WESTBROOK, ME –  Khmer Maine and the Filipino-American Samahan of Maine are excited to announce SEAFEST 2025, a first-of-its-kind Southeast Asian Festival, set to take place at Riverbank Park in Westbrook on Saturday, April 26, 2025. This community-led celebration builds on the success of the Khmer New Year Festival, expanding to include the rich cultural traditions of Southeast Asian communities in Maine.

“In times of uncertainty, with conflicts abroad and economic challenges at home, let us remember that there is more that unites us than divides us,” said Marpheen Chann, Executive Director of Khmer Maine. “No matter your politics, creed, or religion, we invite you to celebrate with us at SEAFEST.”

According to U.S. Census data, there are over 10,000 Mainers of Southeast Asian heritage, including over 4,500 Filipinos, more than 3,000 Vietnamese, 2,000 Cambodians, and over 800 individuals of Thai descent.

“The collaboration among Khmer Maine, the Filipino community, and other Southeast Asian groups strengthens our shared cultural heritage, fosters friendship, and celebrates the diverse talents that enrich Maine’s social and economic landscape,” said Sarah Boothby, President of the Filipino-American Samahan of Maine.

SEAFEST 2025 will bring together people of all backgrounds for a day of games, cultural performances, live music, a night market, kid-friendly crafts, karaoke, and more. Attendees can expect an immersive experience featuring traditional arts, authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, and engaging activities that highlight the diversity and vibrancy of these cultures.

“SEAFEST 2025 builds on the success of last year’s Khmer New Year Festival, expanding to celebrate the rich diversity of Southeast Asian cultures,” said Christina Khin, a member of the event committee and board member of Khmer Maine. “We’re calling for more vendors to sign up and help us create a vibrant showcase of talents, cultures, and flavors. Sponsors are also invited to support this dynamic event, connecting with a diverse audience while celebrating the art, music, dance, and cuisine that unite us!”

The event will take place in Westbrook, Maine, where a coalition of Asian American organizations is working to establish Maine’s first Asian American Community Center. To find out more about the project and the capital campaign, visit www.aaccmaine.org.

Call for Vendors & Sponsors

SEAFEST 2025 is now accepting applications for vendors and sponsors looking to connect with an engaged audience of over 10,000 Southeast Asian community members and the broader Southern Maine population. This is an incredible opportunity to showcase your business, nonprofit, or brand while supporting an event that fosters cultural exchange and unity.

We are seeking:

Food vendors (Khmer, Thai, Filipino, Vietnamese, and more!)

Artists & craftspeople

Local businesses & nonprofits

Traditional clothing & cultural artifacts sellers

Specialty goods & unique finds

Sponsorship opportunities (Gold: $2,500; Silver: $1,000; Bronze: $500) are also available for businesses looking to gain high-visibility exposure to upwards of 10,000+ Southeast Asians in Maine while supporting a meaningful cultural event.

Join Us!

Be part of this landmark celebration of Southeast Asian heritage and community spirit. Whether you’re a vendor, sponsor, performer, or attendee, SEAFEST 2025 promises an unforgettable experience for all!

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 2pm-9pm

Location: Riverbank Park, Westbrook, Maine

For more information on how to become a vendor, please visit WWW.SEASFEST2025.COM. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact marpheen@khmermaine.org.

MAINE — Although spring may seem far away, it’s just around the corner! As the fieldwork season approaches, we’re excited to offer a variety of rewarding volunteer opportunities with the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. Whether you love being outdoors, enjoy working with your hands, or want to contribute to conservation efforts in your community, there’s a role for you.

Join us and make a difference—connect with nature, meet like-minded people, and help protect our local lands and trails.

Water Quality Monitor Volunteers Needed: Water quality monitoring volunteers collect water samples and data every other Saturday morning, typically from 7 am-9 am, from mid-May through mid-September. You do not need to be available for all 10 volunteer date.

Fish Migration Ambassadors: Mill Brook supports the largest migratory fish run from Casco Bay for 2-3 weeks in May/June and thousands of visitors come to see the fish migration at our Mill Brook Preserve. Ambassadors will engage with visitors at the two fish viewing pools, welcoming visitors, answering questions, and supporting a successful fish migration. Volunteer shifts will be from mid-May to mid-June, and hours are flexible.

Fish Count Volunteers: We are working in collaboration with USM and the Department of Marine Resources to support ongoing research on the largest fish migration from Casco Bay. You can support these efforts by becoming a Fish Count volunteer. Volunteers count fish as they enter Highland Lake in Westbrook for 30 minutes at a time mid-May to mid-June.

Spring Trail Work Days: We always have projects happening on our preserves during the spring, summer, and fall. You can volunteer on your own or with a small group, whatever fits your interest and schedule.

For volunteer inquiries, email Program Manager, Toby Jacobs. To volunteer, see PRLT’s website.

GORHAM, ME – A local group of artists, The ARTrageous Seniors, are having a group show at Baxter Memorial Library in Gorham, Maine. The group is part of the Gorham Art Alliance and sponsored by the Lecky Brown Senior Center.

It is an opportunity for Seniors participating in the Art Alliance’s Friday morning ARTrageous art class to show work they have done over the past few years.  The group is entering its 8th year under the tutelage of GAA teacher Christina Thibault.   Christina worked successfully to keep the group going during the pandemic through Zoom and bags of supplies set outside for members to pick up. 

Each month features a different subject, process or project to learn, giving the group time to learn and work toward mastery.  They have worked with wire sculptures, slab clay constructions, acrylic and watercolor painting, felt constructions, batique, wood construction, paper mache, pastel drawing and so much more.

The show will be up from the first of February until mid-March.

The show is free and open to the public whenever the Baxter Memorial Library in Gorham is open.

Location: 71 South St, Gorham, ME 04038

Hours:

Monday, Friday 9?AM–4?PM

Tuesday- Thursday 9?AM–7?PM

Saturday 9?AM–1?PM

Sunday Closed

GORHAM, ME — This week’s need is mac and cheese!  Did you know that we place a box of mac & cheese into each client’s box for Thursday pantry?  We go through a lot of it. 

If you’d like to add some to the bin at the top of the ramp, we’d be very grateful. 

PORTLAND, ME — The University of Southern Maine hosted a Japanese delegation including Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida in a celebration of Horace Wilson, a teacher from Gorham, Maine who introduced baseball to Asia in the 19th Century.

The event also included Seiichiro Takahashia, Japan’s Consul General in Boston, Portland Mayor Mark Dion, American Ralph Bryant, who became a star baseball player in Japan and USM President Jacqueline Edmondson.

The USM event was preceded by a visit to the Wilson family home in Gorham.

GORHAM, ME – Hunker down, seal up the doors and windows, don’t go outside… The Birds is almost here! The USM Department of Theatre invites audiences into the dark, unsettling world of Conor McPherson’s The Birds at Russell Hall on the USM Gorham Campus from February 21st through March 2nd.

Adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s short story, the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, McPherson’s stage version is a gripping, moving look at human relationships in the face of societal collapse. In an isolated house, two strangers take shelter from relentless masses of attacking birds. They find sanctuary but not comfort or peace; there’s no electricity, little food, and a nearby neighbor is watching them. Another refugee arrives with some news of the outside world, but her presence disrupts the delicate balance of survival. Paranoia takes hold inside the makeshift fortress as mistrust and betrayal begin to match the threat of the birds outside.

For director Liz Carlson, the play offers abundant opportunities to explore the human condition amidst societal crisis. She says, “Conor McPherson writes these plays that have a haunting undercurrent of grief, menace, horror, and complexity. There is so much going on beneath the surface of a character in a McPherson play – every time I work on his plays I get to discover things with actors that I never noticed before.”

To bring theatre-goers into the world of the story, the USM Theatre design team has walled off Russell Hall’s 140-seat theater and just 40 audience members per show will be sitting on stage with the four performers. Carlson’s vision is to evoke the claustrophobia of being confined in a small space with strangers while dangers constantly lurk outside. “The design team has taken this idea and run with it, welcoming the audience into the space with us. This closeness invites a specificity and attention to detail from actors and designers alike that isn’t always required when the audience is at a greater distance.”

And while the birds are the external threat, audiences will feel their presence in subtle ways. “I think people come to this play with a certain expectation”, says Carlson. “They see the swarms of birds from the Hitchcock film and expect to see a version of that in the theatre. This play is especially fun because it defies the audience’s expectations while still creating those visceral feelings and reactions that Hitchcock capitalizes on.”

Ticket Info

To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit USM Theatre online at https://usm.maine.edu/department-theatre/box-office-tickets/ or call the USM Theatre Box Office at (207) 780-5151. For more information on USM’s Department of Theatre events and programs, click here. Ticket Prices: $8-$18; Special student & senior pricing Pay-What-You-Can performance on Thursday, February 27th.

The Birds by Conor McPherson from a story by Daphne du Maurier, directed by Liz Carlson

February 21-March 2, 2025 Russell Hall, USM Gorham Campus

Performances:

Friday, February 21, 7pm

Saturday, February 22, 7pm

Sunday, February 23, 2pm

Wednesday, February 26, 10am

Thursday, February 27, 7pm (pay-what-you-can)

Friday, February 28, 10am

Friday, February 28, 7pm

Saturday, March 1, 7pm

Sunday, March 2, 2pm

Content Advisory & Age Recommendation:

Content advisory: Strong language, adult themes

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Those needing special accommodations to participate fully in this program, contact Janice Gardner at (207)780-5289 or janice.gardner@maine.edu.

Hearing impaired: call USM’s telex / TDD number (207)780-5646

L-R – USM Students Ellie Backman as Julia, Lucious K. Fox as Nat, Emma Graffam as Diane in rehearsal. Photos by Kat Moraros Photography.

GORHAM, ME — Paying too much for your news? Learn how to access full text articles for FREE from all 5 of Maine’s major daily newspapers, plus The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more through ProQuest US Newsstream in the Digital Maine Library, a service of the Maine State Library!

Join B.J. Jamieson of the Maine State Library staff to learn how to access daily news for free. The Readfield Community Library and Baxter Memorial Library (Gorham) are offering this virtual Zoom webinar program along with other Maine libraries through MECollab (shared library programming).

Event will be offered via Zoom on Wednesday, February 26 at 6:30-7:30pm.

Registration is required; use the QR code to register.

WESTBROOK, ME — Join us for Winterfest 2025! Discover Downtown Westbrook is excited to host you once again at Riverbank Park for another year of Winterfest: S’mores roasting, bounce houses, photobooth, goats, demonstrations, and live shows – all FREE!

Be sure to check out the food truck park and artisan market too. Schedule and full list of events to be announced soon.Presented by Bath Savings Institution.

Rain Date: Sunday, March 2

WESTBROOK, ME — Join Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and the Walker Memorial Library for a winter story time at the Land Trust’s Pride Preserve in Westbrook. We’ll read a book and then walk along the brook to a rock outcropping where fairy houses dwell and play or make our own. Feel free to dress up in your most sparkly fairy costume!

This event is for families with kids ages 2-5, siblings are welcome. Children must attend with a parent or guardian. The walking portion will be around a half mile total, on a wooded path with a modest hill.

Nature Story Time at Pride Preserve at Pride Preserve, Westbrook on February 12, 2025 | 10-11am * Partner program with Walker Memorial Library

Join Presumpscot Regional Land Trust with Maine Naturalist Joan Lundin for a Winter Wildlife Walk at Pride Preserve in Westbrook. Joan will lead participants on an exploration of Pride Preserve, searching for signs of animals during the winter months.  Look for tracks of animals hopping, walking or bounding, tell-tale signs of meals taken, and communications dribbled into the snow or scratched on a tree trunk. Pride Preserve features a 3.5-mile trail network through forests and wetlands. These trails offer a very remote, quiet, wilderness-like experience. This event is geared towards adults and kids ages 12 and older.

Winter Wildlife Walk at Pride Preserve, Westbrook on February 12, 2025 | 10-11am

Sign up at PRLT’s website

BAR MILLS, ME — Thank you to everyone who helped with Bar Mills Community Church’s January mission of collecting T-shirts, socks, and briefs. It was a great help.

Our February mission is a food drive to benefit the Buxton Community Cupboard.

We are collecting non-perishable food items. The items can be dropped off at the Bar Mills Community Church on 13 Hermit Thrush Dr. in Buxton across from the town hall. There will be a box in front of the church to put the items in. We thank you for your generosity.