Alton

‘Meet and Greet’ gathering

A “Meet and Greet” community gathering will be held 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the community center of the River of God Church on Route 43 in West Old Town.

Activities will include board games and snacks. The free gatherings are held the third Saturday of every month. For information, call Noah or Dustin at 827-5186.

Bangor

‘Nutcracker’ event

As the days turn from warm to winter, one of the much-anticipated fixtures of the season is poised to bring the romance of dance and music to the region. Join the Bangor Symphony and Robinson Ballet from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, at Borders, Bangor Mall Boulevard, to kick off the 22nd annual production of the “Nutcracker.” The event is free and open to the public.

The afternoon will be packed with entertainment. Bangor Symphony musicians will perform. Members of the Robinson Ballet in “Nutcracker” costume will be on hand. Flip the Clown will entertain customers with his balloon shapes of creatures and other objects. Participants may have their face painted with their favorite “Nutcracker” characters, and more.

WEZQ 92.9 will broadcast the event live. Receive a free Bangor Symphony compact disc with the purchase of “Nutcracker” tickets.

The Bangor Symphony Orchestra and Robinson Ballet will present Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” featuring the Bangor Area Children’s Choir, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Maine Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono, with music director and conductor Xiao-Lu Li.

The Bangor Symphony’s production is the only “Nutcracker” ballet presented with live music in central Maine.

“Nutcracker” has been a favorite for the past 22 years. Fifty dancers, including 24 children who study dance in local studios, will perform onstage to the music of Tchaikovsky.

Ticket prices range from $22 to $32. Senior and youth discounts are available. Tickets may be reserved at www.bangorsymphony.com or by calling the Bangor Symphony Orchestra box office at 942-5555, (800) 639-3221.

19th annual PICA auction

The 19th annual PICA auction has been scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19, in the College Center at University College of Bangor, 210 Texas Ave. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the live auction beginning around 4 p.m.

Local artisans and generous donors continue to offer items including sweatshop-free clothing, original artwork, holiday wreaths, cut-your-own-holiday-tree, pottery, bowls, lamps, books, notecards, yoga and dance lessons, Reiki treatment, gift certificates at many local restaurants and stores, seacoast weekends, a sailboat ride, canoe trip, cross-country skiing, plants, food, carpentry work and much more.

The day promises lots of fun, free food and beautiful music by Brian Dyer-Stewart.

A new item this year is the “Basket of 19” in celebration of the 19th auction on the 19th of November. A variety of 19 fair trade items valued at more than $130 will be raffled off at $1 per raffle ticket.

There will be opportunities to hear from Peace through Interamerican Community Action members recently returned from Bangor’s sister-city of Carasque, El Salvador, and to meet Sean Donahue, PICA’s new director.

Members encourage the public to bring a friend and come with their holiday gift lists in hand to buy everything they need at one-stop shopping that relieves holiday stress and supports the work of PICA and their friends in Carasque.

For information, call 947-4203.

Third annual art auction

The Bangor Art Society will hold its third annual Art Auction, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Union Street Brick Church. Admission price is $5, and includes refreshments, entertainment and a chance to win an original oil painting.

For information call Becky Rivers at 338-4463 or JoAnne Houlsen at 659-0063.

Kenduskeag Recital Series

Pianist Rebecca Penneys will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Kominsky Auditorium, Peabody Hall, as part of Husson College’s Kenduskeag Recital Series.

Her program will offer works by composers Chopin, Mozart, Ravel and Gershwin.

Penneys leads a distinguished career as a recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral soloist and teacher. She combines a busy concert schedule with guidance for an international class of students at Eastman School of Music and Chautauqua, and offers master classes and seminars worldwide. She has been professor of piano at Eastman since 1980 and leads the piano department at the Chautauqua Institution, where she has been a resident artist for 22 seasons.

Tickets are $15. For more information, call 941-7129.

EMCC open house

Eastern Maine Community College will hold its annual fall open house 9 a.m.-noon Friday, Nov. 18, at the Campus Center.

Short overview presentations will be offered every 15-20 minutes with many faculty members on hand to answer questions about specific programs and departments. Tours of the campus will be available with a number of programs providing presentations in the shop and lab areas.

To obtain more information, call 974-4680, (800) 286-9357 or visit www.emcc.edu.

Turkey donations

This year, Manna Inc. needs 4.500 turkeys to give to the needy throughout central Maine. Donations will be accepted through Thursday, Nov. 24.

Manna will collect turkeys. accept gift cards for turkeys and receive donations of cash which will purchase a bird for the table.

Those in need of a turkey will sign up with local food providers and soup kitchens, which will distribute the turkeys.

Last year, 4,000 turkeys were donated. For more information, call 990-2870. Manna is located at 629 Main St.

Opening reception

The Bennett Gallery will hold an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, for artists Ed Bagley and Daphne Daunt. Bagley and Daunt have lived, worked and shown art in Downeast Maine for the last six years.

The show will feature Daunt’s paintings and Bagley’s sculptures, prints and drawings. The gallery is located at 34 Central St. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 990-3710.

Bangor and Orono

Games program

The Maine Chapter of Children’s International Summer Village will present a program of games at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Orono Public Library and at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Bangor Public Library.

The games presented are intended to promote peace and tolerance for children ages 10-14. Information about upcoming Children’s International Summer Village programs will be available. Call 866-5060 or 947-8336 for more information.

Brewer

Big band dance

The sounds of the Big Band era will fill the hall 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Brewer Auditorium when the Skyliners present a swing dance.

The 16-member band will play songs from the Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, along with other favorites of the big band era.

Tickets are $5 per person and available at the Brewer Parks and Recreation Department office at the auditorium. Table reservations also may be made at the time of ticket purchase. Light refreshments will be served. Beverages containing alcohol will not be allowed at the event. For more information, call 989-5199.

Kiwanis news

Brewer Kiwanians held a casino at the Maine Association for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance fall conference in Rockport. Particpating in the event were Carlton King, Art Monk, Dusty and Ellen Fisher, Bill Newberry, Jessica Tilton, Wes Archer and Herb Hopkins.

Brewer High School physical education instructors Mark Savage and Cindy McLaughlin coordinated the event with the Kiwanis.

Nancy Golding, lieutenant governor for Division 3 of the New England District Kiwanis, inducted officers for: Kathleen Harding-Heber, president-elect; Herb Hopkins, secretary; Debbie Roy, treasurer; and Bill Newberry, past president. Bob Dion, Kim Hopkins, Art Monk, Patricia Largay, Deanna Gagner and Carlton King were elected as directors.

Brewer Kiwanis is planning a children’s Christmas party for the Brewer Head Start pupils on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the Brewer Auditorium.

Kiwanis members will ring the Salvation Army Bell in front of Brewer Marden’s on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Bill Newberry, Jane Newberry and Jessica Tilton will attend the New England District fall conference in North Conway, N.H., later this month.

Nancy Golding made her official visit to the club on Wednesday.

Photography exhibit

Portrait photographer Lee Sirabella, who is now partially retired, will hold a photo exhibit, “From Chemical to Electronic Images … 60 years” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Nov. 19-Dec. 19, at 11 Washington St., Brewer. A “claiming event” will be part of the exhibit. Subjects of portraits or their family members may claim photos by placing name and address on the their photos. In due time, Sirabella said, those photos will be given to the claimants at no charge. The portraits, he said, are mostly of children and go back 60 years. To obtain more information, call 989-4800.

Hampden

Shopping Expo

A One-Stop Shopping Expo will be held noon-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at St. Matthew’s Parish on Western Avenue. Holiday shoppers will learn about and sample products from local home-based businesses. Products include toys, books, rubber stamping and scrapbooking supplies, candles, and health and beauty products. Admission is free. Door prizes will be awarded. Refreshments and a gift-wrapping service will be available.

Donations to the Youth Pilgrimage to Canada 2006 will be accepted.

Old Town

Benefit meat raffle

A meat raffle to benefit the University of Maine cheerleading team will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Old Town Elks Lodge 1287, in the banquet room. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Bidding paddles are $1. Meat raffle items are rib-eye steak, turkey, sirloin strip steak, scallops and bacon, roast of beef and pork loin. Call 944-7833 for more information.