CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

The charm and quality of life of the twin cities, Lewiston and Auburn, is partly due to their picturesque location along the Androscoggin River with a skyline of historic mills surrounded by small-town, neighborly communities. Another part of the charm is the year-long list of events and activities that take place in the area. The Auburn Community Concert Band performs free concerts at a public venue all summer long. At the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray you can attend a Native American Pow Wow for two full days of dancing, drumming, and learning about the animals at the park. The Yarmouth Clam Festival is an annual event in July that features clams and other Maine foods, crafts, a carnival, entertainment, and lots of fun things to do and see. The Kora Shriners present a circus in Lewiston in April that offers great entertainment for the kids; adults, too. The Washburn Norlands Living History Center hosts the annual Rally for Norlands! Civil War Reenactment Weekend in June complete with Confederate and Union infantry actors playing their parts in a mock scrimmage. The Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Music Festival is held in Litchfield twice each year and boasts performances by musicians on banjo and fiddle that you won’t want to miss. The Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls is held in July and is all about the soda by the same name, plus entertainment, crafts, fireworks, and food. The Monmouth Fair is an agricultural fair held in August and celebrates rural life. The Great Falls Balloon Festival is held in August each year on the banks of the Androscoggin River and parks in the Twin Cities downtown areas and offers food booths, craft and trade booths, entertainment, live music, a carnival, demonstrations, contests, and hot air balloon rides. The Franco Center in Lewiston is the former St. Mary’s Church which is now the venue for a diverse array of top entertainment.

ARTS & MUSEUMS

The beauty of the area may be an inspiration to the local artists and photographers whose work you will see in some of the local venues. Come and see their work and other artists’ work at local museums. The Androscoggin Historical Society in Auburn has a vast amount of historical information on this area. Museum L/A in Lewiston is a treasure of historical artefacts from local mills and factories and offers guided tours and educational programs. The Atrium Gallery at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, the Bates College Museum of Art, and Lyceum Gallery, all in Lewiston, present fine exhibits and guided tours. The Maine Art Glass Studio in Lisbon Falls is a feast for the eyes where you will find gorgeous glass work on display and for sale. The Shaker Museum and Library in New Gloucester is run by a small group of Quakers who offer many workshops and tours of their quaint Shaker village. The Poland Spring Preservation Society historic buildings are worth the trip.

Theaters, cinemas & music venues

Community Little Theatre, Auburn, 783-0958

L/A Arts, Lewiston, 782-7228

Maine Music Society, Lewiston, 782-1403

Maine State Music Theater, Brunswick, 725-8769

Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, Lewiston, 371-2082

Schaffer Theatre, Bates College, Lewiston, 786-6161

The Public Theatre, Lewiston, 782-3200

The Theater At Monmouth, Monmouth, 933-9999, performances at Cumston Hall