Fall into the holidays

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    First Place in 2018 CMBG Gardens Aglow Community Lighting Contest. JOE CHARPENTIER/Boothbay Register

     

    Don’t miss a single minute of Boothbay region and Wiscasset area fall events ... even in 2020!

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    Due to COVID-19, some events may be canceled. Please use the listed phone numbers and websites.

    Scroll down for previews and activities!

     

     

     

    Shoppers will stumble out of bed Saturday, Nov. 21 (the 32nd annual!) before the crack of dawn because by now everyone knows the best sales are to be had before sunrise. Wrapped in bathrobes, shoppers head for their cars with a cup of Joe in one hand and keys in the other, bound for the Boothbay region and some serious holiday shopping.

    See friends, neighbors and family in their favorite flannel and polar fleece pajamas and slippers. And the slippers are often a hoot – bird, duck and piglet heads and faces, and elfin foot wear to Birkenstocks paired with novelty socks ... got to love it.

    The Early Bird Sale & Pajama Party begins between 5 and 6 a.m.

    Look for the complete list of sales in the Nov. 19 edition of the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper!

    132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay

    Maine’s premier botanical gardens!

    This year’s interpretive theme: Wicked Wetland Wonders

    Mud flats, sand flats, salt marshes, tidal freshwater wetlands, floodplains, ponds, reefs, vernal pools, muskegs, sedge meadows, bogs, peatlands, shrub swamps, fens, and seeps ... What we call them depends on soil, topography, climate, water chemistry and vegetation, but wetlands are universally defined by transition. They are the link between land and water, hosts to complex relationships that encompass everything from the base of the food web to the recycling of nutrients. Found from tundra to tropics and on every continent, wetlands link the worlds of land and water.

    Due to COVID-19 and for the safety of our community, advance tickets are required for admission to help limit the number of guests. No walk-in admissions will be allowed. Members must also reserve their admission in advance.

    Gardens Aglow

    Nov. 21 - Jan. 2, 2021

    (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Open Wednesday, Nov. 25 and Dec. 24, and nightly between Christmas and Jan. 2, 2021

    Arrival times every 15 minutes, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Thurs. through Sun.

    Gardens Aglow will light up the Boothbay peninsula for the sixth year in a row, with one important change: This year’s will be a driving experience. The annual family tradition of viewing lights has been transformed to accommodate necessary safety protocols for large events.

    All tickets must be purchased in advance; no admission tickets will be sold on site. Guests must arrive at the Gardens at their designated ticket time. Tickets are for a single vehicle, regardless of the number of passengers.

     

    December 2-5! Don’t miss this year’s inventive gingerbreads at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Music. Bake sale. Free admittance.

    This event is part of the Harbor Lights Festival weekend and has an extended number of days to restrict crowding while viewing the exhibit. Masks required.

    The 11th annual Gingerbread Spectacular’s Most Spectacular winner was “Gingerbread Skate-tacular” by Sam Michael/Sam’s Electric and Mike Regino; Almost Most Spectacular and the People’s Choice was “No Flight Zone” by Adaline Barter and Nancy Stoddard.

       The Lighted Boat Parade begins at 6:45 in Boothbay Harbor. Holiday decorated boats parade around the inner & outer harbor while spectators hoot and holler for one and all. Yes, it’s one jolly old time! Best viewing: Whale Park (Commercial Street), Fishermen’s Memorial Park and Our Lady Queen of Peace Church (Atlantic Avenue) - anywhere BUT in the roads - around the Harbor.

    Don’t miss the Boothbay Lights Holiday Sparkle Fireworks in Boothbay Harbor on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p..m. - following the Lighted Boat Parade!  Best viewing: anywhere around the Harbor including the Whale Park and  Fishermen’s Memorial Park. Please remember: do not park in the middle of the road; crazy as it may seem, some folks need to get somewhere. Thank you!

    A tad behind on that holiday shopping? Not to worry.

    Participating stores will be open and offering discounts to help wrap up this part of your holiday checklists on Men’s Night, Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 6 to 9 p.m.  This event includes retail shops, art galleries, hair salons, spas, restaurants and more.

    Many businesses will offer hot beverages to warm you up and food to fill you up as you finish up that list and then start on all that baking!

    For a list of Men’s Night participants, check out the Dec. 10 edition of the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper!

    86 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor

    This year, concerts and events are limited to 50 seats to observe required social distancing. Masks must be worn at all times when you are not seated. 

    For generations, the stage of the historic 1894 Opera House has played host to actors and musicians from around the state and the globe. With over 100 events and performances annually, there is almost always something happening. An evening with a Grammy-winning musician, a visit from a Broadway actor, nights of jazz or bluegrass, rocking Celtic concerts, lectures, holiday celebrations and community events fill our schedule. With fine acoustics, historic charm, a great old bar room upstairs and a commitment to reasonably priced tickets, the Opera House is a gathering place for the community and visitors alike. The Opera House is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit committed to the arts, the community and the restoration of the historic building.

    In 2018, BRLT moved its headquarters to the newly acquired Oak Point Farm at 60 Samoset Road, Boothbay Harbor, its first permanent home and center for its operations and programming.

    Oak Point Farm is the last remaining undeveloped saltwater farm in Boothbay Harbor. The late 1700s farmhouse serves as a visitor and education center. It sits alongside open fields, heirloom apple trees, forest, a freshwater pond, and 2,000 feet of shoreline.

    BRLT offers more than 35 miles of hiking trails open to the public, year-round, free of charge. Properties include woodlands, wetlands, salt marshes, islands, seabird and wading bird habitat, feeding areas for migratory birds and butterflies, historical and archaeological sites, and working waterfront.

    At the start of each trail, including the one at Oak Point Farm, stop at the kiosk for a map.

    Wiscasset merchants kick off the Early Bird season in November. This year, participating stores will open early on Saturday, Nov. 14 – and it’s the true early birds who’ll get the deals.

    In Maine's prettiest village, some shoppers turn out in classic early bird sale attire – pajamas and slippers; others, in day wear. Most discounts or their depths don't depend on sleepwear.

    For a complete list of participating shops and discounts, check out the Nov. 5 edition of the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper.

     

     

    Each Halloween season community spirits come together for an evening of readings reflective of the season! Expect some theatrics from some of the readers. Limited seating. Masks required.

    While all are required to wear masks, we encourage those who want to dress in full Halloween costumes to do it. The bar will be open and coffee and dessert will also be available. Reservations required. $10 per two person table (one or two people). $20 per for person table (three or four people). Call the box office for reservations at 207-633-5159.

    Please note: this event is not suitable for young children.

    Saturday, Oct. 10 through Sunday, Oct. 18

    Fun for the whole family!

    Events listed include:

    Saturday, Oct. 10: concert with the Salty Dogs Band

    Thursday, Oct. 15: A costumed Walk Around Wiscasset; a car show

    Saturday, Oct. 17: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt and Make a Scarecrow on the Common. the Scarecrow Contest, Scary Stories, Pie Day, Boot Drive, Chili/Chowder/Pumpkin Dessert Contest!

    Sunday, Oct. 18: Cornhole Tournament at Ames True Value Supply on Route 1.

    Social distancing and mask wearing apply.

    For more information, call 882-8230 or visit https://www.wiscassetrec.com

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