NEW GLOUCESTER, ME – Nationally recognized and award-winning Wabanaki artists will gather at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village for the Wabanaki Summer Market on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The annual gathering offers a rare opportunity to experience, appreciate, and engage with Wabanaki culture through the talents and perspectives of some of the best-known Wabanaki artists working today. Representing Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) communities, artists will share traditional knowledge and contemporary perspectives through brown ash and sweetgrass basketry, birch-bark work, woodcarving, beadwork, jewelry, and other art forms. Visitors can meet and learn directly from the artists and purchase their work, directly supporting Wabanaki makers and the continuation of these living traditions.

Demonstrations, music, storytelling, and cultural presentations throughout the day will highlight skills and knowledge carried across generations. Of particular importance is Wabanaki brown ash basketry, one of the region’s most distinctive artistic traditions. Today, the invasive emerald ash borer is destroying stands of brown ash across Maine, threatening the essential material Wabanaki basketmakers have relied upon for generations. The market provides an increasingly important opportunity to encounter this tradition through the artists who continue to practice, teach, and advance it.

First established at Shaker Village in 2009 as the Maine Native American Summer Market and Demonstration, the event has grown into one of southern Maine’s largest annual gatherings of Wabanaki artists. Developed in partnership with Wabanaki artists and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, the gathering reflects a much older relationship: for generations, Maine Shakers and Wabanaki people maintained connections through trade, craftsmanship, and personal exchange, including the exchange and sale of Wabanaki baskets and other handmade goods.

“What makes this day extraordinary is the opportunity to learn directly from Wabanaki artists themselves,” said Michael Graham, Director of Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village. “These are nationally recognized artists and tradition bearers whose work carries generations of knowledge while also expressing their individual creativity and perspectives. Shaker Village is honored to provide a gathering place where the public can meet these artists, experience their work, hear their stories, and directly support the traditions they are carrying forward.”

The Wabanaki Summer Market will be held rain or shine on Saturday, August 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester, Maine. Admission is free. Food trucks will be available for meals.

LEWISTON, ME – “I want to thank Norway Savings Bank for sponsoring The Public Theatre. Our recent season broke box office records and was our most successful to date,” said Adam Blais, Interim Executive Director of the Lewiston organization. “Together, we tell great stories, and our community responds.”

A highlight of the social and cultural life in central Maine, The Public Theatre in Lewiston attracts over 17,000 people each season with high-quality productions at an affordable price. The theatre has brought the spirit of Hollywood and Broadway to the Lewiston area since 1992 and thanks to a partnership with Actor’s Equity Association, it’s able to showcase some of the country’s best actors in its productions.

In addition, the organization’s education outreach programs have inspired meaningful learning in over 150,000 children, educators, and family members through free workshops, events, performances, and summer theatre camps.

“The Public Theatre is a beloved institution, not just in Lewiston, but across the state and region,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings. “I’m always amazed at how they manage to incorporate youth programming throughout the year as well as summer theatre camps to help build a connection to the arts in our young people. That education is invaluable.”

Norway Savings Bank made a $2,500 donation to The Public Theatre this month, and NSB’s contributions to the theatre have now eclipsed $32,000 over the last decade.

“The Public Theatre is revered by performers and crowds alike,” said Walsh. “NSB is honored to help preserve this cultural institution and the many connections made.”

To learn more about The Public Theatre, including ways you can help, visit www.thepublictheatre.org.

Barry DiLibero is the specialty pilot of the America One flag balloon and Flighthouse lighthouse balloon at this year’s festival!

Pilot DiLibero began his passion for ballooning in 1991 after his first balloon ride. Starting his adventures with a second-hand balloon, Pilot DiLibero fell in love with the craft of ballooning.

Pilot DiLibero now owns several custom balloons, with two making appearances at the festival this August. Pilot DiLibero mentions one of his favorite flights being over the Androscoggin River, landing both the America One and Patriot Balloon side by side on the water for a beautiful photograph shared in papers nationwide.

“Ballons aren’t powered by propane or butane or burners, they’re powered by magic.”

– Pilot DiLibero

Want to see pilot DiLibero and his epic specialty balloons? Come make memories at the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival August 21-23, 2026!

For more details about scheduling your very own balloon ride, email us at LABF@lewistonmaine.gov or visit laballoonfest.org. 

LEWISTON, ME – The 32nd Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival welcomes Team Fastrax Professional Skydiving Team for daily skydiving performances. Including jumps featuring the largest American flag ever flown under a parachute. These performances are made possible through a generous sponsorship from Debbie Bodwell of Guild Mortgage. Team Fastrax is scheduled to perform daily skydiving demonstrations from August 21st to 23rd during the festival at Simard-Payne Memorial Park, 46 Beech St., in Lewiston. Team Fastrax recently performed as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations. The Team’s appearance at the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival continues the festival’s “Red, White, and Balloons” theme, honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Team Fastrax has more than 40 active members with a combined total of more than 175,000 skydives. The team is known worldwide as “America’s Skydiving Team.” The team’s largest American flag measures more than 7,800 square feet and can be seen from more than 35 miles away when flown. To fully experience the festival, visitors can take a hot air balloon ride and see Lewiston-Auburn from above during one of the weekend’s scheduled launches. Balloon rides are available for purchase at www.laballoonfest.org and offer festivalgoers a memorable way to take part in the tradition that has defined the event for more than three decades. The Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival is free to attend, thanks to the support of event sponsors. The Team Fastrax skydiving performances are included at no additional charge. The Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival is Lewiston’s largest event of the year and one of the largest annual celebrations in Maine.

“The balloon festival is one of those rare events where the spectacle in the sky is matched by what happens on the ground with families spending time together amazed by the hot air balloons, residents discovering more about our city, and local businesses feeling the economic impact of one of Maine’s largest annual celebrations,” said City Administrator Bryan T. Kaenrath.

LEWISTON, ME – SeniorsPlus, the designated Area Agency on Aging serving Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties, invites the public to the grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new Encompass education and nutrition center from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, August 21, at 14 Mollison Way, Lewiston. The new building is adjacent to the main SeniorsPlus office at 8 Falcon Road. Parking is available and the building is accessible.

Refreshments will be provided by the Meals on Wheels kitchen staff from SeniorsPlus.

The event is free and open to the public.

Please RSVP so organizers can plan seating and refreshments. Kindly reply by Friday, August 14 by emailing bmcgough@seniorsplus.org, calling 207-795-4010, or at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/BCpz4u7Lmd.

The day’s program is as follows: 10 a.m., doors open; 10:15 a.m., speakers and special guests; 11 a.m., ribbon cutting ceremony; 11:15 a.m. to noon, reception, refreshments and building tours.

“The opening of the Encompass Center represents more than a new building—it represents our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of older adults and adults with disabilities in our community,” said Betsy Sawyer-Manter, President and CEO of SeniorsPlus. “From expanded meal production to confidential telehealth spaces and technology access, this center allows us to serve our neighbors with greater dignity, connection, and opportunity. We’re deeply grateful to our funders, donors, and community partners who made this vision a reality.”

Features of the new facility include the following:

Meal preparation and storage for more than 175,000 meals annually, benefiting 1,000 older adults and adults with disabilities in Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties annually;

Designated workspace for Nutrition staff and clients to convene to ensure confidentiality;

A pet food pantry to support Meals on Wheels clients with pets;

A social dining area with kitchen access, adjoining the education center;

Professionally-led adult learning classes and activities including book clubs, support groups and health promotion, exercise classes, etc., benefiting an estimated 400 clients annually;

Digital access and equity; and

An expanded education center with two “privacy pod” rooms to allow for telehealth, behavioral health, familial, and legal consultations.

The project is made possible through grants and the support of individual donors. Support has been received from Federal HUD CDS 2023,?Maine Connectivity Authority, Androscoggin County ARPA, Lewiston CDBG, Franklin County ARPA, and T-Mobile Hometown Grant; local businesses?Bangor Savings Bank,?Dirigo Federal Credit Union,?Daddy O’s?in Oxford and Mechanic Falls,?Calzolaio?in Wilton,?Lost Valley?in Auburn, and individual donors, staff, volunteers, and the SeniorsPlus board of directors.

Via grants from Maine Connectivity Authority and the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program, the project is rich in technology opportunities for the wider community. Digital elements include construction of privacy pods to allow confidential telehealth, behavioral health, legal and familial discussions. Digital educational offerings will enhance knowledge around cyber security and internet safety. Free Wi-Fi access and technology support will be offered with security and safety assured. SeniorsPlus has formed a partnership with The National Digital Equity Center, a collaboration that provides participants with the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge of technology and internet-based programs, thereby increasing their employability.

Join SeniorsPlus for an exciting milestone as they unveil the new Encompass Center—a space built to strengthen the community, support older adults, and open doors to new possibilities.

AUBURN, ME – The First Universalist Church of Auburn, Unitarian Universalist, will mark its 150th Anniversary on Sunday, September 20. The congregation and honored guests will gather to honor Auburn UU’s past, its present, and the future it wishes to build together.

“It’s humbling and inspiring,” remarks Board President Angela Foss, “to know that for 150 years people have gathered in this space to seek meaning, be in community, and work for a more just world. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone in our history, we also celebrate the vibrant congregation that lives out our Unitarian Universalist values every day. May our building and our people continue to inspire and serve our community for generations to come!”

Program of events

The festivities include a special worship service from 10am-12 noon. Rev. DC Fortune will lead a rededication to the denomination’s values, featuring luminary speakers. Rev. Johanna Nichols, the church’s first female minister, will speak about transitions in the congregation over time; Rev. Charlotte Lehmann will represent the many members who heard their call to ministry at Auburn UU and have become ordained pastors; Rev. Erica Baron, Congregational Life Consultant for the New England Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), will offer prayers; and Rev. Ashley Horan, UUA Vice President for Programs and Ministries, will speak on the role of the denomination in meeting this moment in history.

Acclaimed organist Phil House and beloved Choir Director Pam Weeks will offer music to befit the occasion. A reception and luncheon will follow. Guests will see captivating displays of historic materials, and take a tour of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 150th Anniversary Task Force has assembled an historical timeline of events in the spiritual community, including a collection of all 32 ministers who have served the congregation.

Inclusive faith

Since the early 1800s, Universalism in Central Maine has been a beacon for an inclusive faith, and commitment to liberal religious values, embracing a living tradition that continues to unfold. This celebration honors Auburn UU’s evolution in its historic church building, dedicated in 1876. The Unitarian Universalist covenant is centered in love, and expressed through the inseparable values of interdependence, pluralism, justice, transformation, generosity, and equity.

Inherent worth as radical idea

“Being a Universalist in the 1800s was fairly radical,” notes Rev. DC Fortune, “considering the popular understandings of Christian theology and doctrine at the time. Around the time our church building was dedicated in 1876, most doctrine viewed humans as utterly flawed and sinful. Conversely, Universalists argued that humans have the capacity to know right from wrong, acting in godly ways without threats or coercion,” says Fortune. “Our Universalist heritage calls us to value the inherent worth and dignity of all people.”

First Universalist Church of Auburn is located at 169 Pleasant St. (accessible entrance on Spring St. across from Dairy Joy). Parking available. FMI, call 783-0461, see www.auburn.org, or contact uuchurchauburn@gmail.com.

PORTLAND, ME – For only the second time in history, the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis — and patients may already be feeling the impact. Donors are asked to act immediately to help save lives.

Blood donations have fallen to a four-year summer low, worsening this season’s emergency blood shortage. All blood types are needed, but the situation is especially dire for type O blood as the Red Cross is now limiting distributions of these blood products to hospitals. The supply of type O positive blood has now dropped below a one-day supply.

Help end this crisis and stabilize the blood supply. Book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you, all who come to give by July 31 will receive a Fandango Movie Ticket by email (up to $15 ticket price and fees). See RedCrossBlood.org/July.

Additionally, those who come to give?Aug. 1-31, 2026, will receive a?$20 Amazon Gift Card by email.?For details, visit?RedCrossBlood.org/August.

Patients can’t wait

Despite thousands of people who have stepped up to help end the emergency blood shortage since it was declared earlier this month, donations are still not keeping pace with hospital demand, and the situation has escalated. Extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illnesses continue to contribute to lower donor turnout this summer.

“This summer has brought a number of unique challenges that have placed additional strain on our blood supply, creating growing concerns for hospitals and the patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions,” said Paul Sullivan, senior vice president of donor services for the Red Cross. “If just three more donors gave at each blood drive this summer, we could help the blood supply rebound and ensure hospitals have the blood products they need throughout the remainder of the season.”

Upcoming blood donation opportunities through Aug. 15: 

Androscoggin

Lewiston

8/10/2026: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bates College – Benjamin Mays Center, 95 Russell Street

LEWISTON, ME – The City of Lewiston calls on those who love this city to roll up their sleeves and become a Community Ambassador, a volunteer initiative designed to enhance and care for Lewiston’s parks and public spaces.

Community Ambassadors work alongside city staff and community partners to clean and beautify parks, support community events, welcome and assist people using public spaces, identify maintenance or safety concerns, and help neighborhoods draw attention to areas that need care. The new volunteer program gives residents a practical way to turn their pride in Lewiston into visible action.

“We are proud to announce this bold new initiative that builds community and helps Lewiston address some of its greatest challenges,” said City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath.  “When residents care for a park, lend a hand at an event or call attention to a public space that needs help, they strengthen Lewiston far beyond the hours they volunteer. As a Community Ambassador, you may give one afternoon or return throughout the year, but every act of service carries the same message: This city matters.”

“People who love Lewiston don’t just point out what needs attention; they step forward to help change it,” said Councilor Chrissy Noble, Ward 5. “I am proud to support the launch of this program as our Community Ambassadors will turn their pride in this city into action.”

The city welcomes individuals, families, students, neighborhood groups, businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations and civic groups to participate. Volunteers may serve regularly, select occasional projects that fit their schedules or organize a team through their workplace or community organization.

Parks and public spaces will provide the program’s starting point, but they will not limit its work. Community Ambassadors may participate in neighborhood beautification, seasonal cleanups, planting projects, community celebrations and other city-coordinated service activities that benefit Lewiston.

Ambassadors will receive notices about upcoming projects and may choose one-time assignments, recurring activities or projects in specific neighborhoods and areas of interest. The city will also work with community partners to identify locations and activities where volunteer support can make a meaningful difference.

Prospective ambassadors must complete a volunteer application and attend a one-hour orientation before accepting an assignment. The training will cover volunteer responsibilities, safe use of cleanup equipment, interaction with members of the public, the proper handling of litter and potentially hazardous materials, and procedures for reporting vandalism, damaged equipment, maintenance problems or safety concerns.

Adults who volunteer as a Community Ambassador must pass a background check. Volunteers ages 14 to 17 may enroll with written permission from a parent or legal guardian and must serve alongside a registered adult Ambassador. Children younger than 14 may participate in designated family service projects when accompanied and supervised by a parent or legal guardian.

Following the training, the City will host a Community Ambassadors Induction Ceremony on Thu., Aug. 6, from 11 AM to 3 PM at Kennedy Park, 120 Park St. During the ceremony, each new ambassador will receive an official Community Ambassador vest and add their autograph to the “We Show Up for Lewiston” commitment banner representing the shared promise to care for and strengthen the community. Family members and friends are invited to attend and celebrate the Ambassadors as they begin their service in Lewiston.

To apply, visit www.lewistonmaine.gov/CommunityAmbassadors or contact the program manager Joe Grochmal at 207-513-3121 or jgrochmal@lewistonmaine.gov.

 LEWISTON, ME – Following its survey in Lewiston last month, the Commission on Cancer (CoC) has granted accreditation status to the Cancer Care Center at CMMC through June 2027.

 The Cancer Care Center in Lewiston is one of only four in the state of Maine that has CoC accreditation.

 The commission cited the Center’s multidisciplinary approach, strong supportive services, excellent follow-up rates and high performance on several quality measures. The reviewer described CMMC as a “solid and dedicated program” that is committed to providing high-quality cancer care for our community.

 “I am incredibly proud of our cancer program team for their hard work, resilience and dedication throughout this process,” said Jessica Gironi, oncology accreditation manager at the Cancer Care Center. “The commitment to quality, patient-centered care and continuous improvement has been instrumental in our success. I would also like to thank the leadership team at CMMC which has provided valuable resources and helped strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional cancer care to the communities we serve.”

 The Cancer Care Center provides comprehensive cancer care services, all under one roof. It features a multidisciplinary team of oncology professionals and cares for patients from their diagnosis through treatment. It also offers state-of-the-art technology with two onsite linear accelerators for radiation oncology, an infusion center and a comforting, healing environment.

The Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival will be honoring America’s 250th anniversary with a patriotic “Red, White, and Balloons” theme!  

The 32nd annual Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival features patriotic specialty balloon shapes. The specialty ballons, known as American One and Flighthouse, flown by Barry DiLibero, will soar over the Androscoggin River this August.

Celebrate with a carnival, live music, and an extraordinary Maine summer weekend August 21-23, 2026.

For more details, email us at LABF@lewistonmaine.gov or visit laballoonfest.org. 

America One, the U.S. Flag Balloon, flown by pilot Barry DiLibero, is 53-feet tall, 78-feet wide, and 530 pounds! With a front-to-back depth of 29 feet, America One is a stunning mass to behold.