Dance the night away at the Valentine Ball in Lewiston

LEWISTON — The Public Theatre will host its 28th annual family Valentine Ball on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Kora Shrine Temple in Lewiston. Entry is by ticket. The evening will feature dancing with music from a live DJ, light snacks and keepsake photography.

Advance purchase required. No tickets will be sold at the door. For more information and tickets visit The Public Theatre’s website at thepublictheatre.org or call 207-782-3200. All proceeds benefit The Public Theatre’s Education Programming.

The Kora Temple is at 11 Sabattus St.

CANCELLED: Have an uncommon Valentine celebration in Lewiston

Editor’s note: On Thursday, Feb. 12, the Franco Center cancelled the event and posted this note: “The Feb. 13 Upside Down Valentine’s event at the Franco Center has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We will try to have an Upside Down event in the near future. Thank you for your understanding and support. From the board and staff at the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. 207-783-1585.“

LEWISTON — The Franco Center is hosting an Upside Down Not-Your-Typical Valentine Party on Friday, Feb. 13, from 4-9:30 p.m. It is free and includes a cash bar, games and trivia.

“Bring a Valentine! Bring a Galentine! Bring a friend!” organizers say. Attendees can expect “moody lighting, playful surprises and immersive ambiance.” 

For more information visit the Franco Center website at francocenter.org

The Franco Center is at 46 Cedar St. 

Grab your galentine for a night out in Farmington

FARMINGTON — MaineHealth Franklin Hospital will host its 4th Annual Galentine’s Night Out on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Bass Room. The event will bring together local women-owned businesses, community resources, and Franklin clinical teams for an evening of connection, celebration, information and shopping local.

The evening will also feature a live DJ, light snacks, vendors, health services and programs, interactive elements and giveaways.

It is open to the public. For more information, visit the Facebook event page:  https://tinyurl.com/ysyupce5.

Enjoy love and laughter in Auburn

AUBURN — On Friday, Feb. 13, from 4:30-5:30, the Auburn Public Library will present “Love and Other Embarrassments” with Lisa Mayer.

Mayer is a Clio Award-winning writer, a podcaster and a musician who has performed from Krakow, Poland to Poland, Maine.

According to organizers, “Whether jumping into freezing waters on her honeymoon, learning to belly dance for her husband’s birthday, or getting her parents on the ‘Newlywed Game’ on a cruise, Lisa Mayer’s true stories from her crazy life will make you laugh — until you cry.”

The free program will take place in the Androscoggin Community Room. The library is at 49 Spring St.

Make Valentine’s Day cards in Lewiston and Auburn

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Public Library is inviting all ages to make Valentine’s Day cards this week 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 207-513-300.

Meanwhile, in Auburn, the Auburn Public Library is offering Valentine’s Day Take & Make Kits on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for tweens and teens ages 11-18.

The Valentine felt-creature card kits are free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is a limit of one kit per person.

For more information, call the library at 207-333-6640 or go to www.auburnpubliclibrary.org.

The library is at 49 Spring St.

Take a walk on the wildlife side in Auburn

AUBURN — A free Winter Wildlife Walk will take place Friday, Feb. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon.

“Are you curious about what wildlife get up to when it’s cold and snowy? Want to know who is making the tracks you see in your yard? Just looking for an excuse to get out of the house? Come join the Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission and USDA Wildlife Biologist Ben Nugent for a winter wildlife walk,” say organizers.

Registration is requested. Those interested can secure a spot by going online to: forms.gle/GuMNXh3cxoeWFH5d9. For more information, call 207-740-6429 or email [email protected].

The walk will depart from the Tot Lot Trail off Fish Hatchery Road. Snowshoes are available on request.

Celebrate all things winter in Bridgton

BRIDGTON — The daylong Bridgton Winter Carnival takes place Saturday, Feb. 14, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with everything from a polar plunge to fireworks and everything winter in between.

Located at Highland Beach at 235 Highland Road and hosted by the Greater Bridgton Chamber of Commerce, the carnival will include horse-drawn carriage rides, games for the kids, a polar dip, ice fishing, ice skating, food trucks, s’mores, fireworks and more.

For more information, visit www.gblrcc or www.facebook.com/MushersBowlWinterCarnival2012.

Dance the chill off in Lewiston

LEWISTON — A contra dance will be held Friday, Feb. 13, from 7-10 p.m. at Trinity Commons, 247 Bates St. A family dance will run from 6-7 p.m.

Music will be provided by Ellen Gawler and Friends. A beginners’ lesson will start at 7 p.m. with dancing from 7:30-10 p.m. No experience or partner needed. All dances are taught and led. 

Cost is: adults $15-25; teens and students $5; kids 12 and younger. But, organizers say, “Pay what you can! We’d love to dance with you!

Volunteers who commit in advance get free admission. Email [email protected] to secure a spot.

For more information go to www.lewistoncontradance.org.

View art from the inside, in Farmington

FARMINGTON — The Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition will present “Inside Vision: An Outside Exhibition of Inside Art” at the University of Farmington’s Emery Community Arts Center.

An opening reception for the exhibit will he held Thursday, Feb. 12, from 5-7 p.m. The exhibit will run from Feb. 12 to March 13. It is free and open to the public

In the exhibit, residents of Maine prisons share their lived experiences and stories of recovery through visual art, poetry and prose. “Their work defies stereotypes and emphasizes we are all more than the worst act we have committed,” according to organizers.

Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday noon to 7 p.m. The center is on Academy Street between Main and High streets in downtown Farmington.

And if you’re in the area on Wednesday, Feb. 11, go hear the story of the Maine slave ship Malaga.

At 7 p.m. at UMF’s Emery Arts Center, mime, storyteller and performer Antonio Rocha will present “Malaga, the Ship, a story of Maine and the slave trade.”

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. 

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