Residents and visitors alike won’t want to miss the excitement of the Downeast Center Ring Circus Band, which will perform its annual waterfront concert from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, on the Bucksport waterfront.

Having heard, seen, laughed, clapped and tapped my toes to the delightful music and the fantastically original conducting of Gene Nichols, associate professor of music at the University of Maine at Machias, I can promise you an evening you won’t soon forget.

You will love it, and so will the kids.

It’s just one of the most entertaining evenings imaginable, and a lot of fun to boot.

Nichols, who also directs the Machias Community Band, was music director and bandleader of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus.

He has given a performance lecture on Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart at the University of Liege in Belgium; made three appearances with Camden pianist-composer Glenn Jenks in Seattle; and will tour Maine and Japan this fall with the New York Ragtime Orchestra.

You are urged to bring your own lawn chairs to the concert, and donations for a most-worthy cause will be graciously accepted.

The event is hosted by the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and Linda Plourde of the BBACC reports all funds raised will help sponsor music scholarships for area children.

“The scholarship cause is a good one,” Plourde wrote of the nine $100 scholarships for area music students that will be awarded this year.

In case of rain, the concert will take place at the Miles Lane School, off Broadway in Bucksport.

If you have questions about the concert that helps kick off the Fort Knox Bay Festival the following week or about making a scholarship donation, call the Chamber at 469-6818.

With 55 years of experience under their collective belts, you can bet the Orono-Old Town Kiwanis Charity auction is one not to be missed.

Gates open at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19, and at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at the Kiwanis Barn on Forest Avenue in Orono.

The auction begins at 7 each night and runs to midnight or until all items are sold.

You will find new and used goods as well as direct sales at the Toy Barn, Book Barn, Trash and Treasure House and the white goods Annex.

Steve Colburn and Jim Dill are co-chairmen of the event, which includes a pre-sale raffle.

Prizes include a Loon III kayak from Old Town Canoe, a Star Log Cabin queen-size quilt made and donated by Barbara Ross, a Trek 820 mountain bike donated by Rose Bicycle, a $150 gift certificate from Cyr Northstar Tours and a $100 gift certificate donated by Old Town Shop ‘n Save.

Raffle tickets can be purchased from any Kiwanian and will also be sold during the auction.

On behalf of the club, Kiwanis President Bruce Gram especially invites summer visitors and tourists to attend.

He promises you’ll enjoy the lively veteran auctioneers who work awfully hard to get you to bid your highest!

Refreshments from popcorn to hot dogs will be available, and a food sale will be held Saturday morning on the lawn of Merrill Merchants Bank in Orono.

Proceeds benefit Kiwanis charities and services in Orono and Old Town.

Lois Newcomb Rowe reminds all alumni of Nokomis High School in Newport that the Nokomis Alumni Reunion begins with registration at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the school.

While there is no charge to attend this event, a chicken barbecue will be served at 12:30 p.m. for $8 per person, or you can purchase hot dogs, hamburgers and fries from the Nokomis alumni lunch wagon.

Rowe reports entertainment will be available for children along with sporting events for alumni and, as expected, lots of reminiscing will take place.

The honored classes will be ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92 and ’97, “but we encourage all alumni to attend and bring their nostalgic pictures and-or memories to post on their class boards,” she wrote.

A social evening begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Sebasticook Valley Elks Club in Pittsfield, and will include class awards, a 50-50 raffle, a mini-auction for which donations are being accepted, plus appetizers and a cash bar.

A dance to deejay music begins at 9 p.m.

“We will be winding things up at 1 a.m.,” Rowe wrote of this event, which is $5 per person at the door.

You are asked to RSVP for the daytime event at alumnbni@msad48.org or by calling 234-2183 at least one week in advance.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.