Bangor

Ecumenical hymn festival

The Bangor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will present an ecumenical hymn festival at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 255 French St.

The festival will feature performances by members of the guild of works for organ-based hymn tunes from various traditions. Each work will be followed by the congregational singing of the associated hymn. Also featured will be performances by recent winners of the guild’s scholarship awards. Admission is free and open to the public.

The American Guild of Organists is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. The guild serves some 20,000 members in 330 chapters in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the guild seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music.

Pops Night

The Bangor High School Music Boosters will sponsor Pops Night at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 2, at Bangor High School. The event will feature the BHS Jazz Choir, BHS Jazz Band, BHS Fiddlers, Bangor Fiddlers, Cohen Middle School Jazz Band, Doughty Middle School Jazz Band and soloists. Food and a silent auction also will be part of the festivities.

Spring Fling

Grace United Methodist Church will sponsor a Spring Fling craft fair, bake sale, dolls, luncheon and take-out baked bean supper 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the church.

Four doll vendors with six tables of old and new dolls and doll clothes will be available for sale.

Church members will offer crafts, Rada cutlery, houseplants and seedlings, knitted items, jewelry and more than 40 theme baskets such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, wedding, baby, graduation, gardening, pets, tea for two and much more.

A chicken salad plate luncheon with fruit, dessert and beverage will be available for $6.

The takeout supper with a choice of two kinds of beans, coleslaw, homemade biscuit and a brownie costs $6.

For information, call 942-8320.

City clean-up

The ninth annual Camp Bangor Citywide Cleanup will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3. The cleanup is open for public participation. Camp Bangor children and their families are encouraged to take part to meet the program’s community service requirement.

Participants should show up at any of the city locations listed below where team leaders will be waiting with garbage bags, gloves and directions. After the cleanup, a barbecue for volunteers will be held at 11:30 a.m. at Stillwater Park on Howard Street in Bangor. The food is free.

The cleanup is sponsored jointly by United Way of Eastern Maine, the city of Bangor and Keep Bangor Beautiful. The event is supported by several area businesses, including Pepsi Bottling Co. of Hampden, Sam’s Club, Flicks Food Services, W.A. Bean, Lincoln Rental and Penobscot Job Corps.

The Camp Bangor Program offers a summer camp scholarship to Bangor Public School children enrolled in grades three through six. In order to receive the scholarship, each child must complete some form of volunteer work.

These parks and city locations will be cleaned: Fairmount Park, Hayford Park, Doughty School yard, Mary Snow School, Fruit Street School parking lot, Chapin Park, Broadway Park, Little City Park, Stillwater Park, Essex Woods, Downeast School yard, Capehart, Prentiss Woods and Brown Woods.

Team leaders still are being sought for the cleanup. For information, call Sara Yasner at 941-2800.

Open house, ceremony

Congregation Beth El invites the community to attend its open house and rededication ceremony at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 4.

After a capital campaign, Beth El recently completed an extensive renovation of its historic building. The building has been Beth El’s home for 13 years and was in dire need of repairs to all its systems. Additionally, the existing structure was not suitable to Beth El’s growing membership.

The new building has a refurbished sanctuary, larger reception area, handicap-accessible bathrooms, a larger kitchen and updated classrooms for religious school.

Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the building, listen to traditional Jewish music and enjoy refreshments.

Congregation Beth El is an open, welcoming and inclusive reform congregation at 183 French St. in Bangor. For information about Beth El, call 945-4578 or visit the www.me002.uri.net.

Camera Club

The Eastern Maine Camera Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at the Bangor Parks and Recreation Building, 647 Main St. Gina Platt, education director at the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor, will be the guest speaker. Her topic will be “Photographing Historic House Interiors.”

Platt is a graduate of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. After a stint as a photographer out on the road in Texas, Oregon and New York, Platt returned to Maine and helped found The Bakery Photographic Collective, an organization run by its members in the Portland area.

Platt’s work combines her love of photography and history by exploring a contemporary, photographic perspective of preserved, domestic places.

Beth El book fair

Congregation Beth El invites the community to its Book Fair during regular business hours Sunday, May 4, through Sunday, May 18, at the temple, 183 French St. Choose from books, movies, software and music. Some of the classics also will be available. Selections will include movies with a Jewish theme and books featuring Jewish themes in humor, fiction, mystery and history. For information, call 945-4578.

Brewer

Benefit dance

Put on your dancing shoes. It’s Dance May-nia. Get ready for a fun-filled evening of music, dancing and appetizers set for 7-11 p.m. Friday, May 16, at the Muddy Rudder. Tickets are $15 or two for $25. Reserve a table for eight for $100.

Back Door Dance Company will be on hand to provide free dance lessons, with DJ Mike Dow in charge of dance music.

Dance May-nia is sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, Sutherland Weston Communications, HRH Insurance and St. Joseph Healthcare. Proceeds benefit the Penquis Breast and Cervical Health Program providing breast and cervical cancer education and outreach to woman in eastern Maine. The Penquis Breast and Cervical Health Program is a program of the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program.

Call 974-2402 to reserve tickets or visit www.penquis.org for information. Space is limited, advance ticket purchase is recommended.

Spring Fashion Show

The Bangor Y Interact Club, sponsored by the Bangor Breakfast Rotary, will hold its Spring Fashion Show at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Jeff’s Catering, 15 Littlefield Way.

The fashion show will feature clothing from Bella Luna located in downtown Bangor. Proceeds will benefit Product RED, which contributes to the Global Fund. Project RED provides assistance to women and children affected by AIDS. Visit http://joinred.com for information.

Admission to the fashion show is $15 and includes refreshments, entertainment and access to raffle items donated by area businesses. Tickets are available at the Bangor Y.

Interact Leaders are a group of high school students from the Bangor area who work to make a difference in the community, network with local businesses and gain leadership experience.

For information, call Jessica Bishop at 941-2808 or e-mail jbishop@bangorY.org.

Eddington

Variety show performers

Ruth Perry and Sue Shane are seeking people with talent to participate in the fifth annual Variety Show.

The show will take place at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Comins Hall. Those interested in joining the roster of performers should call Ruth Perry at 843-5132 or Sue Shane at 843-6669 no later than Friday, May 2.

Orland

Benefit concert

The Maine-ly Music Chorus will perform a concert at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Orland Consolidated School gymnasium. Admission is by donation and benefits Dan and Vicky Michaud. Door prizes will be awarded and 50-50 raffle conducted. The event is sponsored by the River City Harmonizers.

Old Town

Baby item drive, shower

St. James’ Episcopal Church is sponsoring a baby item necessity drive and baby shower on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11. The event will benefit Crossroads Ministries in Old Town.

The public is asked to donate diapers, training pants, baby wipes, baby shampoo, powder, lotion, diaper rash cream, formula, baby cereal, receiving blankets, baby bath towels, wash cloths, burp cloths, sleepers, onesies and baby socks.

“The project began in May 2006 and has grown the past two years,” said Paula Baines, church outreach committee chairwoman. “This will be the third consecutive year for the baby necessity collection. Church members have a lot of fun shopping for items. Last year, children carried baskets of diapers and other baby necessities to the altar as part of the Sunday offertory. Children as young as 3 years old took part in presenting items for the blessing during our Sunday Eucharist.”

Morning Eucharist will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 11, at the church.

Community members may drop off donated baby items from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 11, at the church.

For information, call Baines at 947-0087.

Orono

Rotary charity auction

The Old Town Rotary Club will hold its second annual Charity Auction on Thursday, May 1, at the Black Bear Inn in Orono. A variety of merchandise items, handcrafted items, services and vacation and recreation opportunities will be available for bid.

Proceeds will benefit the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association, Penobscot Community Health Care and other rotary charities.

The evening will start with a lasagna supper 5-6 p.m. The live auction will run 6:30-9 p.m., and the Rev. Bob Carlson will serve as celebrity auctioneer.

A silent auction, a blind auction, a variety of door prizes and a bingo-type card game with a Red Sox jacket as the grand prize also will be available.

The cost to attend the auction is $15 per person. Tickets are available at Carl’s Barber Shop, Cyr Northstar Tours and Gossamer Press, all in Old Town, or at the door.

Items to be auctioned include two handmade lamps made from a propeller and a meat grinder, Old Town Loon kayaks, a week in a three-bedroom camp on East Grand Lake, handmade cribbage boards, an Old Town Rotary Club work party, skybox tickets to UMaine hockey games, a Northern Outdoors weekend for two, a homemade pie per month for a year, a gallon of milk per week for a year, clothing, furniture and many gift items.

Services to be auctioned off include development sign evaluation and septic system design, estate services, legal services, house appraisal, house inspection of air, water and radon testing, lube and oil change, and lawn mowing for the season.

Maine Youth Fish and Game Association uses fishing to offer positive alternatives to drug use, motivation, communication, self-esteem building, responsibility, positive role models, the ability to overcome peer pressure, good problem-solving and decision-making skills, and improved family interaction.

Last year’s auction raised more than $18,000 for the Old Town Save the Pool fund.

Orono-Bangor

A walk in forest and bog

Penobscot Valley Pathways, a group that encourages area residents to enjoy the many public walking trails in the community, will conduct a public walk in Bangor City Forest and Orono Bog Boardwalk 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 4. Guided tours will be given at 2, 2:30, 3 and 3:30 p.m. The walk is suitable for beginners.

Participants are advised to wear clothing appropriate for the weather of the day. Trails may be wet and proper footwear is suggested.

After the walk, there will be an informal gathering at the Sea Dog Restaurant where walk participants may redeem 10 percent discount coupons that will be distributed at the walk. The coupons are valid 4-6 p.m. May 4.

For information, call Karen at 973-7849.

Areawide

Commuter Challenge

Now in its 14th year, the Commuter Challenge is a weeklong event to promote alternative modes of transportation. Gas prices now exceed $3.50 a gallon and there is no relief in sight.

The Commuter Challenge is slated for Monday through Friday, May 12-16, and will include commuting opportunities. Participants may walk, car pool, van pool, bicycle or ride the BAT bus. Past years’ participants have walked, biked, rollerbladed, kayaked and someone once rode a unicycle.

For information, call Dianne Rice at 942-6389 or 800-339-6389 or e-mail drice@emdc.org.