Cranksgiving is a food drive on two wheels hosted by The Portland Encyclepedia and The Bicycle Coalition of Maine and Portland Gear Hub. Part bike ride, part madcap scavenger hunt. All you need is a bicycle, a lock, and a bag! This event is FREE, but you’ll need $15-$20 to purchase food. Donations will support The Westbrook Food Pantry.

Join WinterKids for their 13th Annual License to Chill fundraiser and celebration to kick off winter! Your participation will directly impact children across Maine by supporting programs and opportunities that get them outside and active during the winter months.

We hope to see you at our Film Fest for Casco Bay, an afternoon of environmental and adventure films curated by Maine Outdoor Film Festival just for us. Doors open at 2pm for raffle, food, and drinks).

We will also host a raffle for prizes such as local hand crafted goods, gift cards to local shops and eateries, art, Friends of Casco Bay hats and jackets, and even private boat cruises on Casco Bay!

Tickets are on sale for Friends of Casco Bay’s Film Fest for Casco Bay. The celebration will feature a variety of films selected just for FCB by partners at the Maine Outdoor Film Festival. You don’t want to miss it!

A celebration of our livable world, Concert for Climate features renowned musicians, speakers and presenters with offerings for all ages.

Eye-opening and inspiring, American Flannel is the story of how a band of visionaries and makers are building a new supply chain on the skeleton of the old and wedding old-fashioned craftsmanship to cutting-edge technology and design to revive an essential American dream.

Join Portland Public Library and its partners for a conversation between author Steven Kurutz and L.L.Bean Technical Design Manager, Douglas Stattel about Kurutz’s new book American Flannel.

At “On the (Seafood) Menu in Maine,” you will be treated to a great selection of beautifully prepared seafood and good conversation with chefs from all around the Northeast. We will start the evening at Mr. Tuna’s commercial kitchen, where chef Jordan Rubin (Mr. Tuna himself!) will demonstrate cutting and preparing fresh tuna from the Gulf of Maine. We will then head next door to SoPo Seafood Market to enjoy a variety of seafood dishes made to please your palate and spark your creative juices for preparing Maine’s delicious seafood.

We will also be offering tours to the following businesses if you want to explore more about the seafood industry in Maine while you are visiting:

• Bangs Island Mussels (Weather permitting a boat tour of the farm on the water)

• Learn more about shellfish through the Maine Aquaculture Association

• Atlantic Sea Farms

The day’s offerings include guided tours of the MOFGA orchards, workshops on caring for fruit trees, and ongoing apple cider pressing. Attendees can begin or expand growing trees in their gardens or communities, by picking up free fruit saplings from the Maine Heritage Orchard, as well as warm climate-adapted forest trees — to assist our forest trees in their migration north! Additionally, participants can connect with our Apple Identification Team — apple experts who help identify “mystery” apples. Local vendors will provide delicious hot food, farm-fresh products, and baked goods, bottles and cans of locally-crafted hard cider, tools for fruit trees, and more. Plus, enjoy free apple and cider tastings!

A fabulous evening awaits: celebrate the Museum of Beadwork’s second year with a night of fun, fantasy, and intrigue at their annual Gala fundraiser! This masked event will include food by Charcutemarie, a cash bar with wine and beer from Sacred Profane Brewing, prizes for our favorite masks/ensembles, a silent auction, and open gallery to all our guests.

Join us at Spear Farm Estuary Preserve for each of the four seasons to hone your observation skills amidst meadows, forests, saltwater marsh, freshwater, and more. Davinica will lead grounding exercises to heighten our senses, followed by a guided walk exploring the dynamic interactions of fresh and saltwater ecosystems. We’ll conclude each session with moments of reflection.

All are welcome for this opportunity to deepen your connections.

At a Death Cafe people drink tea (and coffee), eat cake and discuss death. Our aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their (finite) lives.

There is no charge to attend this event, however, the cafe offers coffee, cold beverages, and snacks (including GF items) for purchase.

The Evening for the Environment will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at UNE’s Innovation Hall in Portland, ME. Our community will come together for an exciting night to honor the environment that we all love. For 22 years, the Evening for the Environment has brought together community advocates, legislators, business leaders, environmental visionaries, and philanthropists to celebrate the bold work done by MCV, MCA and allies.

Celebrate being green in your community! The Town of Scarborough is hosting its second annual Sustainable Scarborough Day, bringing together everyone from the environmentally conscious to the eco-curious for a day of learning and fun. Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, efficient homes, transportation, landscapes, recreation, waste management, land conservation, and climate action. All activities will be based at Wentworth School. Test drive an electric vehicle, listen to some live music, attend a workshop, do a fun, hands-on activity, learn from experts.

This is a family friendly event with activities for all ages!

Join Maine Foodscapes for a beautiful fall evening to celebrate of our growing community of partners, donors, volunteers & program participants.

Attendees will enjoy:

• Cocktail Hour with Live Music (Complete with an option for everyone - enjoy a cocktail or mocktail from Vena's Fizz House, beer, wine, or citrus water!)

• Family Style Dinner in the barn, created by Maine-based chefs and featuring local agricultural products

• Silent Auction featuring exciting items and experiences from Maine businesses for your bidding!

Presentations from Foodscapes Board Members, Staff, & Program Participants will highlight our community impact & goals for the future. ALL funds raised will support our programming and capacity-building efforts in 2025! We are so excited to see you there!!

The Gala will feature a delightful evening beginning with a Cocktail Hour, accompanied by live music, followed by a seasonal, family-style dinner curated by local chefs, all set in the stunning Mallett Barn at Wolfe’s Neck Farm. Guests can also participate in an exciting silent auction showcasing exclusive Maine-sourced packages. Volunteers who help with the event will enjoy a complimentary seat, offering a chance to contribute to a meaningful cause while enjoying the festivities.

The Falmouth Conservation Commission has launched a Plastics Reduction Initiative (PRI) to highlight the impact of plastics on our health and environment and to provide educational opportunities for the public and a way to be part of the solution. Matt Simon, author of A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planets and Our Bodies, will present a virtual keynote followed by a panel discussion moderated by Susan Inches, author of Advocating for the Environment and a teacher, planner, and public policy consultant with special expertise in environmental and democracy issues. As a group, audience members and panelists will vote on potential policy initiatives that they believe could make a difference. The top two proposed initiatives will be presented to the Falmouth Conservation Commission to inform its work going forward.

Celebrate the change of seasons with us at our annual family festival! We will welcome fall and learn about seasonal ways to help wildlife with fun activities for all ages. The whole family will have a chance to:

• Use our seed ball slingshot to launch a native plant seed ball into the meadow

• Play and create with colorful fall leaves

• Tackle the Monarch migration obstacle course

• Pretend to drive our tractor and learn how we use it for habitat restoration

• Explore seed science & plant part art

Join Maine Coast Heritage Trust steward and naturalist Kirk Gentalen on a hunt for the natural treasures of the forest and fields at MCHT’s Erickson Fields Preserve (164 West St) from 9 AM to noon. A huge variety of native mushrooms appear throughout the woods and there’s no one better to excite an interest in these fascinating fungi!

On this exciting day, parking spots across downtown Portland, Maine will transform into vibrant community parks. Join us for a celebration filled with connection, creativity, and fun!

Sierra Club Maine will hold its annual celebration for social and environmental justice September 19th, 6:30-8:00pm at Maine Beer Company in Freeport. The public is invited to join us as we celebrate our impact in 2024 and discuss our collective goals for the future. Doors open at 5:30pm. The evening will include a live auction, a presentation of annual awards, and a special address from Sierra Club Maine’s Chapter Director, Pete Nichols.

Join Friends of Casco Bay at low tide to observe the eelgrass beds at Willard Beach, erosion from prior storms, and algae if it is present. This is a great opportunity to learn more about our Baykeeping priorities and what we are looking for when you report observations on Water Reporter.

Where: Willard Beach, South Portland, Maine

Who: Water Reporters and curious folks!

Date: Thursday, September 19 from 5:30-6:30pm

Register online!

Portside Real Estate Group is delighted to present the 7th Annual Autumn Equinox at Maine Audubon featuring live music, delicious bites from local food trucks, and local beer and wine amid Maine Audubon’s rolling meadows and beautiful sanctuary.

The Maine State Pomological Society will hold the 23rd annual Maine Apple Sunday on September 15, 2024 with participating orchards around the state. Maine Apple Sunday starts the peak of the apple harvest when summer apples are still available but the main crop is ready for its first pick. Apple orchards from Wells to Caribou will celebrate by offering special activities and free samples of apple products.