PORTLAND, ME – Following a successful inaugural year that brought together hundreds of attendees and more than 100 speakers, Maine Tech Week presented by Wursta returns October 19-22, 2026, with an expanded four-day program exploring how technology is transforming industries, communities, and the way we work and create.

This year’s theme, Intersections, reflects a simple idea: some of the most interesting innovation happens when industries, disciplines, and perspectives come together. From ocean science, agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing to AI, the arts, education, investment, and the future of work, Maine Tech Week will bring together leaders, builders, creatives, students, and the innovation-curious to explore what becomes possible when those worlds connect.

A major new partnership with the Portland Museum of Art brings that idea to life. On Tuesday, October 20, Maine Tech Week will explore the space between creativity, art, and technology through programming at the museum, including talks, collaborative experiences, museum exploration, and an evening creative event. The partnership expands Maine Tech Week beyond a traditional technology conference and creates new opportunities for artists, designers, storytellers, and technologists to learn from one another.

“Maine Tech Week started with a belief that Maine needed a place where people working across technology, business, creativity, research, and industry could find one another,” said Torie DeLisle, Founding Director of Maine Tech Week. “Last year showed us how much energy there is for that kind of connection. This year, we’re building on that momentum and creating even more opportunities for people and ideas that might not normally share the same room to intersect.”

Maine Tech Week 2026 will feature conversations, panels, workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences designed around four days of programming:

Monday, October 19: Where Maine Industries Meet the Future

Explore how emerging technologies are reshaping industries that have long defined Maine, including the blue economy, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, the built environment, and more.

Tuesday, October 20: The Space Between Creativity (Art) and Technology

Artists, storytellers, designers, and technologists come together to examine how technology is changing what we create, how we create it, and how ideas reach and resonate with people.

Wednesday, October 21: Maine, Technology, and the Future of Work

Conversations about AI adoption, workforce development, education, investment, entrepreneurship, and the skills Maine will need as technology rapidly changes how we work.

Thursday, October 22: Emerging Voices and What Comes Next

A forward-looking day focused on the people building what comes next, including entrepreneurs, investors, emerging leaders, and new voices shaping Maine’s innovation economy.

Programming will feature leaders from across Maine and beyond. Highlights include Theo Balcomb, creator of The Daily at The New York Times and former senior editor at The Atlantic, in a conversation about storytelling, technology, and human attention; Dr. Beth Orcutt, Vice President for Research at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, exploring the intersection of Maine’s ocean economy and innovation; and Wade Merritt, President of the Maine International Trade Center, moderating a conversation exploring where Maine’s next global advantage may lie.

Additional speakers include Torey Penrod-Cambra, Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer of HighByte; Matt O’Malia, CEO of TimberHP, Nina Scheepers, Managing Director of Maine Venture Fund; Stephanie Roulic, Founder of Startup Boston; Austin Williams, Founding Director of the Maine Blue Economy Center at Maine Technology Institute; and leaders and innovators from organizations spanning healthcare, manufacturing, climate, agriculture, education, investment, technology, and the creative economy.

Sessions will tackle questions ranging from who owns AI inside established companies and how Maine prepares its workforce for rapidly evolving technology, to where Maine can compete globally, how technology is transforming the working waterfront and agriculture, and who gets to build, fund, and own the next generation of companies.

Hands-on programming will also return, including the 90-Minute AI Sprint, which challenges participants to bring a real-world problem and use AI tools to build a working solution during the session. No coding experience is required.

Evening events include networking at Oxbow Brewery on Monday, October 19th from 7pm to 9pm, an evening of art, film and creativity at the Portland Art Museum on Tuesday, October 20th sponsored by Black Math, and our annual closing party featuring some surprise musical guests at AURA on Thursday, October 22nd from 6pm to 9pm. Both events are open to the public.

Maine Tech Week 2026 is made possible through the generous support of Anchor Partner Wursta, along with partners Maine Technology Institute, Zayo, Maine Angels, CEI, CEI Ventures, Bangor Savings Bank, Canopy Portland Waterfront, Dirigo Fund, and Rallid. Their support helps bring together leaders, builders, creatives, students, and communities from across Maine and beyond, creating space for new ideas, meaningful connections, and cross-sector collaboration.

Who Should Attend: Entrepreneurs, business and industry leaders, technologists, engineers, designers, creatives, researchers, educators, students, investors, public-sector leaders, and anyone curious about how innovation is shaping Maine’s future.

GORHAM, ME – Now that it’s October, it’s Halloween time! Join Atlantic Dance Arts LLC Saturday, October 24th from 1-2:30 for our Annual Trunk or Treat! This is open to the community, so all ADA dancers, families, and friends are invited to participate!  *We are also happy to accept any candy donations!*

Dress up in your favorite costume and bring the whole family for an afternoon of candy, community, and fun! Our parking lot will be filled with decorated trunks, giveaways, a raffle table, and so much more.

Open to the public! Invite your friends and family to this free community event!

Best-decorated and Most Creative trunks win a special prize!

Costume Contest for kids and adults!

Raffle baskets

If you would like to host a trunk, sign up with ADA.

GORHAM, ME – For years, Trick or Trunk has been a fun way to connect with our community, but this year we’re excited to take that heart of connection and turn it into something even bigger, a LifeChurch Community Fall Festival!

We’re excited to bring neighbors and families together for a fun, welcoming day filled with fall activities, connection, and community. We can’t wait to celebrate with you and make this a special event for everyone!

GORHAM, ME – The Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF fundraiser is an annual Gorham High School Key Club initiative held throughout October where members collect donations to support global children’s programs. This year, the funds go toward Start Strong: Zambia, an initiative that builds early childhood learning centers, provides clean water, and trains healthcare workers. Clubs collect both cash using traditional orange boxes and digital donations via QR codes.

PORTLAND, ME – The need for blood is constant, and the American Red Cross urges people of all blood types to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now to help ensure patients continue to receive the care they depend on. The Red Cross supplies hospitals across the country with more than 6.5 million blood products each year, all made possible through the generosity of volunteer donors. Now is the time to step into the fall season with a lifesaving act.

Book a spot to give blood or platelets now. Visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App to schedule a donation appointment. Those who come to give Sept. 21-Oct. 18, 2026, will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice. See RedCrossBlood.org/Fall for details. Additionally, those who come to give Sept. 21-30, 2026, at Red Cross blood donation centers and mention the word “pickleball” to Red Cross staff or volunteers on-site can score a custom Red Cross pickleball paddle and ball (limited quantities available). Visit RedCrossBlood.org/FindADonationCenter for more information.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities Sept. 22-Oct. 6:

Cumberland

Bridgton

10/6/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bridgton Alliance Church, 368 Harrison Rd

Gorham

10/1/2026: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 299 Main Street

Scarborough

10/6/2026: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Martin’s Point Scarborough, 153 US -1

South Portland

10/6/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., American Legion Stewart P. Morrill Post 35, 413 Broadway

Standish

10/5/2026: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Gardenside Condo Association, 12 Gardenside Drive

Yarmouth

10/2/2026: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., American Legion Post 91, 196 Main St

GORHAM, ME – What a celebration! Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill Northern New England extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for the grand reopening of the Goodwill Northern New England Gorham store. Your support, smiles, and enthusiasm made this special occasion unforgettable!

Here’s to discovering new treasures, finding great deals, and many more years of serving the Gorham community.

GORHAM, ME – For years, Trick or Trunk has been a fun way to connect with our community, but this year we’re excited to take that heart of connection and turn it into something even bigger, a LifeChurch Community Fall Festival!

We’re excited to bring neighbors and families together for a fun, welcoming day filled with fall activities, connection, and community. We can’t wait to celebrate with you and make this a special event for everyone!

GORHAM, ME – The JB Music Org, an independent music funding organization dedicated to “breaking barriers forthe voices that deserve to be heard,” based in Gorham, ME announces its fall 2026 class of grant awardees. The cohort features three stand-out Maine talents: the alt R&B singer Angelikah Fahray and the hip-hop producer duo Y2Krazy.

Independent grant funding is core to The JB Music Org’s mission: uplifting incredible talent, creating unforgettable music, and elevating our communities. As an investment group, the organization’s unique funding model does not require any ownership or reciprocation from grant recipients.

“Each awardee is carefully selected. We prioritize artists that have an authentic voice and vision contributing positively to the culture,” says Jo Bacharach, Founder & CEO. “Our 2026 awardees represent the heart independent music.”

Awardees are chosen from a competitive pool of artists across the U.S. Applicants are evaluated on demonstrated commitment to their craft and alignment with the organization’s values. Grant applications are still open and accepted on a rolling basis.

With this latest round of 2026 awardees, The JB Music Org continues its commitment to transforming independent funding “one dollar at a time.”

Learn more about all our awardees here: thejbmusic.org/awardees.

GORHAM, ME – The USM Department of Theatre launches its ‘26-’27 season with a touring production of the musical The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, based on the wildly popular book by Rick Riordan. When teenager Percy Jackson discovers he’s a demigod, he and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods. Featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure.

This show, produced in collaboration with the Osher School of Music, marks USM Theatre’s first touring musical. USM Theatre Lecturer Danny Hutchins directs while Osher School of Music’s Faculty, Jeff Christmas, provides musical direction. Students from USM’s Theatre and Musical Theatre programs serve as performers, assistant director, choreographer, stage managers, and costume, scenic, and props designers. Danny Hutchins says that a touring production, “…has proven to be a fantastic learning opportunity for our students, which enables them to graduate with the flexibility, patience, and problem-solving skills to take a show on tour professionally.”

After kicking off at Russell Hall on the USM Gorham Campus September 25th-27th, the show will travel to Maine schools through December. The tour includes stops at Maddie’s Theatre at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, a community partner of the USM Department of Theatre.

Director Danny Hutchins says the show’s themes of coming of age, being yourself, finding your community, and overcoming obstacles bundled with the energy of the show make it perfect for all ages. “These themes are often the hardest for us to understand, and this story gives us an ability to grapple with them, all wrapped in a fantastical, high-energy, and hilarious package. The show is truly great for everyone from the young to the young-at-heart, and I am excited to see families enjoy the show together.”

The Lightning Thief: Theatre for Young Audiences Edition

The Percy Jackson Musical

A Touring Production in Collaboration with the Osher School of Music

Book by Joe Tracz

Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki

Adapted from the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Directed by Danny Hutchins

Musical Direction by Jeff Christmas

Russell Hall, USM Gorham Campus

September 25th at 7pm

September 26th at 11am & 3pm

September 27th at 11am & 3pm

Ticket Info

General Admission: $24

Senior 65+: $18

USM Faculty/Staff/Alumni: $18

USM Students & Non-USM Students: $10

Group rate: $10/person – for schools and community groups

Tickets available through PortTIX, the official ticketing agent of the USM Department of Theatre. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit PortTIX at: https://porttix.com/whats-on/a-monster-calls-usm/, call (207)842-0800, or in person at 400 Congress St., Suite A, Portland, ME. For more information on USM’s Department of Theatre events and programs, click here.

Group Reservations, Questions, & Special Accommodations

Contact Audience Services & Outreach Coordinator Janice Gardner at (207)780-5289 or janice.gardner@maine.edu. Hearing impaired: call USM’s telex / TDD number (207)780-5646.

Covu Fernandes (Grover), Benet Moholland (Percy Jackson), Kiki Belanger (Annabeth) in a recent rehearsal of The Lightning Thief. Photos by Kat Moraros Photography

FALMOUTH, ME – Join Maine State Ballet under the sea for this enchanting Hans Christian Andersen tale about a curious mermaid longing to leave her ocean home. The Little Mermaid comes to life with imaginative choreography and colorful costumes. Dive into the underwater world of mermaids, a sea witch, and playful sea creatures for a delightful afternoon at the ballet!

The ballet is staged by Artistic Director Janet Davis with choreography by Resident Choreographer Linda MacArthur Miele, costumes and scenery by Gail Csoboth, and light design by David Herrman.

Performance Schedule

Dates: Oct 9th-17th (Two weekends)

Venue:  Maine State Ballet’s Lopez Theater, 348 US Rt 1 Falmouth

Tickets: $25-36 with discounts for seniors & children at mainestateballet.org or 207-781-3587.