By: Kate Rogers, Staff Writer
#MECAmade Showcase
December 6 – 23, 10 p.m. – 5 p.m. Mon-Thurs, 10 – 7 Fri, 11 – 5 Sat.
522 Congress St, Portland
#MECAmade is a temporary shop at the Maine College of Art. The shop features work from almost twenty students, and merchandise from MECA founded design company Might and Main. The shop will be open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 23 for last minute shoppers. This is a great opportunity to not only get original gifts, but to support young artists as well.
Season of Light at the Southworth Planetarium
1 p.m., 3 p.m. or 7 p.m., most days in December.
Right next to the science building on USM’s Portland campus
This full dome show explores the astronomy-based history of the holidays, from the origins of the solstice festivals to the Star of Bethlehem. Visit the planetarium’s website at usm.maine.edu/planet or call 207-780-4249 for the full schedule.
Boat Parade of Lights
December 16, 4:30 p.m.
Casco Bay, Portland
Tickets for the cruise itself are sold out, but watching these lovely decorated boats cruise by from the shore is free and still a wonderful show. According to the Casco Bay Lines website, some of the best places to watch from are the Maine State Pier, the East Promenade and Bug State Park.
9th Annual Picnic Holiday Sale
Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Brick South Building at Thompson’s Point in Portland
This craft fair will feature handmade indie goodies, cool old stuff and food from local businesses. Admission is free, and a yeti is going to be there to take pictures with you. The yeti from Rudolph, specifically. This is bound to be a great shopping opportunity and an entertaining outing.
The Victorian Nutcracker
Friday, Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 23, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Merrill Auditorium, Portland
This special version of The Nutcracker is set in Victorian era Portland and the sets and costumes are made with the Victoria mansion in mind. It’s performed by the Portland Ballet as well as some young dancers from the area. Ticket prices range from 23$-58$ and tickets can be purchased at the door or at boxoffice.porttix.com.
Disney on Ice – The Frozen Edition
December 21 – 24, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Cross Insurance Arena, Portland
Mickey and Minnie host a live rendition of Disney’s Frozen performed by talented figure skaters. This event is great for the kids, but who are we kidding–adults also want to sing loudly along to Let It Go sometimes. Plus, Kristoff does flips. Ticket prices start at 15$ and can be bought at disneyonice.com/frozen.
Holiday Singalong
Thursday, December 14, 12:15 p.m.
First Parish Church, 425 Congress Street, Portland
As part of the Portland Conservatory of Music’s Noonday Concert Series, ChoralArt will be having a free and public Holiday Singalong. ChoralArt will be performing numerous Holiday themed events this season all over Portland. This one is notable because you can enjoy the talented choir for no cost, and you can participate in singing your favorite Christmas carols. More information about the choir can be found at choralart.org.
Portland Trails Holiday Dash 5K
Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Eastern Promenade, Portland
Hosted by Portland Trails and the Ri Ra Irish pub, this 5k comes with a new winter hat, brunch and a beer. You can run or walk as long as you’re over 21, and the race is on rain or shine. Tickets are 35$ and all proceeds support the upkeep of Portland’s trails. More information can be found at facebook.com/portlandtrails.
Vintage Bazaar New England Holiday Edition
December 16, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and December 17th, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thompson’s Point in Portland.
With 85 different tables selling vintage stuff, food and handmade goodies, this bazaar is going to be massive and colorful. Vintage Bazaar New England has been praised for being one of the best vintage markets in the country–good enough that beyond the normal 10$ admission, they are selling early bird tickets. For 5$ more you can get in an hour early Saturday morning and get first chance at finding a treasure.