Housing Opportunities On the Peninsula (HOOP) will present housing planning strategies and designs, and host an open discussion about the future of housing on the Blue Hill Peninsula. The event is part of the ongoing efforts of HOOP, a volunteer-led collaboration of Blue Hill Peninsula towns to analyze, plan and support a pathway forward to increasing housing availability and accessibility for working people, families and seniors.

The presentation and discussion will be led by the planning consultancy CommunityScale and in partnership with Neighbor Architects (housing design), Levine Planning Strategies (Maine policy experts), and the Hancock County Planning Commission. The evening will include a display of strategies for targeting municipal housing needs, model designs for several different housing types, and the opportunity to provide feedback and have additional conversation.

HOOP was formed in 2025 as part of a Municipal Housing Grant through the Maine Office of Community Affairs. To learn more about the work that has been done to date, and to subscribe to receive updates on this initiative, please visit www.hoopmaine.org/.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Ms. Jen for a STEAM Storytime Series at the Blue Hill Public Library on Thursday, September 3 at 10:30 a.m. For the final session in the series, participants will explore magnets and magnetism by connecting them to stories and fun activities. In addition to books and songs, participants will experiment with how magnets attract and repel and what materials are magnetic. For more information, contact Early Childhood Librarian Jen at jen.rosenthal@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515. This program was made possible by gifts from generous donors.

In an effort to maintain our French language skills, Library Director Rich Boulet and volunteer Natalie Moses will host French Roast, a weekly in-person French language conversation group that meets every Thursday at the Blue Hill Public Library.  Refreshments will be served, and this program is free and open to all. For more information, please contact Rich at rboulet@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

The Blue Hill Chess Enthusiasts meet each Thursday evening for pick-up games of chess at the Blue Hill Public Library. All experience levels are welcome to drop in for friendly games any time between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Interested players can also join the Blue Hill Peninsula Chess Nuts group on lichess.org to play online games any time. This free program is sponsored by the library. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Knitters are invited to come sit by the fireplace at the Blue Hill Public Library to work on and share projects with fellow knitters. The Knitting Group meets every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend this free event. Coffee and tea will be available to purchase. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Come sing your heart out! Singing hymns together is all about connection, nostalgia, and fun. Whether you sing like an angel or only in the shower, your voice is welcome here.

Some of Downeast Maine’s finest folk musicians are holding a series of concerts at a great venue his summer raising funds for local nonprofit organizations doing vital work boosting community health and resilience. This last benefit of the summer is for H.O.M.E. Inc. and will feature the Birds on a Wire Ensemble along with local fiddle tunes & songs with Geoff Warner & Carl Karush. Come join the fun for a worthy cause! Generous Donations at the door accepted. homeincme.org.geoffdw99@gmail.com. 207-469-8110.

The Blue Hill Public Library is sponsoring a talk with Haystack Mountain School’s Executive Director Perry Price on Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate Haystack’s 75-year anniversary.  Price will present Haystack’s history by sharing archived materials and one-of-a-kind objects to share the story of the school’s impact and role in craft education. The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an international craft school located on the Atlantic Ocean in Deer Isle, Maine. Perry Price is the fifth Executive Director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, beginning his tenure in January 2023. For more information, please contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515. For more information on Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, please visit their website at https://www.haystack-mtn.org/.

The public is invited to join the family of Caroline Rittenhouse and the Stonington Public Library on Friday, September 4 from 3:00-4:00 for a reading and reception to celebrate Maine women and the life, passion, and writing of Rittenhouse. The event is free to the public and refreshments will be provided.

The Lives of Strong Stonington Women: A Reading Featuring the Works of Caroline Smith Rittenhouse will feature a reading by family and friends of Rittenhouse from An Island Woman: Salome Sylvester Sellers, which highlights the history of strong Maine women on the island in honor of Rittenhouse and her contributions to documenting the history of Deer Isle and its residents. 

The Gallery Within at Reversing Falls Sanctuary will open its exhibition, WOOD/METAL, on Sept 4. This exhibition of sculpture, carving, turning and assemblage showcases rugged materials transformed into works of precision and beauty. Featuring artists Dan Schimmel, Tonyia Peasley, Richard Merrill, Justin Franklin, Randy Barker, Susan Merrill, Daksha Baumann, Jan Warren, and Tanya Washburn.

The Blue Hill Public Library will present a new art show titled “Color!” --a collaboration between painters Jill Finsen,Walter Smalling, and ceramicist Susan Finsen. The public is invited to a reception with the artists on Friday, September 4, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The three Blue Hill Peninsula artists hope to spur observers to consider how deeply color influences what we see, remember, and enjoy. They say it can energize us, calm us, make us curious, and make us smile. The show will be available for viewing starting September 2, subject to the Howard Room meeting schedule. For more information, contact the library at 374-5515.

The Sedgwick Village Library is open on Saturdays from 8am to 11am. Come out to peruse books on Maine topics and authors. Coffee and donuts will be served. Meet your neighbors and friends. See you there. 45 Main Street, Sedgwick.

Join us for a special celebration, marking the The Good Life Center’s designation on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. It will feature garden tours, food, music, and speaker: Noel Paul Stookey- musician, activist, and member of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary.

Three crack of a cowbell and the music erupts. Join us for Music, Dancing, Food Trucks and Socializing.

Monday evenings 7:30pm to 9pm, from Memorial Day through Labor Day at Blue Hill town park and various locations throughout Downeast Maine.

Community pan dances are free. Donations are collect to benefit various local charities.

See our website for the official flyer with dates, locations, times and information for rain venues Flashinthepans.org.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Youth Services Librarian Claire at the Blue Hill Public Library for preschool storytime on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  We will read a few picture books, sing songs, and make a craft.  This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area, read stories, and spend time together. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.

On Tuesday, September 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., teens ages 13+ are invited to come play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) at the Blue Hill Public Library with Dungeon Master Erich Bensheimer for the continuation of a D&D campaign full of adventure, magic, and intrigue. For this "Session 0," returning players and new players will meet to update their characters or create new ones, get caught up on the story, learn the rules and expectations for the game, and learn how this season of playing will work. After Session 0, teens who are registered will be able to play twice a month in one of two groups. Pizza and beverages will be provided. This program is free and sponsored by the library thanks to the Friends of the Library. Space is limited so registration is required and can be completed www.bhpl.net. For more information, contact Teen Services Librarian Kendall Chapman at kendall.chapman@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Join Sedgwick artist Leslie Anderson for a fun, three-hour exploration of outdoor landscape painting, what the French call "en plein air," at BHHT's Caterpillar Hill overlook. Painting the landscape can be overwhelming, and this workshop will help you choose a focal point by using a viewfinder, refine your composition through thumbnail sketches, and produce a finished painting in three hours using big brushes.

Participants should have some experience in plein air painting. Materials list will be sent to participants in advance of the program. This event is free but space is limited to 8 painters. Registration is required. Sign up here.

Kids 0-5 and their caregivers are invited to playgroup in the Blue Hill town park with Youth Services Librarian Claire Malina on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m.- noon for a variety of activities and play. This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area and to play together outdoors!  We will meet at the park in most weather:however, if it is raining, playgroup will take place in the Howard Room of the Blue Hill Public Library. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net.

In an effort to maintain our French language skills, Library Director Rich Boulet and volunteer Natalie Moses will host French Roast, a weekly in-person French language conversation group that meets every Thursday at the Blue Hill Public Library.  Refreshments will be served, and this program is free and open to all. For more information, please contact Rich at rboulet@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

The Blue Hill Chess Enthusiasts meet each Thursday evening for pick-up games of chess at the Blue Hill Public Library. All experience levels are welcome to drop in for friendly games any time between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Interested players can also join the Blue Hill Peninsula Chess Nuts group on lichess.org to play online games any time. This free program is sponsored by the library. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Knitters are invited to come sit by the fireplace at the Blue Hill Public Library to work on and share projects with fellow knitters. The Knitting Group meets every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend this free event. Coffee and tea will be available to purchase. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Join and play in the Duane B. Gray ’64 Memorial Golf Tournament and support George Stevens Academy students! This popular tournament brings together community members of all ages in memory of Duane and all proceeds support the GSA Annual Fund. Spaces are limited, secure your spot today! 

A Priceless Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, September 12, 9am - 12 noon, at the Brooksville United Methodist Church, 713 Coastal Rd., to benefit the restoration project for the Brooksville Community Center. For over 20 years the yard sales have funded projects and needs of the community. The sale is Priceless because there are no price tags. The customer decides the price and the customer is always right. Shoppers can get what they want or need at an affordable price. There is no yard! Inside the church fellowship room, rain or shine.

Guide to the Stars, a star party with many astronomers and fun events
4pm Solar Telescope Viewing
5pm Food Truck or Dinner at Lookout Inn (Reservations recommended say - Dark Sky Maine special)
6pm Campfire Chats
7pm Loose Cannon Jug Band
8pm Guide to the Stars with astronomers
8:30 Telescope viewing
Dance Under the Stars with Loose Cannon Jug Band
Pugnuts Ice Cream
Raffle with Patagonia Gear

Loving and Leaving the Good Life. Helen Nearing's last full book, Loving and Leaving the Good Life (1992), insists that how we live and how we die are not separate questions. Kate Braestrup has spent her life walking alongside people in their hardest moments and arriving at something like the same conclusion. In this talk, she will reflect on grief, presence, and what it means to face mortality.

https://goodlife.org/event/loving-and-leaving-the-good-life-2026

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Ms. Jen for Music and Movement Storytime at 10:30 a.m. We will sing songs, play instruments, dance, and read stories. The rhythms, rhymes, and patterns in music and the use of musical instruments provide fun ways to practice skills that have a direct connection with early literacy. This program will share a selection of the many children’s books and stories that have connections with music, sound, and movement. For more information, contact Early Childhood Librarian Jen at jen.rosenthal@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Youth Services Librarian Claire at the Blue Hill Public Library for preschool storytime on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  We will read a few picture books, sing songs, and make a craft.  This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area, read stories, and spend time together. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.

The Friend Memorial Public Library in Brooklin (1 Reach Road) hosts a Mystery Book Group, next meeting Tuesday 9/15 from 1 to 2 p.m. This month we will be reading "The Smiler with the Knife" by Nicholas Blake, a mystery crime thriller! Anyone is welcome to join! friendml.org

Kids 0-5 and their caregivers are invited to playgroup in the Blue Hill town park with Youth Services Librarian Claire Malina on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m.- noon for a variety of activities and play. This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area and to play together outdoors!  We will meet at the park in most weather:however, if it is raining, playgroup will take place in the Howard Room of the Blue Hill Public Library. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net.

In an effort to maintain our French language skills, Library Director Rich Boulet and volunteer Natalie Moses will host French Roast, a weekly in-person French language conversation group that meets every Thursday at the Blue Hill Public Library.  Refreshments will be served, and this program is free and open to all. For more information, please contact Rich at rboulet@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

The Blue Hill Chess Enthusiasts meet each Thursday evening for pick-up games of chess at the Blue Hill Public Library. All experience levels are welcome to drop in for friendly games any time between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Interested players can also join the Blue Hill Peninsula Chess Nuts group on lichess.org to play online games any time. This free program is sponsored by the library. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Knitters are invited to come sit by the fireplace at the Blue Hill Public Library to work on and share projects with fellow knitters. The Knitting Group meets every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend this free event. Coffee and tea will be available to purchase. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Come sing your heart out! Singing hymns together is all about connection, nostalgia, and fun. Whether you sing like an angel or only in the shower, your voice is welcome here.

Pizza Night with Hearth & Soul Oven Pizza at St Francis By the Sea Epsicopal Church. All are welcome.

Celebrate Maine Coastal Cleanup month with the Shaw Institute and Blue Hill Heritage Trust. All community members are welcome to participate. Bags and gloves will be provided. Please note that trails and shoreline areas have varied terrain. Participants are advised to dress appropriately for both the outdoor weather and the tasks involved. Rain date: Sunday, September 20. No registration required.

For additional details or inquiries, please contact:
BHHT Office: (207)374-5118
Shaw Institute: info@shawinstitute.org or (207) 374-2135

Tickets are now on sale for a September 20th concert featuring Maine - based singer songwriter Caroline Cotter at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill. Proceeds from the concert benefit the Dolly Fisher Emergency Fund, which, since 2008, has provided food, heating, and utility bill assistance for folks on the Blue Hill Peninsula. Cotter has played more than a thousand shows in 46 states and 19 countries, sharing songs that honor the countless ways we celebrate our humanity - through connection, nostalgia, gratitude, loss, and wanderlust. Her live performances are, in a word, amazing. Get tickets at carolinecotter.com/shows.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Ms. Jen for Music and Movement Storytime at 10:30 a.m. We will sing songs, play instruments, dance, and read stories. The rhythms, rhymes, and patterns in music and the use of musical instruments provide fun ways to practice skills that have a direct connection with early literacy. This program will share a selection of the many children’s books and stories that have connections with music, sound, and movement. For more information, contact Early Childhood Librarian Jen at jen.rosenthal@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Birds across Maine are changing in surprising ways. Zachary Holderby, Vice President of Downeast Audubon Society, will share how our changing environment is influencing the birds that call Maine home.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Youth Services Librarian Claire at the Blue Hill Public Library for preschool storytime on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  We will read a few picture books, sing songs, and make a craft.  This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area, read stories, and spend time together. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.

The library and the Blue Hill YMCA will bring storytime to the Y! Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Ms. Jen at the YMCA on Wednesday, August 19 at 10:30 a.m. Participants will sing songs, read stories, join group movement activities followed by a fun obstacle course and then open gym where kids and families can play and connect. The program starts upstairs in Classroom Two. This program is free and you do not need a YMCA membership to attend.  For more information, contact Early Childhood Librarian Jen at jen.rosenthal@bhpl.net or 374-5515. This program was made possible by gifts from generous donors.

In an effort to maintain our French language skills, Library Director Rich Boulet and volunteer Natalie Moses will host French Roast, a weekly in-person French language conversation group that meets every Thursday at the Blue Hill Public Library.  Refreshments will be served, and this program is free and open to all. For more information, please contact Rich at rboulet@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

The Blue Hill Chess Enthusiasts meet each Thursday evening for pick-up games of chess at the Blue Hill Public Library. All experience levels are welcome to drop in for friendly games any time between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. Interested players can also join the Blue Hill Peninsula Chess Nuts group on lichess.org to play online games any time. This free program is sponsored by the library. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Knitters are invited to come sit by the fireplace at the Blue Hill Public Library to work on and share projects with fellow knitters. The Knitting Group meets every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend this free event. Coffee and tea will be available to purchase. If you have any questions, contact Assistant Director Kayleigh at kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Leslie Cummins and Tim Seabrook, along with volunteers Torrey Luker and Cori Carter, will guide visitors through the reconstructed historic orchard at the Fisher House at 44 Mines Rd. in Blue Hill, and discuss Fisher’s original design and planting, as well as the process of re-establishing the orchard based on the documented apple varieties from Fisher’s original orchard map. Tours are free from 1-4 PM, though donations to support the Fisher House are welcome. FMI 374-2459.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Ms. Jen for Music and Movement Storytime at 10:30 a.m. We will sing songs, play instruments, dance, and read stories. The rhythms, rhymes, and patterns in music and the use of musical instruments provide fun ways to practice skills that have a direct connection with early literacy. This program will share a selection of the many children’s books and stories that have connections with music, sound, and movement. For more information, contact Early Childhood Librarian Jen at jen.rosenthal@bhpl.net or 374-5515.

Preschool kids and their caregivers are invited to join Youth Services Librarian Claire at the Blue Hill Public Library for preschool storytime on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  We will read a few picture books, sing songs, and make a craft.  This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area, read stories, and spend time together. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.

Kids 0-5 and their caregivers are invited to playgroup in the Blue Hill town park with Youth Services Librarian Claire Malina on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m.- noon for a variety of activities and play. This is a great way to meet and connect with other families in the area and to play together outdoors!  We will meet at the park in most weather:however, if it is raining, playgroup will take place in the Howard Room of the Blue Hill Public Library. For more information, contact Claire at claire.malina@bhpl.net.

Free, PMM’s Main Street Gallery

Sing along or listen as PMM staff and volunteers lead an afternoon of sea chanteys and sailors’ songs. If you have a chantey to share, you are welcome to lead one. There will also information about how these songs were used as work songs. Attend once or come regularly. All ages are welcome, and no experience is needed.
www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org