Meaty matters

The Curran Homestead gets to the meat of the matter this weekend when it raffles off a generous donation of 25 pounds of 100 percent all-natural lean beef cuts from A Wee Bit Farm in Orland. A Wee Bit Farm is home to Highland cattle, a traditional Scottish breed whose meat is renowned for its low-fat and low-cholesterol characteristics. The meat will be raffled off at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at the Curran Homestead and Living History Farm and Museum on Fields Pond Road in Orrington. The raffle will be preceded by a Halloween Celebration for kids and adults, which will feature hand-pressed cider and homemade doughnuts, a costume competition, a scavenger hunt, tractor rides and singalongs. Admission is $7 per family. Raffle tickets are $3 for one chance, $5 for two chances or $10 for five chances. For more information, call 745-4426. Check out www.aweebitfarm.com to order meat.

Pie oh my

The pie’s the limit this weekend and next, with two pie-baking contests set for Unity and for Brewer. The Unity Barn Raisers, in conjunction with its annual Harvest Community Supper set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, will hold a contest for bakers. The three categories for pie submissions include pies made from the UBR’s rules, a pie baked from all Maine ingredients, and a pie baked by those 16 years and younger. Interested bakers should submit their pies Friday, Oct. 31, or by 2 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Unity Community Center. Winners will receive prizes from the local community, and their pies will be served at the supper that night. For more, visit www.unitybarnraisers.org. The next weekend, Brewer Kiwanis also offers a pie contest, in conjunction with the Zonta’s Craft Fair at the Brewer Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 8. There are categories for home bakers ($5 entry fee), and for professional bakers ($25 entry fee), and all proceeds will be given to local charities. Pies must be dropped off between 8 and 9:30 a.m. at the auditorium on the day of the craft fair, and winners will be announced at 2 p.m. Gift baskets and award ribbons will be given to the top seven home bakers and top three professional bakers. For more, call 942-6310 ext. 110.

Grape opportunity

The Inn at Ocean’s Edge and The Edge Oceanfront Dining, in cooperation with Vias Imports Ltd., will host the first Wine Weekend Celebration on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at the restaurant and hotel on Route 1, Lincolnville. The weekend kicks off with a reception at 6 p.m. featuring three Italian Prosecco wines and hors d’oeuvres, as well as dinner selections from The Edge’s menu. At 3 p.m. Saturday there will be a wine seminar featuring 10 wines from six well-known wine-producing regions in Italy, with Michael Burke of Vias Imports speaking on the history of Italian wines. At 6 p.m. Saturday, a wine dinner featuring selections from Piemonte region in northern Italy will conclude the festivities. To make reservations, or to inquire about dinner and lodging packages, call 236-0945.