Be moved by a performance at the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston

LEWISTON — The Cynthia Oliver Co. Dance Theatre will perform at the Bates Dance Festival Friday, July 10, and Sunday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. Oliver’s work incorporates textures of Caribbean performance with African and American aesthetic sensibilities. Tickets are $5-$40. Click here to purchase tickets. The performance is at Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St.

The performance is one element of Bates College’s annual summer Dance Festival. More live performances and events are scheduled throughout July. For more on the festival, go to www.batesdancefestival.org.

Make a sweet bluegrass connection in Greene

GREENE — Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection will perform at the Araxine Wilkins Sawyer Foundation, 371 Sawyer Road, on Friday, July 10, at 2 and 7 p.m. The five-piece band features some of the finest musicians in New England.

The band incorporates a diverse blend of original and traditional music from bluegrass, folk and country influences, and has delighted audiences all over the Northeast and Canada, organizers say.

The performances are free. For more information go to www.sawyer-foundation.com or contact Tyler Rose at [email protected] or at 207-946-5311. Sawyer Memorial is at 371 Sawyer Road.

Catch Bob Marley at Lost Valley in Auburn

AUBURN — Maine’s own comedian Bob Marley will headline an afternoon of fun and entertainment at Lost Valley Ski Resort in Auburn on Sunday, July 12.

Bob Marley is one of the few comics to do the complete late-night TV circuit: “The Late Show” with David Letterman, “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “Late Night” with Conan O’Brien and “The Late Late Show” with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn.

Gates opens at 4 p.m. with live music, food trucks, games, indoor and outdoor bars, and more. Organizers say bring your own lawn chair, but say outside food and beverages are not allowed.

Marley will take the stage at 7 p.m. Tickets are only available online at bmarley.com. The resort is at 200 Lost Valley Road.

Enjoy some Bad Company and much more in Rangeley

RANGELEY — Rangeley Friends of the Arts will present three musical events this week, starting with the Bad Company tribute band Shooting Star at the RFA Annual Theater Fundraiser on Thursday, July 9, at 5:30 p.m.

The annual fundraiser includes cocktail receptions at private homes, desserts and a concert at RFA Lakeside Theater. Tickets are $100.

All proceeds go toward building improvements. Tickets are available at rangeleyarts.org.

On Saturday, July 11, The RFA Summer Concert Series will bring Invite the Wild to the stage, starting at 7 p.m.

According to organizers, the group “combines elements of multiple genres including: rock, blues, soul, R&B and country to make a sound that is sure to leave everyone happy and dancing.”

On Sunday, July 12, Sagittarius Rising will take the stage as part of the Summer Concert Series at 7 p.m.

“Sagittarius Rising is twin sister duo Isabelle and Phoebe Rogers from western Maine. Together they create uplifting, original music inspired by nature and the imagination with vocal harmonies, guitar, penny whistle and percussion, say organizers.

For tickets to the performances and more information, go to rangeleyarts.org. The theater is at 2493 Main St.

Learn ballroom dancing for free in Lewiston

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Public Library will offer free ballroom dance classes on successive Thursdays for four weeks starting July 9 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

While the classes are in preparation for the library’s Edgar Allan Poe Masquerade Ball in October, they are open to all and recommended for teens and adults, with or without a partner. Comfortable shoes suggested. Attendance at all four classes is not necessary, but encouraged.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Almquist at [email protected], go to www.LPLonline.org, or call 207-513-3004. The library is at 200 Lisbon St.

Split your side at the comedy festival in Auburn

AUBURN — The four-day July Impromptu Comedy Festival kicks off Wednesday night, July 8, at Great Falls Comedy Club with local favorites and fresh voices, and ends Saturday with national comic Casey Crawford, with lots more laughter in between.

Wednesday night’s show will start at 8 p.m. and feature Nick Gordon, Mike Gray, Alex Temple, Sara Poulin, Malik Tambwe and Ashley Favreau.

The fun continues Thursday night with Comedy After Trivia starting at 9 p.m. featuring a lineup of local favorites and festival performers.

On Friday, Europe-raised, New York-based Annick Adelle will headline, starting at 8 p.m. “Annick’s comedy is international, clever, observational, and in the moment. Her sharp point of view, playful crowd work, and thoughtful material touch on big topics like identity, career changes, human psychology, and the beautifully awkward experience of being a person in the world,” organizers say.

On Saturday, July 11, at 3 p.m., Crawford takes the stage. The New England-based stand-up comedian “is known for his sharp, clever, often wonderfully dumb short jokes, blending absurd one-liners with quirky, relatable observations,” organizers say. He has appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” was named co-champion of the 2024 Boston Comedy Festival, and was selected for Montreal’s Just For Laughs New Faces.

For ticket prices, options and more information about the festival’s shows and the club, go to greatfallscomedyclub.com. Great Falls Comedy Club is at 34 Court St.

Hear tales and adventures of the First People in Chesterville

CHESTERVILLE — Lee Faulkner will present “Dreamcatcher,” an all-ages show featuring ancient tales and magical adventures from the First People, at the Chesterville Center Union Meeting House on Saturday, July 11, at 7 p.m.

The show, which will be illustrated and brought to life with magic, mime, music and regalia, “honors the power of imagination and celebrates our mysterious ability to dream,” according to organizers. “… Leland Faulkner walks a path connecting the Chippewa and Shoshone Peoples and is a founder and former artistic director of the Celebration Barn Theatre” in Paris.

Admission is by donation at the door, and light refreshments will be available. For more information, visit www.chestervillemeetinghouse.org or call 207-779-0660. The meeting house is at 3 Borough Road. 

Be amazed by ‘The Lord of the Sword’ in Paris

PARIS — On Saturday, July 11, from 7:30-8:45 p.m. the Celebration Barn Theatre will present “The Lord of the Sword” by Jacob D’Eustachio.

“D’Eustachio is the rare juggler who can perform in the Moscow circus one day and act in Shakespeare the next. He has performed in 16 countries, leaving broken hearts and coffee makers behind,” organizers say. “Come for the juggling, sword swallowing, screwball comedy, and unicorns — stay for a young fool’s heartfelt quest to save his lord’s show and find his true identity.”

For tickets and more information go to celebrationbarn.com. Tickets are $5-$30: “Most tix are PWYC (pay what you can), starting at $5. If able, we ask for $20,” organizers say. Celebration Barn Theater is at 190 Stock Farm Road.

BETHEL — On Saturday, July 11, at 5:30 p.m., The Gem Theater will host “The Future Is Here,” a performance by the Halcyon String Quartet and singer/songwriter Alisa Amador centered around climate change.

The multimedia performance will feature the stories and actions of Maine people who are working on the ground to build creative, regenerative and resilient communities in response to the climate crisis, organizers say.

“Combining live music with film, community voices, and stop-motion animations, ‘The Future is Here’ celebrates the ingenuity within our communities through a series of vignettes that tell stories of the concrete actions being taken to mitigate the climate crisis and build communities that are more equal, more sustainable, and more open.”

Tickets are free to $50, pay what you can. For more information, go to thegemtheater.com or call 207-824-8248. The Gem Theater is at 23 Cross St.

Dance party at Bath arts center

BATH — On Friday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m. the Chocolate Church Arts Center will host a dance party: Soul Search with DJ Dr. Fuzz.

Dr. Fuzz has been organizing dance parties in midcoast Maine and beyond, and organizers say she has a passion for fostering community through music and dance. “Allow the Doctor to propel you back to a timeless era where the dazzle of disco never dies and the oneness of the moment compels you to free your mind” and more, organizers say.

Opening for DJ Dr. Fuzz will be Miami Beach DJ Paolo Albertoni.

This is an 18-and-older event. Wine, beer and nonalcoholic drinks will be for sale. Tickets are $10, $15 the day of the show. For tickets and more information, go to chocolatechurcharts.org. The Chocolate Church Arts Center is at 804 Washington St.

Have an event you’d like to get in? Email details to [email protected] to be considered for inclusion in the weekly listing. And add your event to the Sun Journal calendar here: www.sunjournal.com/events-calendar/.