Newsy bits and pieces from all over Maine

• TONIGHT: It’s not too late to Eat for Pete’s Sake, a Humane Society of Knox County fund raiser to benefit homeless animals . See previous posting.

• FREE! Don’t you love that word? The National Park Service has waived entrance fees to Acadia National Park this weekend, June 5 and 6, as well as Aug. 14-15, Sept. 25, and Nov. 1. Saturday, June 5, is National Trails Day, so go hike one of the park’s rehabbed classics in its honor.

• CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: “Winslow Homer and the Poetics of Place” opens at the Portland Museum of Art on June 5 and remains on display through Sept. 6. The exhibit, in honor of the centennial of Homer’s death, showcases PMA’s collection of about 20 watercolors and oils by the noted artist. It’s the first time since 1988 that all the works will be on view in the Charles Shipman Payson building. The museum owns Homer’s Prouts Neck studio, which is undergoing restoration and expected to reopen in 2012.

• HUT, TWO, THREE…Maine Huts & Trails has begun construction on its third full-service, back-country hut. This one’s about two miles below Grand Falls on the Dead River, and will be accessible by foot, bike, ski/snowshoe, and self-propelled boat .  “Construction of Grand Falls Hut, more than 15 miles of new trails and a spectacular 200-foot pedestrian bridge over the Dead River completes the first phase of our vision,” Herring said.

• ISLAND ESCAPE: Nebo Lodge, on North Haven Island, has undergone a renovation and expansion, which included the addition of a new bar and fireplace, new deck and courtyard, new entryway, enlarged kitchen, expansion of two guest rooms. The lodge, owned by congresswoman Chellie Pingree, is open to the public for dinner. Its teamed with Equinox Island Transport to offer roundtrip transportation on the last two Fridays in June, and every Thursday in July and August. Depart Rockland, have dinner, and return the same evening; transportation is $20 pp. 

• TWEET! Aroostook State Park is hosting a Birding Festival, Saturday, June 12. Highlights include: guided hikes led by seven of Maine’s top bird; birding by boat from Echo Lake; a live-bird demonstration of raptors; bird-house building for youngsters; and a group of artisan wood carvers demonstrating nature and bird carving. According to Park Manager Scott Thompson, this year’s festival emphasizes diverse birding experiences. “We’re here for more than just fishing and hiking; there’s a whole world of nature to explore and to learn how this park relates to Maine and the park system.”

• FEELING BLUE? You might want to ink the Saddleback Bluegrass Festival on your calendar for the weekend of Aug. 6-8. Featured performers on Saturday include: The Jerks of Grass; Darol Anger, Scott Law, Sharon Gilchrist and Sam Grisman; The Stowaways; The Infamous Stringdusters; Mason Strunk; The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience; and The Del McCoury Band. Additional performances over the weekend will include The Mueller Family and Erica Brown & The Bluegrass Connection.

Bartenders Bash kicks off Maine Restaurant Week

Get your tickets now for the Maine Bartenders Bash, A Celebration of the Spirit of Maine, presented by Cold River Vodka on Monday, March 1, the opening night of Maine Restaurant Week. The bash, at the Portland Museum of Art, will bring together more than a dozen bartenders to create cocktails using Cold River Vodka, with proceeds going to support the Preble Street Resource Center. And here’s the best part: Attendees get to sample, then vote on their favorite mixes, while nibbling on hors d’oeuvres provided by Aurora Provisions.

Here’s the skinny: The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. During that time frame, you sip and sample, voting for your fave by 7 p.m. The winning bartender will be announced at 7:30 p.m. Participating bartenders represent: Azure, Backstreet Bistro, Back Bay Grill, Camden Harbor Inn, Fuel, Hilton Garden Inn, Hugo’s, Local 188, Old Port Sea Grill, Vignola, The Salt Exchange, Solo Bistro and Walters.

Tix are $25, and available only online.  No one younger than 21 will be admitted.

Rainy days and Mondays

Brighten up this dismal weather with a stop or two or seven along the The Maine Art Museum Trail.

Why: More than 53,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary, are displayed at the seven leading art museums; that’s plenty to keep you busy and there have to be a few that are sunny and bright

Where and how much: Oh there’s definitely one within striking distance for a day trip, and most are free or have free hours. But even if you have to shell out a few bucks, it’s worth it to see the works inside.

• Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, free admission

• Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, free admission

• Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, free admission

• Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, free on Sundays from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., otherwise $12 adults, !$0 seniors and students 17 and older, free ages 16 and younger.

• Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Ogunquit, $7 adults, $5 seniors, $4 seniors, under 12 free

• Portland Museum of Art, Portland, free 5–9 p.m. Friday evenings, otherwise $10 adults, $8 seniors and students with I. D., $4 youth 6–17, under 6 are free

• University of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor, free admission

Who: On display are works by  the many artists who have summered or worked in Maine. These include Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Rockwell Kent, Louise Nevelson, Fairfield Porter, and Alex Katz. Also displayed are treasures ranging from European masterpieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Pablo Picasso to Greek and Roman sculpture, early American silver and furniture, and contemporary textiles, prints, ceramics, and sculpture.

Friday freebie: Portland Museum of Art

Tonight, and every Friday night from 5 to 9 p.m., the Portland Museum of Art is open free, courtesy of L.L. Bean. Inside is a topflight collection of American and impressionist masters and fine and decorative arts. Equally worth noting is the architecture: the award-winning Charles Shipman Payson building, designed by I. M. Pei and opened in 1983, the recently restored Federal-era McLellan House, and the beaux-arts L. D. M. Sweat Memorial Galleries, designed by noted Maine architect John Calvin Stevens. They’ve been ingeniously connected so that they flow from one to another.

**Don’t miss Backstage Pass: Rock& Roll Photography, which ends March 22. See my preview here.

The Movies on Exchange moves

Film fans mourned the closing of the The Movies on Exchange Street, which had been screening non-mainstream flicks since 1980, an era when the trendy Old Port was in its artsy infancy. While the theater is closed, its spirit will live on as Movies at the Museum (site operational by Feb. 17) at the Portland Museum of Art. Which is rather fitting, since its now Congress Street and the Arts District which is gaining in cool factor.

Former Movies on Exchange Street owners Stephen and Judith Halpert are acting as film consultants to the Museum. The aim is to continue to bring foreign, classical, and arts films to Portland. First up is the Beatles classic A Hard Day’s Night, slated for Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. This is the first film in the Rock & Reel series, held in conjunction with the exhibition Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography. Tickets are $7 each and are sold 1/2 hour before the movie at the Museum’s admissions desk. (If you haven’t seen this exhibit, go).

A Hard Day’s Night, Rated G: A re-release of the 1964 classic musical comedy about four shaggy-haired lads from Liverpool, this is a playful day-in-the-life look at the emerging rock stars: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Pursued by hordes of shrieking girls caught up in “Beatlemania,” they dash in and out of railways, through London streets, and into a TV recording studio. With concert footage of The Beatles performing “She Loves You,” this movie has been called “The best rock-n-roll movie ever!” by Joel Siegel, Good Morning America.

Grazing through Portland

After attending the Gov’s conference on tourism earlier in the day, and taping a 207 show (yup, that’s me yapping about skiing), and stopping in to see Backstage Pass, the rock and roll photography show at the Portland Musem of Art (you MUST go), and browsing at Longfellow Books, I was hungry. I’ve been hearing good things about Caiola‘s for quite a while now, so I went. Now I understand all the accolades.

Caiola’s is everything a neighborhood restaurant should be, and so much more. It’s cozy, comfy, friendly, welcoming, and, the food exceeds all expectations, given the casualness. Maybe I shouldn’t be so effusive in my praise, afterall, I only had an antipasto platter. But what a platter! There were at least a dozen, probably 15 or so different items: meats, cheeses, veggies, bread, even egg salad. And the usual antipasto items, such as olives and cheeses, weren’t that usual. Fried gouda? Yup, whoda thunk it, but it worked.

So I waddled out of there and decided that I simply had to go to Bresca. Yeah, been there, done that for dessert previously, and the memory lingered. So, back I went. Same order, financiar (cranberry and pear, this time) and Bresca blend tea. As good as I remembered.

That’s the trouble with Portland. I know there are other places I should try, but it’s so hard to branch out, when my faves are calling me back. Guess I just have to more publications to send me here on assignment. (It’s always nice to dine on someone else’s budget!).

Staycations

Are you trying to control costs this summer yet yearning for a vacation? Consider a staycation–the trendy term for vacationing at home and doing all the things you tell visiting friends and relatives to do. Millions of folks travel to Maine ever summer because there’s so much here, yet few of us play in our backyards.

Let’s start with the freebies. Here are a few ideas to get your brain cooking:

• Preserves and sanctuaries are tucked in all corners of the state. Search for Maine Audubon and Nature Conservancy properties, local land trusts and town parks. Go hiking, mountain biking, paddling, swimming, walking, picnicking. Many often have free educational programs, too, such as guided walks or talks. Another plus: Getting the kids outside is a cure for nature-deficit disorder.

• Bike a rail trail or join an organized ride. (yes, that means go into the cellar, barn or garage and find the bike, clean it up, pump up the tires, maybe get it checked at a local shop…)

• Find out what’s in the community’s attic. Local historical society museums or small, quirky museums are often free or nearly so, and they’re usually staffed by volunteers who are passionate about the collections. Maine Museums has links to most.

• Many towns and L.L. Bean sponsor free weekly concert series. Check the Maine Arts Commission calendar for other free concerts and arts-related events

Enter here to visit the newly renovated Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Afterward, visit the Peary-Macmillan Museum in Hubbard Hall. Both are free.

• Maine college campuses are home to free museums and activities. At Bowdoin, visit the Museum of Art and Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum; at Colby, visit the Art Museum; at UMO, visit the Hudson Museum and Page Farm.

• The Farnsworth Museum, in Rockland, is free on Sundays from 10 a.m.¬1 p.m.

• The Portland Museum of Art is free on Friday nights.

• Bangor’s free, three-day American Folk Festival is jam-packed with entertainment and exhibits; Aug. 22-24.

• Poland Spring Preservation Park is free: tour the museum in the original bottling plant, the Maine State Building and the All Souls Chapel

• Try rock hounding in the Oxford Hills or panning for gold in Coos Canyon.

• Visit a farm or farmers’ market.

• Explore a rail trail.

• Maine residents have free daytime use of Baxter State Park.

• Walk the Rockland breakwater or walk through history in Castine or an art walk

Willing to spend a few bucks?

Eagle Island

• It’s fair and festival season in Maine. Check the state and agriculture events calendars.

• Take advantage of Maine’s state parks. (fees $2 to $5 pp; $60 pass covers a carload).

• Go to Acadia National Park ($20 per vehicle for a week-long pass) for the Mount Desert Island section of the park. The Schoodic section does’t require a pass.

• Take an L.L. Bean Walk-On Discovery course for $15 or go sea-kayaking in Portland Harbor with Bean’s on a 90-minute tour ($29).

• Hop a ferry to an offshore island: Both Peaks in Casco Bay and Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay are easy to explore on foot, and Eagle Island has the bonus of being a historic site.

Ready for a cost-controlled splurge?

• Sail for three-days or longer on a Maine windjammer

• Spend a few days at a traditional, lakefront Maine sporting camp, such as Libby’s or Bradford Camps, which include meals in the daily rate.

• Hike into Poplar Falls for an overnight, with dinner and breakfast, at the first hut on the new Maine Huts and Trails system.

Okay, that should be enough to get you started… Now share your ideas.