Join Opera House Arts for Open Mic in the lobby on Wednesday, October 1 from 6pm-8pm. We look forward to a fun night with Deer Isle and the Blue Hill Peninsula’s family of local artists. Enjoy delicious snacks from our concessions, have a drink or two, and enjoy the view of Stonington Harbor as you listen to local musicians!

Sign up here for up to a 10-minute or 3-song slot. Walk-ins also welcome, subject to availability.  

Workshop led by NGBH Executive Director Cathy Rees. A walk through the native gardens followed by a slide presentation on planting natives for outstanding fall color. We will talk about and view plants in flower and those we can expect to have spectacular fall foliage. We will also cover some suggestions about how to combine flowers and foliage for a vibrant fall season in the garden.

Suggested fee: $25. Sliding scale. The scale is intended to keep our workshops accessible while covering administrative costs. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Email info@ngbh.org with any questions.

This new Beginners Contra Dance series is a small, casual contra dance, suitable for newbies and experienced dancers alike! Dance or join in the open band with any instrument. $5 suggested, no charge for musicians. Chem-free event! 

These dances are generally 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month at the Surry Grange, 1229 Surry Rd. See calendar at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG  

This dance is part of the Surry Contra Dance series. Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for the full contra experience!

Join Native Gardens of Blue Hill to build and maintain the native gardens alongside experienced mentors. There are multiple projects to choose from, and volunteers and visitors are welcome!​

During this cozy evening class in the Adult Ed classroom, Jadyn will teach you to paint beautiful designs for your fall decorations. 

Click here to register or for more information, email gupham@su76.org, or phone 207-656-6262. 

Celebrate all things sardines with Penobscot Marine Museum!

Maine sardines were a huge part of coastal communities from the late 1800s through the early 2000s. PMM’s 2025-2026 exhibit Sardineland explores Maine’s sardine industry and its impact on people and communities. SardineFest will celebrate this lost industry with a variety of activities for people of all ages, including live music, food trucks, tastings, and more.

Free admission | Full schedule & details available here

Come hear hundreds of years worth of collective wit and literary imaginings as members of the group share poetry, memoir, fiction and snippets of daily life never before heard by the public.

Jay and Torsten Peterson will be the featured performers and hosts at Dolly’s Coffeehouse at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill.

Jay is a veteran of NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion and has performed on The Grand Ole Opry. His musical selections are mostly songs from bygone eras, the 30’s to the 60’s, in the realms of Classic Country to the Great American Songbook standards. Torsten has been dubbed “the Swedish Aretha Franklin” by a friend and fan. When not teaming up with Jay, Torsten is a member of The Misty Mountain Singers. Together, their repertoire ranges from the likes of Billie Holiday and Hank Williams to Sam Cooke and Amy Winehouse.

The first hour will be open mic, where anyone is welcome to perform: music, mime, poetry, dance, etc. Performers are requested to arrive a few minutes early to sign up. There will be a brief intermission with refreshments, followed by Jay and Torsten.

Donations benefit the Dolly Fisher Emergency Fund, which provides emergency fuel, food, and utility help for households on the Blue Hill Peninsula and informing the public about other available resources. This fun evening is for all ages and will be held downstairs in Fellowship Hall. Admission is by free will offering.

Juno Award-winning clarinetist Virginia MacDonald has established herself as a rising star of her generation, known for her lyrical and soulful clarinet playing. ng in her quartet are guitarist Dan Nicholas, and the long time rhythm axis of bassist Mark Lewandowsky and drummer Charles Gould. Tickets available.

Resident animals, stuffies, animal photos, and human family members are welcome to join the annual blessing at our community celebration of Francis of Assisi, the patron of ecology, creation and, people in need.

St. Francis by the Sea celebrates his day annually with our blessing of the animals inviting our entire community and animals under our care in a day when we enjoy the sounds of humans singing, dogs barking, cats meowing, birds singing, donkeys braying, cows mooing, chickens clucking, and sheep bleating all at once under the roof of a warm faith community that invites all to come from all walks of life, celebrating the joys and mysteries of love among all creatures great and small.

Participants and Schedule:

Friend Memorial Public Library – 1 Reach Road

There will be a fall-themed storytime and kids craft activity at 11. From 10-2 there will be a special book sale, lawn games, and a bounce house set up.

Brooklin Candy Co. – 103 Bay Road

Brooklin Candy Co. will be open 10-5 with in-store specials and sales, samples, a free raffle to win a dozen bagels, and a gift with every purchase.

Leaf & Anna – 12 Reach Road

Leaf & Anna will be open 10-5 offering 20% off storewide, a raffle, goody bags for the first fifty guests, as well as food and drink.

Bay Road Gallery – 103 Bay Road

Bay Road Gallery will be offering a variety of seasonal wreaths, knitted items, and visual meditations on natural history.

Grab your pencils and sharpen your minds! Join Chris Ross for a group crossword solve on the first Sunday of every month. All welcome. 

Free community meals are served in Jonathan Fisher Hall at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill year-round, except major holidays. All are welcome to eat in or take out.  There is never a charge, but a donation basket is available. Donations from individuals and businesses help sustain the program.

For more information, see Simmering Pot | Healthy Peninsula.

Multiflora will be installing a one week only magical + otherworldly plant-scape n the ephemeral show GREEN ROOM at Working Loose in Blue Hill. Join for the opening party on 10/6, but see the show through 10/11 to witness this transitory display and watch the installation wilt and evolve over the week!

The seasonal year end gathering of the Brooklin Garden Club will be a brown bag luncheon at the Eggemoggin School House on Little Deer Isle.

All are welcome, you do not have to be a member to attend, nor do you need a sponsor to join.  Anyone with a love of gardening or conservation is welcome. 

For more information contact Julie Boardman at jro51@aol.com.  

Grab your handwork* and enjoy some company in our lovely sun-soaked back room. Come right at 1:00, or drop in whenever you please. We're open until 4:00 on Tuesdays. *handwork is optional

Meghan Farrell with Multiflora with teach a class on the art of making Japanese moss-balls at Working Loose to encourage your own sculptural display of plants.

$50/person
all materials provided 
pre-registration required - register here

Monthly story time with hands-on activity. Fun for kids of all ages!

SPL hosts story time on the second Saturday of every month from 10-11am. Check our website or social media (@stoningtonpublicllibrary) for details, because we often go offsite to various island locations for story time.

Learn how to make sushi with Frederica Marshall and Herman Kidder. We will make both vegetarian and seafood sushi. For food safety, no raw seafood will be used in the workshop. Participants are recommended to bring a wooden spoon or shamoji (flat bamboo rice paddle).

There is no fee to participate in the workshop. Donations are welcome and go toward future Edible Island workshops. Registration is required. Contact SPL by phone, 367-5926, or email, stonington.public.library@gmail.com, to sign up.

All are welcome at the Surry Contra Dance!

6-7pm Community Dance: easy and fun family-friendly dances. Dance or join the Open Band! No charge, donations welcome.
7-10pm Contra Dance: all dances are instructed, no partner or experience is needed!

$15-$25 suggested, under 18s pay 1/2 their age. These dances are year-round, every 2nd Saturday of the month. Chem-free event!

See performer schedule and get more info at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG

Working Loose is thrilled to welcome back Brooksville’s own Estelle Poole (Is She?) along with Hamilton Belk (Warren, ME) and touring artist Jude Brothers (Santa Fe, NM) to kick off the first of their live music shows of the season.

Doors @ 6:30 \ Show @ 7pm
$20 tickets, available at Working Loose

Award-winning Maine singer-songwriter Chris Ross is a native of Hancock and 2014 winner of the "Songwriter of the Year" award at the New England Music Awards. Known for his cinematic lyrics and sharp humor, Ross' wit matches his musical talent. Tickets available.

Join Jonathan Fisher House of Blue Hill for activities, live music, and refreshments, bring your apples and other fruit to add to our community cider-pressing, and take a turn at the press at this free, outdoor, family-friendly event.

Pear and apple cider will be pressed on-site from the blue-ribbon winning pears planted by Jonathan Fisher as early as 1805, as well as apples from our orchard and donated fruit from around the peninsula. Leslie Cummins, who manages the historic orchard at the Fisher House along with Tim Seabrook, will be providing apple identification services, so bring your mystery fruit to see if she can give you answers!

Additionally, there will be guided tours of the reconstructed historic orchard, highlighting Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard twenty years ago based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map.

This event is open to the public and free of charge, though donations are always welcome to support the Fisher House.

After years of preparation and planning, the Bucksport Paper Mill Museum will be holding a Grand Opening event on Sunday, October 12, 1-4pm at 4 Mariner Way, Bucksport. The restoration crew has been hard at work, transforming the former mill gatehouse building into a museum celebrating Bucksport’s papermaking heritage.

The paper mill in Bucksport, Maine was built in 1930 and closed in December 2014. 

Items on display at the museum include historical photographs and artifacts from throughout the mill’s history. Educational displays will teach visitors about the history of the mill, how paper was made, and the people who were a part of the papermaking process. 

More information can be found here: https://www.bucksportmuseums.org/mill-museum-news/join-us-for-our-grand-opening-celebration

Visit and read with certified therapy dog, Tenny, on the second Tuesday of every month at 11am. His person, Jessica Shively, will bring him by SPL to meet some of our youngest patrons and their families. It’s a chance for kids to learn new ways of interacting with a dog and with each other in a (loosely) structured activity. Tenny is a 3 year old, 105 pound Great Pyrenees mix who grew up on the Maine coast. He loves love and sharing it with other people. His human, Jessica, moved to Stonington from Castine in the summer and spends her days beachcombing with Tenny and exploring new hiking trails. Follow Tennyand Jessica on Instagram.

Grab your handwork* and enjoy some company in our lovely sun-soaked back room. Come right at 1:00, or drop in whenever you please. We're open until 4:00 on Tuesdays. *handwork is optional

Get help from our volunteers with your laptop, tablet, Kindle or smartphone.

Drop-In Tech Help is available on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Our volunteers will not be able to service your device, but they will walk you through your problem and do their best to help you resolve it. Just bring your device and your questions. Sessions are first come, first served, and may be time-limited based on demand.

Survivors will share their experiences and provide tips on how to best help a loved one trapped in domestic abuse. Refreshments will be available.

Finding Our Voices is the grassroots nonprofit boldly breaking the silence of domestic abuse and providing meaningful resources to empower its sister-survivors. More information at

https://findingourvoices.net

This new Beginners Contra Dance series is a small, casual contra dance, suitable for newbies and experienced dancers alike! Dance or join in the open band with any instrument. $5 suggested, no charge for musicians. Chem-free event! 

These dances are generally 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month at the Surry Grange, 1229 Surry Rd. See calendar at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG  

This dance is part of the Surry Contra Dance series. Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for the full contra experience!

Join Native Gardens of Blue Hill to build and maintain the native gardens alongside experienced mentors. There are multiple projects to choose from, and volunteers and visitors are welcome!​

Celebrate fall with live music and dance at Reversing Falls Sanctuary. Serving beer, wine, cider, and tasty bites. $10-20 suggested donation to benefit Madison St. Marie and family after their total loss house fire in Blue Hill.

Free community meals are served in Jonathan Fisher Hall at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill year-round, except major holidays. All are welcome to eat in or take out.  There is never a charge, but a donation basket is available. Donations from individuals and businesses help sustain the program.

For more information, see Simmering Pot | Healthy Peninsula.

Grab your handwork* and enjoy some company in our lovely sun-soaked back room. Come right at 1:00, or drop in whenever you please. We're open until 4:00 on Tuesdays. *handwork is optional

Help Strong’s Public House & Patio celebrate fall and learn watercolor!

Water-colorist Liz True will be teaching you to paint maple leaves. Workshop includes everything you need to paint, beverages are extra. They encourage you to come early to dine then paint the evening away. 

Space is limited to 20. Tickets available here.

Free community meals are served in Jonathan Fisher Hall at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill year-round, except major holidays. All are welcome to eat in or take out.  There is never a charge, but a donation basket is available. Donations from individuals and businesses help sustain the program.

For more information, see Simmering Pot | Healthy Peninsula.

Reader’s Choice: Katherine Page

Monthly SPL book club that meets on Zoom.

James by Percival Everett

MILS catalog record

“When Jim hears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. This brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before.” – From cover jacket

Grab your handwork* and enjoy some company in our lovely sun-soaked back room. Come right at 1:00, or drop in whenever you please. We're open until 4:00 on Tuesdays. *handwork is optional

Get help from our volunteers with your laptop, tablet, Kindle or smartphone.

Drop-In Tech Help is available on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Our volunteers will not be able to service your device, but they will walk you through your problem and do their best to help you resolve it. Just bring your device and your questions. Sessions are first come, first served, and may be time-limited based on demand.

All are welcome to the Halloween Contra Dance Party! This special holiday event features remixed pop, rock & dance tunes, blacklights, a candy potluck, costume prizes and more! Chem-free event.

6-7pm Community Dance: easy and fun family-friendly dances to get you warmed up. No charge, donations welcome.
7-10pm Contra Dance. All dances are taught and no partner or experience is needed! $15-$25 suggested, under 18s pay 1/2 their age.

More info at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG

Free community meals are served in Jonathan Fisher Hall at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill year-round, except major holidays. All are welcome to eat in or take out.  There is never a charge, but a donation basket is available. Donations from individuals and businesses help sustain the program.

For more information, see Simmering Pot | Healthy Peninsula.

This new Beginners Contra Dance series is a small, casual contra dance, suitable for newbies and experienced dancers alike! Dance or join in the open band with any instrument. $5 suggested, no charge for musicians. Chem-free event! 

These dances are generally 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month at the Surry Grange, 1229 Surry Rd. See calendar at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG  

This dance is part of the Surry Contra Dance series. Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for the full contra experience!

All are welcome at the Surry Contra Dance!

6-7pm Community Dance: easy and fun family-friendly dances. Dance or join the Open Band! No charge, donations welcome.
7-10pm Contra Dance: all dances are instructed, no partner or experience is needed!

$15-$25 suggested, under 18s pay 1/2 their age. These dances are year-round, every 2nd Saturday of the month. Chem-free event!

See performer schedule and get more info at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG

This new Beginners Contra Dance series is a small, casual contra dance, suitable for newbies and experienced dancers alike! Dance or join in the open band with any instrument. $5 suggested, no charge for musicians. Chem-free event! 

These dances are generally 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month at the Surry Grange, 1229 Surry Rd. See calendar at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG  

This dance is part of the Surry Contra Dance series. Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for the full contra experience!

This new Beginners Contra Dance series is a small, casual contra dance, suitable for newbies and experienced dancers alike! Dance or join in the open band with any instrument. $5 suggested, no charge for musicians. Chem-free event! 

These dances are generally 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month at the Surry Grange, 1229 Surry Rd. See calendar at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG  

This dance is part of the Surry Contra Dance series. Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for the full contra experience!

All are welcome at the Surry Contra Dance!

6-7pm Community Dance: easy and fun family-friendly dances. Dance or join the Open Band! No charge, donations welcome.
7-10pm Contra Dance: all dances are instructed, no partner or experience is needed!

$15-$25 suggested, under 18s pay 1/2 their age. These dances are year-round, every 2nd Saturday of the month. Chem-free event!

See performer schedule and get more info at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG

This new Beginners Contra Dance series is a small, casual contra dance, suitable for newbies and experienced dancers alike! Dance or join in the open band with any instrument. $5 suggested, no charge for musicians. Chem-free event! 

These dances are generally 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursdays of the month at the Surry Grange, 1229 Surry Rd. See calendar at surrycontra.org or follow on FB / IG  

This dance is part of the Surry Contra Dance series. Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for the full contra experience!