PORTLAND — The nonprofit Make Music Portland will celebrate the summer solstice by opening up public spaces around Portland for musicians for a day full of free concerts, musical lessons and group jam sessions in June.

This fourth annual event will take place as hundreds of other cities around the world also celebrate the solstice musically, including Paris, France, where the festival was founded.

“The whole idea is to show off the incredible talent in Maine, both professional and amateur,” said founder and lead organizer Catherine Tanous. “And even beyond that, we want to give anyone interested a chance to make music and celebrate the summer.”

?Tanous, an Auburn native, said that while the event takes place in Portland, the group is hoping that people from all over Maine take part. “We’re not yet Make Music Maine,” she joked, “but we really do want the whole state represented. We would love to see performers coming from the mid-coast area and from Lewiston-Auburn.” ?

On March 1, registration opened for performing artists for the event.

“Right now,” said Tanous, “we are looking for area artists to play on June 21. It’s completely free to sign up and artists can get in touch with venues where they want to play and schedule shows.”

Venues include Monument Square and Post Office Park. Among the offerings are music lessons and group jam sessions anyone can participate in. All events are open to everyone free of charge regardless of age or skill level.

“As of this year,” she said, “we’re officially a nonprofit group. So we’re also working on a fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at b.good on Exchange Street in Portland.” She said the fundraiser will feature live music from Make Music Portland artists.

FMI: www.makemusicportland.org, [email protected].