In Auburn, learn how African American cuisine transformed America

AUBURN — The First Universalist Church of Auburn at 169 Pleasant St. is celebrating Black History Month throughout February with a program called Food for the Soul.

Programming will be led by Charles I. Nero, the church’s Adult Religious Education chair, and Worship Associate John Spruill Jr. After worship on Sundays, Feb. 8 and 15, at 11:30 a.m., Nero will present episodes of “High on the Hog: How African American cuisine transformed America.”

The docuseries charts the paths of African Americans in the U.S. and the food legacies they carried with them on their journeys. “These selections will examine the Middle Passage as a food way, and the connection between food and the Civil Rights movement,” organizers say.

The celebration will culminate in Gospel Sunday worship Feb. 22 at 10 a.m., led by Spruill. After the service, which will feature gospel selections sung by the choir, participants will enjoy a soul food luncheon in the vestry. 

The church can be reached at 207- 783-0461 and at www.auburnuu.org.

Hear the Casco Bay Tummlers in Lewiston

LEWISTON — As part of its 2026 Spring Acoustic Series, LA Arts will present the Casco Bay Tummlers with Sruli Dresdner amd Lisa Mayer on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m.

The well-known klezmer band, along with Dresdner and Mayer, will play selections from across the spectrum of Jewish music: horas, folk songs, original compositions and jazzy improvisations.

Tickets for the concert, which is appropriate for all ages, are $20, but organizers say “no one will be turned away for lack of funds.”

For tickets and more information, go to laarts.org, email [email protected] or call 207-782-7228.

LA Arts is at 168 Lisbon St.

Make Valentine’s Day cards in Lewiston

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Public Library is inviting all ages to make Valentine’s Day cards this week and next at the library at 200 Lisbon St.

Free supplies and crafting space will be available through Feb. 14. Adults will make cards on the second floor and children on the third.

Library hours are Monday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, go to lplonline.org or call 207-513-3004.

Singer-songwriter comes to Oasis of Music

LEWISTON — Singer-songwriter and guitarist Michael Krapovicky will perform at the Oasis of Music, 247 Bates St., at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4.

The Oasis of Music runs from 12:30-1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Trinity Church and Commons. Admission is free; donations are accepted.

Oasis of Music  runs from September to May, and features artists from the greater LA region performing vocal and instrumental music of all types, from folk to jazz to classical, world and everything in between.

For more information, email Greg Boardman at [email protected] or go to trinitylewiston.org/oasis-of-music.

Hear Linda Oh and Melissa Aldana perform at Bates College

LEWISTON — Linda Oh and Melissa Aldana, a jazz bass and saxophone duo, will perform at Bates College’s Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St., Lewiston, on Friday, Feb. 6, from 7:30-9 p.m.

Presented by The Olin Concert Series, Oh and Aldana join forces to bring the power of jazz to Bates College. According to organizers, Oh “is respected all over the world for her mastery of jazz bass playing.” Meanwhile, Aldana “has taken the NY jazz scene by storm in the last decade, amassing an impressive social media following with her dynamic and impressive improvisation.”

To reserve a spot for the free concert go to www.bates.edu/music.

Hear the story of the Maine slave ship Malaga in Farmington

FARMINGTON — Mime, storyteller and performer Antonio Rocha will present “Malaga, the Ship, a story of Maine and the slave trade” on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. at the University of Farmington’s Emery Arts Center.

Rocha’s story will explore the history of a 183-ton brig built in Brunswick in 1832 that was later involved in the illegal transatlantic slave trade.

The performance is recommended for audience members 12 years and older. Adult tickets are $20 either online or at the door. UMF students are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the door or through the website at artsfarmington.org. 

The Emery Community Arts Center is on Academy Street, between Main and High streets, in downtown Farmington, next to the Farmington Public Library.

Hang out with the Dooryarders in Bath

BATH — The Dooryarders, a Maine-based four-piece retro-rock band blending in elements of R&B and blues to make original songs, will appear in the Chocolate Church Annex on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m.

According to organizers, the band has played everywhere from street corners to music festivals since they began performing publicly in mid-2023, “and they love to present a high-energy show.”

For tickets and more information, go to chocolatechurcharts.org, phone 207-442-8455 or email [email protected].

The Chocolate Church Arts Center is at 804 Washington St.

Catch an Off-Broadway hit at Lewiston’s Public Theatre

LEWISTON — “Still,” the Outer Critics Circle nominee for Best New American Play, completes its run at The Public Theatre Thursday through Sunday.

A play about lost love being rekindled decades later, the professional production stars Equity actors Joe Gately and Janet Mitchko, who is also The Public Theatre’s artistic director.

Information and tickets for evening and matinee performances can be reserved by going to thepublictheatre.org or calling 207-782-3200.

The theater is at 31 Maple St.

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