THE 1932 CRITERION THEATRE ANNOUNCES REOPENING CELEBRATION AND STAR-STUDDED 2025 SCHEDULE OF LIVE PERFORMANCES Briefs and Press Releases: Fun Things to Do on Saturday, Island Explorer MDI Service Begins on June 23, Real Estate, Jax Forum for Discovery, St. Saviour's Folk Music Series
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THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK.

And in the near future.

Carrie Jones

Jun 15, 2026

A young person wearing a gray shirt and an orange cap rakes wood chips in a yard with two small green playhouses and leafy plants in the background.
Mulching party at the Town Hill Playground this week.

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.

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!

FUTURE EVENTS

You can see the upcoming events here.

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS

You can see the list of local organizations and businesses and links to their calendars here.

LIVE MUSIC

You can see the live music that we know about here!

All of these are constantly evolving. And if you have additions, please let us know!

Wooden directional signs indicating 'Watering Hole/Pub' to the right, 'Restaurant' in the middle, and 'Take-Out' to the left.
So many options at the Colonel’s Deli and Restaurant in Northeast Harbor

MONDAY, JUNE 15

JUNE 15 — PICK-UP CHOIR

Promotional image for the Pick-Up Choir event at Northeast Harbor Library featuring a community sing-along with Christina Spurling. Date and time displayed: June 15 at 5:30 PM.

JUNE 15 Pan Dance to Benefit Word

BLUE HILL — A Flash in the Pans steel band street dance on Monday, June 15, will benefit Word, the Blue Hill literary arts festival. The calypso beat will fill the air from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Blue Hill Town Park. The dance will be at George Stevens Academy in case of rain.

LEGO CLUB!

Promotional flyer for the LEGO Club at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring a girl building with colorful blocks and details about registration.

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, JUNE 16

JUNE 16 — STEPHEN VECCHIOTTI

Promotional poster for St. Saviour's Downeast Music Series featuring a list of artists and dates from June 2 to August 25, 2023, with additional information about free shows on Tuesdays.

JUNE 16 — SUMMER SCRUB CLUB

Promotional flyer for the Summer Scrub Club event, detailing a health career exploration opportunity for students entering 7th to 12th grade, hosted by Eastern Maine AHEC and Mount Desert Island Hospital. Includes dates, times, location, cost, and registration information.

SHOWCASE OPEN JAM

Promotional poster for a weekly open jam at Trenton Grange Hall, featuring performers such as Gary Shannon and Frank Perry, with details on location, time, and contact information.

OPEN TABLE MDI — TUESDAY COMMUNITY SUPPERS IN BAR HARBOR

Invitation graphic for a community dinner event, featuring tables set with food and people dining together.

CRANE FOLDING

Promotion for a crane folding event at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring hands-on crafting with colorful origami cranes, inviting participants of all ages and skill levels.

STORY AND PLAY

A group of children and adults participating in a storytime activity in a library. The children are sitting on colorful rugs and bean bags while holding books, and adults are engaged in reading with them. The library shelves filled with books are visible in the background.
Spring dance classes schedule featuring ballet and contemporary dance sessions for different age groups, including adults, with an image of a dancer in a white tutu.

Move Free Run Club

Logo of Move Free Run Club featuring stylized wavy lines and a circular sun design in warm colors.

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!

TUESDAYS AT ARTWAVES: Kids’ Art After School!

Tuesdays, 3:30 – 4:30 pm at ArtWaves Kaleidoscope Studio

Ages 6 – 14

Join us after school for Art at ArtWaves from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. Each Tuesday will feature a different activity / art form! Each week we will learn about artists from around the world and art history all while creating our own unique art using a variety of materials. Experience paint, clay, felt and more! These classes exceed National Standards for art education!

Register here: https://artwavesmdi.org/event-6500150

MOMMY & ME GROUP

Promotional flyer for a 'Mommy & Me Group' with details about weekly meetings, emphasizing a welcoming space for caregivers and children to socialize and engage in activities.

HEAD TO ACADIA TO VOLUNTEER!

Volunteer on Acadia’s Trail & Carriage Roads

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, June through October

Join us for a Drop-in Stewardship Volunteer project and help care for Acadia’s beloved trails and carriage roads! Volunteers meet every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from June through the end of October. While being led by our amazing Volunteer Crew Leaders, you’ll help with important work like cutting back vegetation, clearing drainage features, building bog walk, weeding carriage roads, and more.

Projects run from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., weather permitting, and no experience or reservation is required. As a Drop-in Volunteer, you’ll see a new side of Acadia, feel a deeper connection to the park, and leave this national treasure a little better than you found it. Learn more here.

Tuesday events via the Chamber:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

JUNE 17

Promotional image for the Northeast Harbor Library author talk featuring Philip and William Taubman, with a book cover for 'McNamara at War' and photographs of the authors.

JUNE 17 — DYMAN EMERICK-BROWN

Promotional poster for an author talk with Dylan Emerick-Brown at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring event details like date, time, and books by the author.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Join us on Wednesday, June 17, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. for a talk with Dylan Emerick-Brown, author of three horror novels—The Root Worker’s Daughter, Herrick’s Law, and Darkness Do We Dread—as well as two works of general fiction, The Yiddish Manifesto and, most recently, Attrition. Books will be available for sale and signing. Registration is encouraged for this in-person-only program.

MUSIC BINGO WITH MATTY P AT THE FINBACK!

Promotional poster for 'Music Bingo' event featuring Matty P, with details about a food special and the event time.

MEDITATION

Promotional poster for a meditation group, featuring details such as the session's focus on different meditation practices, meeting time on Wednesdays from 8 to 9:30 AM, and location at Somesville Library in Maine, led by Zen teacher Tom Tanguay.

DANCE CARDIO AT ARTWAVES

A group of people engaged in a dance cardio class, with a focus on a woman in an orange tank top raising her hand. The setting is bright and spacious, and details about the class schedule are included.

Northeast Harbor Library—Readers Unite!

Colorful illustration promoting the 'Readers Unite! After School Reading Club' at the Northeast Harbor Library, featuring children with books and clouds.

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.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

Colorful announcement for storytime sessions featuring a caterpillar reading a book, a house, and an owl with books. Details: 'Babies Wednesdays 10:00 am' and 'Families Fridays 10:00 am' highlighted.

GIRLS WHO CODE

Announcement for 'Girls Who Code' program in Bar Harbor, hosted at Jesup Memorial Library, Wednesdays from 3:15 PM to 4:30 PM. Includes contact email for registration.

CHRONICLES OF YARNIA

A person crocheting with a green yarn and a crochet hook, sitting on a couch with a smartphone beside them. Text on the image promotes a fiber arts group for tweens and teens.

BLOCK PARTY!

Promotional image for a Block Party event at Jesup on Wednesday afternoons featuring colorful building blocks and inviting text asking 'What will you build?'

Baby Storytime at Southwest Harbor

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

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

Wednesday events via the Chamber:

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

PINTS FOR A PURPOSE: GARY STELLPFLUG

Promotional poster for the 'Pints for a Purpose' speaker series hosted by Friends of Acadia, detailing upcoming talks with dates and topics, held at Terramor Outdoor Resort.
Event announcement for Henry Isaacs: Recent Work at Shaw Jewelry, Northeast Harbor, Maine, from June 18 to July 1, 2026, with an opening reception on June 18 from 5 to 7 PM.

JUNE 18 — ARTEMIS

Promotional poster for a group exhibition at Artemis Gallery featuring artists Matt Barter, Annie Curtis, Abe Goodale, Bob Hiemstra, and Lisa Kellner, running from June 18 to June 30 in support of Healthy Acadia.

JUNE 18 — COMMUNITY POTLUCK AND REGIONAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS BRAINSTORM

Promotional image for a Community Potluck and Regional Climate Solutions Brainstorm event, featuring a table with various dishes and participants engaged in discussion, scheduled for June 18th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Beech Hill Farm.

JUNE 18 — AUTHOR TALK

Promotional image for an author talk with Andrew McQuinn about his book 'Playing It Out Straight' at Jesup Memorial Library on June 18th at 5:30 PM.
A veterinarian with glasses examines a dog in a veterinary clinic setting, promoting a Teen Science Cafe event focused on veterinary experiences.

JUNE 18 — PUPPET SHOW

Promotional flyer for the Southwest Harbor Public Library's Summer Reading Kick-Off Event featuring Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers. Event details include date, time, and location, along with a QR code for registration.

MDI Wheelers

Every Thursday and Friday morning, June through September, weather permitting

MDI Wheelers is offering free rides to people with disabilities who cannot walk without some assistance. Rides are offered every Thursday and Friday morning from June through the end of September. Rides originate at Eagle Lake boat launch and last approximately one hour on the carriage roads of Acadia National Park. Riders can enjoy views of Eagle Lake, Frenchman Bay and the forested landscape with beaver ponds and ever-changing natural beauty. Learn more here, and sign up for a ride by emailing Info@mdiwheelers.org .

HEAD TO ACADIA TO VOLUNTEER!

Volunteer on Acadia’s Trail & Carriage Roads

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, June through October

Join us for a Drop-in Stewardship Volunteer project and help care for Acadia’s beloved trails and carriage roads! Volunteers meet every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from June through the end of October. While being led by our amazing Volunteer Crew Leaders, you’ll help with important work like cutting back vegetation, clearing drainage features, building bog walk, weeding carriage roads, and more.

Projects run from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., weather permitting, and no experience or reservation is required. As a Drop-in Volunteer, you’ll see a new side of Acadia, feel a deeper connection to the park, and leave this national treasure a little better than you found it. Learn more here.

KARAOKE NIGHT AT FINBACK ALE HOUSE

A vibrant poster for Finback Ale House's Karaoke Night, featuring lively illustrations of musicians and a crowd enjoying an event. Text highlights include 'Karaoke Night!', 'Every Thursday Night!', and details about free admission, age restrictions, and drink specials, designed with musical elements and colorful graphics.

STITCHES KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP!

A colorful knitted item laid flat, accompanied by knitting needles and a yarn ball, with text overlay promoting a knitting group meeting on Thursdays from 3 to 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 offered by Two Shoes Dance, featuring details about styles, schedule, location, and contact information.

FIGURE DRAWING AT ARTWAVES

A sketch of a human figure with text overlay highlighting a Weekly Figure Drawing session, occurring Thursdays from 12 to 3 PM in the Fine Arts Studio.

DANCE LESSONS AT ARTWAVES

Promotional flyer for spring dance classes featuring a ballet instructor and schedule details for classes on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Thursday events via the Chamber:

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

JUNE 19 – 21 — MAINE OCEAN FESTIVAL

Poster for the Maine Ocean Festival featuring colorful marine life illustrations, event details including dates, activities like crafts and puppet shows, and location information.

JUNE 19

Promotional poster for the Kid's Night Out Summer Fun Party at the YMCA on June 19, featuring details such as time, age range, activities, and a QR code for more information.

BIRDERS’ CAFE

A graphic featuring a coffee cup with a logo for 'Birders' Cafe at the Oceanarium' and a small bird perched on the cup.

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.

MDI Wheelers

Every Thursday and Friday morning, June through September, weather permitting

MDI Wheelers is offering free rides to people with disabilities who cannot walk without some assistance. Rides are offered every Thursday and Friday morning from June through the end of September. Rides originate at Eagle Lake boat launch and last approximately one hour on the carriage roads of Acadia National Park. Riders can enjoy views of Eagle Lake, Frenchman Bay and the forested landscape with beaver ponds and ever-changing natural beauty. Learn more here, and sign up for a ride by emailing Info@mdiwheelers.org .

FAMILY STORY TIME AT SOUTHWEST HARBOR

A colorful flyer advertising storytimes for babies and families, featuring a caterpillar reading a book, a house, and an owl holding a book. The schedule indicates babies' storytime on Wednesdays at 10:00 am and families' storytime 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, JUNE 20

JUNE 19 – 21 — MAINE OCEAN FESTIVAL

Promotional poster for the Maine Ocean Festival, featuring colorful marine life illustrations and event details including date, location, activities, and presentations.
A close-up of a white die with black dots, and three colorful game pieces (blue, red, and green) on a board game. The background includes text announcing a Summer Reading Program event at Jesup Memorial Library for kids.

JUNE 20 & 21 — ART IN THE PARK

Poster for the 74th Annual Art in the Park event in Bar Harbor, featuring tents displaying artwork, with details about the event dates and location.

JUNE 20—MINI GOLF FUNDRAISER

Promotional poster for the 4th Annual Mini Golf Tournament Fundraiser by the Southwest Harbor-Tremont Ambulance Service, scheduled for Saturday, June 20th from 2 PM to 8 PM. Includes details on registration fees, prizes, and activities like raffles and food.

HEAD TO ACADIA TO VOLUNTEER!

Volunteer on Acadia’s Trail & Carriage Roads

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, June through October

Join us for a Drop-in Stewardship Volunteer project and help care for Acadia’s beloved trails and carriage roads! Volunteers meet every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from June through the end of October. While being led by our amazing Volunteer Crew Leaders, you’ll help with important work like cutting back vegetation, clearing drainage features, building bog walk, weeding carriage roads, and more.

Projects run from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., weather permitting, and no experience or reservation is required. As a Drop-in Volunteer, you’ll see a new side of Acadia, feel a deeper connection to the park, and leave this national treasure a little better than you found it. Learn more here.

STORY TIME

Banner for Saturday Story Time at Northeast Harbor Library featuring a green book held by hands, with details of the event including time, location, and note that all ages are welcome.

SATURDAYS! BABY AND ME YOGA!

Promotional flyer for 'Baby and Me Yoga' classes at Harbor House, featuring details on class times, levels, and instructor information.

PRAYER SHAWL MISSION GROUP

Event flyer for a Prayer Shawl Mission Team start-up featuring date, time, location, and contact information. Images of people knitting and crocheting surrounded by colorful yarn.

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.

DANCE LESSONS AT ARTWAVES

Promotional image for spring dance classes featuring a schedule of classes on Thursdays and Saturdays, with details on age groups and times, alongside a photo of a ballet dancer in a white tutu.

Saturday events via the Chamber:

SUNDAY, JUNE 21

JUNE 19 – 21 — MAINE OCEAN FESTIVAL

Poster for the Maine Ocean Festival featuring colorful underwater art, with details about the event dates, activities, and location.

JUNE 20 & 21 — ART IN THE PARK

Promotional poster for the 74th Annual Art in the Park event in Bar Harbor, featuring art tents, people browsing artwork, and details about the event date and location.

KIDS CHESS CLUB AT CHOCO-LATTE

Close-up of a chessboard with various chess pieces, including black and white pawns, a knight, a king, and a queen, against a checkered background. The text 'Chess Clubs for Kids' is displayed 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 'Move Free Run Club' featuring stylized wave patterns and a sun rising above.

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:

ONGOING…

Promotional poster for St. Saviour's Downeast Music Series featuring concert dates and artists from June 2 to August 25, 2023. Includes a decorative border with floral elements and a butterfly.
Promotional poster for live music events in June at Mainly Meat BBQ in Town Hill, featuring a schedule with different artists on specified dates and times.
Promotional flyer for ArtWaves community arts center showcasing dance classes and summer arts camps, featuring a dancer in ballet pose.

KIDS’ SCAVENGER HUNT AT SOUTHWEST HARBOR PUBLIC LIBRARY

Promotional image for a kid's scavenger hunt at Southwest Harbor Public Library, featuring a cartoon character with a magnifying glass in front of bookshelves, inviting children to find ten hidden pictures for a special prize.
Promotional flyer for the WIC Clinic at the Library in Southwest Harbor, featuring a smiling baby, details about the program, eligibility requirements, and contact information.
A calendar for live music events at The Annex bar for June, featuring performers scheduled daily from 8 PM to 11 PM.

COMMUNITY BLANKET PROJECT

Promotional image for the Community Blanket Project showing colorful rolled blankets and blankets with logos, along with project details and contact information.

FUTURE EVENTS!

JUNE 23 — INSPIRED BY TREES

Event poster for a talk titled 'Inspired by Trees: The Revolutionary Nature of Mount Desert Island Forests' featuring Catherine Schmitt, scheduled for June 23rd at 5:30 p.m., available in-person and online, organized by Southwest Harbor Public Library and Mount Desert Island Historical Society.

JUNE 27 — SEAL COVE AUTO MUSEUM — AMERICAN MUSCLE

Promotional flyer for Seal Cove Auto Museum's 'Cars & Coffee' event, featuring a vintage car, coffee beans, and a 2026 schedule of events with dates and themes.

June 27 and July 11 & 25

Promotional flyer for Karaoke Night at Safe Harbor Alano Club, featuring a vintage microphone and colorful, vibrant background. Event details include schedule, hosts, snacks, and location.

Starting June 24: Save Our Summits Volunteer Hikes

Every Wednesday and Friday, June 24 through September

Volunteers can join a guided hike to the top of one of Acadia’s iconic summits and support important vegetation restoration work by carrying soil in their backpacks. The soil is used to help restore fragile summit habitats damaged by erosion and heavy foot traffic. These hikes are a meaningful way to experience Acadia’s mountains while helping protect them for future visitors. Hikes are led twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays, beginning June 24. Registration opens June 8.

The Save our Summits hikes and the summit vegetation restoration program is a partnership between Friends of Acadia, Schoodic Institute, and Acadia National Park.

JUNE 24 — RIDE THE SUNBEAM

A black and white boat named 'SUNBEAM' docked in a harbor with several tugboats in the background.

NORTHEAST HARBOR — Come aboard Maine Seacoast Mission’s 74-foot flagship vessel Sunbeam for a cruise from the Northeast Harbor Marina on Wednesday, June 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. During the cruise, visitors can tour the boat and learn more about the Mission’s work on outer islands and in Downeast Maine.

To make a reservation, please contact events@seacoastmission.org or call (207) 801-6008. For a full list of Sunbeam events, please visit https://seacoastmission.org/visit-sunbeam/.

JUNE 25 — HISTORY BLOOMS

Promotional poster for 'History Blooms,' a floral arts event in Bar Harbor, featuring details about exhibits, drinks, and music from June 25 to 27.

JUNE 25 — LOBSTAH FEST

Promotional poster for Lobstah Fest, an event benefiting Mount Desert Nursing Association, featuring a lobster illustration, a harbor scene with a sailboat, and event details including date, time, and website for tickets.

JUNE 25

Event flyer for 'The Strange Career of Thomas Paine' with Patrick Callaway, taking place on Thursday, June 25th at 5:30pm at Jesup Memorial Library, featuring an illustration of Thomas Paine.

JUNE 26 — BROOK WILENSKY-LANFORD

The Mount Desert Island Historical Society welcomes author Brook Wilensky-Lanford back to the island for a reading and signing of her newest work, A God-Shaped Nation: Five Hundred Years of Religion in America (Grove/Atlantic Monthly Press). The event takes place on Friday, June 26, 2025, at 6:00 pm at Hidden Barn Books, 31 Kennebec Place, Bar Harbor. MDI Historical Society Director Raney Bench will join Wilensky-Lanford for a lively conversation about the role of religion in American history and contemporary life.

JUNE 26-28 BACKSIDE BLAST!

Event poster for the 2026 Backside Blast featuring lobster, car show, pig roast, and lobster boat races on June 26-28.

June 27 and July 11 & 25

Event poster for Karaoke Night at Safe Harbor Alano Club, featuring date, time, and hosts Lena & Dana, with details on snacks and beverage offerings.

JUNE 27- 28

Flyer for the ARRL Field Day event hosted by the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association, featuring details about the open house, including dates, location, and activities related to amateur radio.

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.

Follow us on Facebook. And as a reminder, you can easily view all our past stories and press releases here.

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