peeters and there just might be a chance to sing a carol or two. There is no admission charge and everyone is welcome. St Saviour’s is handicap accessible. If you’re in need of a few quiet minutes before the frenzy of Christmas, this program is for you.

CRANE FOLDING

Promotional graphic for a Crane Folding event at the Southwest Harbor Public Library. It includes details about the event time (Tuesdays, 3:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.), encourages participation from all ages and skill levels, and highlights its significance in the library's 130th anniversary year.

STORY AND PLAY

A group of children and adults participating in a 'Story and Play' session at a library. The scene includes children sitting on colorful rugs and bean bags, looking at books, while adults assist them.

PLAY-DOH PLAYTIME

Promotional graphic for Play-Doh Playtime at Southwest Harbor Public Library, highlighting times, activities, and age recommendations.

THE WAY OF BEING

Promotional image for 'The Way of Being' event featuring a man with a gray beard, set against a serene backdrop of mountains and sky. The event details include date, time, location, and contact information.

Move Free Run Club

Logo of the Move Free Run Club featuring stylized wave shapes in yellow and an orange sun.

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!

Promotional flyer for a new line dancing class for adults, featuring details about the class schedule, location, and costs. It includes colorful graphics, a disco ball, and vibrant design elements.

Tuesday events via the Chamber:

Baby and Toddler Time

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24

BAR HARBOR BIKE SHOP RENTALS ALL WINTER LONG

Bar Harbor Bike Shop is renting bikes to walk-ins Wednesday through Saturday from 10-4 this winter season. Hours are also posted on its website.

The shop also has Fat Tire Bikes to Rent with Stud Tires for this winter season which are a lot of fun when there’s snow and ice.

WEDNESDAY BOOK CLUBS

Northeast Harbor Library

Illustration promoting the Readers Unite! After School Reading Club at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring children reading books and enjoying their imagination with colorful clouds in the background.

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 graphic for a book club event at Somesville Library, featuring the book 'Frozen River' by Ariel Lawhon. The event is scheduled for April 2 at 1:30 PM.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

Graphic promoting storytime events for babies on Wednesdays at 10:00 am and families on Fridays at 10:00 am, featuring a rainbow, a caterpillar reading a book, a house, and an owl with books.

GIRLS WHO CODE

Promotional image for the 'Girls Who Code' program at Jesup Memorial Library, featuring text about the event's schedule and contact information for registration.

GUIDED MEDITATION

Promotional flyer for a guided meditation session led by Tom Tanguay at the Somesville Library, featuring details about the event and location.

CHRONICLES OF YARNIA

A young person with long hair is crocheting with green yarn and a crochet hook, sitting on a couch. The image features text promoting a fiber arts group for tweens and teens.

BLOCK PARTY!

Promotional image for a Block Party event at Jesup featuring colorful building blocks. Text highlights event details including 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:

None listed.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24

STITCHES KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP!

A close-up image of a colorful knitted piece with text overlay reading '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 graphic for Two Shoes Dance featuring details about Adult Line Dance classes, including styles offered (pop, Latin, hip hop, and country), schedule, location, and pricing.

FIGURE DRAWING AT ARTWAVES

A figure drawing class in progress, featuring a model and several artists sketching from different angles. The setting is an indoor studio with wooden easels.

Thursday events via the Chamber:

None listed.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26

THE POLAR EXPRESS

Promotional poster for the movie 'The Polar Express', featuring an image of the train in a snowy landscape with a child in a blue coat. Text details the screening dates from December 26-28 at 6 PM at Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, ME.

BIRDERS’ CAFE

A graphic promoting 'Birders' Cafe at the Oceanarium' featuring a small bird perched on a blue coffee mug, with text in teal and white on a green background.

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 announcing storytime events. It features a cartoon caterpillar reading a book, a cozy house under a rainbow, and an owl with books. Details include 'Babies Wednesdays at 10:00 am' and 'Families 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:

None listed.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27

THE POLAR EXPRESS

Promotional poster for 'The Polar Express' movie screening at Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, ME, featuring snowflakes and a train, with the dates December 26-28 at 6 PM.

SATURDAYS! BABY AND ME YOGA!

Event flyer for Saturday Story Time at the Northeast Harbor Library featuring illustrated clouds and hands holding an open book with text indicating time, frequency, and registration details.
A promotional flyer for a 'Baby and Me Yoga' class, featuring illustrations of a caregiver and a child practicing yoga poses together. Class details, including two levels of sessions, are provided, along with information about the instructor.

PRAYER SHAWL MISSION GROUP

Promotional poster for the Prayer Shawl Mission Team start-up event, featuring details such as date, time, location, and contact information. The poster includes images of people knitting and crocheting.

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 28

THE POLAR EXPRESS

Promotional poster for 'The Polar Express' showing at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, featuring a train in a snowy landscape, text indicating the film's dates and time.

KIDS CHESS CLUB AT CHOCO-LATTE

Close-up of a chessboard with black and white pieces, featuring a prominent caption reading '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 of the Move Free Run Club featuring stylized wave shapes in yellow and an orange circle representing the sun.

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 29 —WINTER BREAK MOVIE MATINEE

Graphic for December events at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring a festive snowman, Christmas tree, and various event details including a holiday cookie party and a winter break movie matinee.

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

Graphic for a New Year's Eve party at Side Street Cafe in Bar Harbor, featuring vibrant fireworks and party details. The event takes place on December 31, 2025, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Highlights include live music, a DJ, party favors, a photo booth, and late-night snacks.

DECEMBER 31 – YOUTH CHESS CLUB

Promotional graphic for the Youth Chess Club at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring a chessboard design, chess pieces, and details about the club's schedule and welcoming nature.

DECEMBER 31 — NEW YEAR’S EVE

A promotional poster for a New Year's Eve celebration hosted by Timberland Acres RV Park, featuring the Bullseye band, listing event details such as dinner, photo booth, and prices.

JANUARY 1—TREMONT POLAR PLUNGE!

Please join the Tremont Fire Department crew on Back Beach in Bernard on New Year’s Day, promptly @ 10:00 AM for a refreshing plunge into Bass Harbor. Members of the public are encouraged to participate and spectators are always welcome too.
The location is 98 Lopaus Point Road. Limited Beachside parking spots are available
Weather permitting we will have a bonfire and provide hot chocolate.

Expect a short walk down the beach to the water’s edge, beach footwear is recommended.

Enter this event at own risk. Lifeguard will be onsite via Kayak or SUP.
In the event of a weather postponement, updates will be announced via this event page.

JANUARY 2 — PAINT AND SIP FOR KIDS

A promotional poster for a 'Paint and Sip' event at the Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring a snowy background, a snowman painting on an easel, and a penguin character holding a mug of hot chocolate. Details include 'Winter Break Paint and Sip for Kids 6+' and the event date, 'Friday, Jan. 2nd, 1:00 - 2:00 PM'.

JANUARY 4 – WINTER MARKET

Poster for the Winter Market featuring a reusable grocery bag filled with a baguette, vegetables, and other produce. Text highlights the market details, including location, schedule, and the supporting organizations.

MONDAYS FROM JANUARY 5 — MAKE YOUR OWN COMIC BOOK

Promotional poster for a comic book-making workshop at Southwest Harbor Public Library led by Mike Duffy, featuring colorful graphics and registration details.

JANUARY 6 — HISTORY HAPPY HOUR

The Mount Desert Island Historical Society and Acadia Senior College will kick off the new year with a potluck trivia night at the Neighborhood House.

Are you a master of historical trivia, a lifelong learner, or a novice know-it-all? Join us at 5:30 p.m. on January 6, 2026, at the Neighborhood House, 1 Kimball Rd in Northeast Harbor for a special potluck History Happy Hour!

JANUARY 9 FAMILY FRIDAY NIGHTS

A colorful promotional poster for 'Family Friday Nights' at Camp Beech Cliff, featuring activities like a climbing wall and board games. Includes details on dates, times, pricing, and food available.

JANUARY 12 MDI Biological Laboratory’s Online Science Café

MRI scan image of a brain with the text 'MDI Biological Laboratory Online Science Cafe January 12, 2026' overlaying the right side.

Topic: Vascular Contributions to Age-Related Cognitive Decline

January 12, 2026, 5-6 p.m.

Online Only, Registration: https://mdibl.org/event/vascular-contributions-to-age-related-cognitive-decline/

JANUARY 28 — DOG MAN NIGHT

Colorful poster for Dog Man Trivia Night, featuring a cartoon dog character in a police outfit. Event details include date, time, and registration information, with illustrations of popcorn and prizes.

MARCH 9 — MDI Biological Laboratory’s Online Science Cafe

A close-up image of an open book with pages fanned out, showing the texture and layers of the paper against a dark background.

Topic: The Science of Storytelling

March 9, 2026, 5-6 p.m.

Online Only, Registration: https://mdibl.org/event/the-science-of-storytelling/

ONGOING:

Promotional flyer for Paradis Ace Hardware offering personal shopping services during the holiday season, featuring text and festive graphics including gift boxes and a Christmas tree.

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 images of people playing instruments and dancing. The event takes place from June 21-27, 2026, at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. Text highlights various classes and activities available during the festival.

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

Class schedule for Downeast Pilates, indicating class times for Monday to Friday with contact information.

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 menu displaying live music schedule with colorful notes, featuring events from Tuesday to Sunday.

FOGTOWN (In Ellsworth, but by request)

Weekly events schedule at the Ellsworth Taproom featuring open mic night, trivia night, and live music.

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

Illustration of houses and trees with a colorful background featuring orange, green, and blue hues.

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.

Weekly fitness schedule for Mount Desert Island YMCA covering December 22nd to January 4th, with various classes listed for each day and time.

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 the MDI region 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.

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