BENEFITS

TODAY

Harlem Superstars, featuring Bath’s Jason “White Shadow” Gibbons, play the Bath Dream Team in a comedy basketball game to benefit the Teens of America program, Bath Middle School Gym. $7 in advance; $8 at door. 443-8270. 6:30 p.m. 

FRIDAY

Rock Around the World, silent auction, rock ‘n’ roll, world music, dancing and more, benefits Portland Multilingual Summer Programs; Italian Heritage Center, Portland. $30 at door; $25 in advance. 874-8135. 7 to 11 p.m.

Variety show for all ages, with local artists and musicians, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Kennebunk. $5; $4 admission with donation of non-perishable food item to benefit Preble Street Resource Center. 985-3700. 7 p.m. 

SATURDAY

Bowl for Kids’ Sake Kick-Off Party, with members of the Maine Red Claws, Yankee Lanes, Portland. Free; optional one hour of bowling costs $5 per person. 878-2695. 3 to 5 p.m.

Conservation Matters Auction, silent and live auctions with dinner, benefits Great Works Regional Land Trust; Spring Hill Restaurant, South Berwick. $37.50; reservations requested. 646-3604. 5 to 9 p.m.

Symphony Soiree, third annual event to benefit Bangor Symphony with live and silent auctions, performance by Maestro Richman and his wife, singer Debbie Richman, and others, University of Maine (Collins Center for the Arts), Orono. $60. www.bangorsymphony.org. 6 to 9 p.m.

Dance for Autism, several dance companies perform an evening program to benefit the Autism Society of Maine, Yarmouth High School. $8 to $12. www.studioforthelivingarts.com. 7 p.m. (Pulse Dance Company performs at 2 p.m.) 

TUESDAY

“Laboring Under an Illusion,” film screening and benefit for the Maine Association of Certified Professional Midwives, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland. localsproutscooperative.com. 8 p.m. 

FAIRS/FESTIVALS

Bath Blarney Days, talks, music, 5K run, fun run, contests and more, various locations, Bath. Most events are free. 442-7291; www.visitbath.com for schedule. Today through March 17. 

SPECIAL EVENTS

TODAY

Portland Flower Show, with flower, plant and landscape exhibits; lectures and demonstrations; products for sale and more; Portland Company Complex. $13 in advance ($12 for seniors); $15 at door; free for ages 12 and under. portlandcompany.com/flower. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 

FRIDAY

Annual Women’s History Month Dinner with keynote address delivered by award-winning novelist Elizabeth Nunez, Talbot Auditorium, Luther Bonney Hall, USM Portland campus. Free for address; dinner sold out. 780-4289. 4:30 p.m. reception and dinner; 7:30 p.m. address.

Fifth anniversary open mic and poetry slam, Pleasant Note Coffeehouse, First Universalist Church, Auburn. Free. 783-0461. www.auburnuu.org. 7:15 p.m.

Solar Shows, University of Southern Maine (Southworth Planetarium), Portland. $4 to $6. 780-4249. www.usm.maine.edu/planet. “Black Holes and Ring World,” 7 and 8:30 p.m. Friday; “Rusty Rocket,” 3 p.m. Saturday; “Dinosaurs,” 3 p.m. Sunday. Through March 27.

Poetry Out Loud State Finals, 10 high school students compete against their peers for the chance to represent Maine in the national finals in Washington, D.C.; Franco-American Heritage Center, Lewiston. Free. www.francoamericanheritage.org. 5:30 to 8 p.m. (doors at 5 p.m.) 

SATURDAY

Downeastcon, plastic model displays and contest hosted by Southern Maine Scale Modelers with vendors, raffles and snacks, Thornton Academy, Saco. $2; free for children. 625-8007. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Caribbean Night, with tropical tunes, authentic food, dancing and fun for the entire family, Hammond Hall, Winter Harbor. $10; free for children under age 12. 963-2569. www.schoodicartsforall.org. 6 p.m.

“Operation: Mission: The Mission,” spy games, Sebago Brewing Company, Portland. $20 per team. portlandrootsmaine.com. Noon (check-in at 11 a.m.). 

SUNDAY

“Winter Delivery,” exhibit of horse-drawn vehicles as an oil delivery wagon, school bus sleigh, and city and country sleighs, Skyline Farm, North Yarmouth. Free/donation. www.skylinefarm.org. 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

St. Patrick’s Parade, Commercial Street to Maine State Pier, Portland. Free. www.irishofmaine.org. Noon Sunday.

“Seeing with the Heart’s Ear,” poetry and music by Martin Steingesser with Judy Tierney and cellist Robin Jellis; Sadhana, the Meditation Center, South Portland. sadhaname.com. 4 p.m.

Irish Evening, Stillson School of Irish Dance performance and the film “Billy Elliot,” Dunaway Center, Ogunquit. $5. 646-6170. 6:30 p.m. 

MONDAY

“Attracting Wild Birds,” program by Casey Hynes of Falmouth’s Wild Bird center, Falmouth Memorial Library. $5. 781-2351. 11 a.m.

Knitting Group, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland. Free. localsproutscooperative.com. 6:30 p.m. 

TUESDAY

Poet Lola Haskins with cellist Ben Noyes, Blue, Portland. Donation. portcityblue.com. 7 p.m. 

WEDNESDAY

Thomas Hill Standpipe Tour, tour of 1897 structure constructed on the highest point in Bangor and designed for firefighting, Thomas Hill Standpipe, Bangor. Free. 2 to 5 p.m. 

FILMS

TODAY

“Meet Your Farmer,” eight short films by Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann, Rockland Public Library. Free. 594-0310. 6:30 p.m.

“Once” (2006), Sagadahoc Preservation Dreamland Theater, Winter Street Center, Bath. $5/donation. sagadahocpreservation.com. 7 p.m.

Divas Classic Chick Flicks: “Pretty Woman” (1990), Cinemagic Saco. $5 tickets at www.coast931.com. 6 p.m. 

FRIDAY

Ocean Videos for all ages, Marine Environmental Research Institute, Blue Hill. $3. 374-2135. “Fish,” 7 p.m. 

SATURDAY

African Film Night, Museum of African Culture, Portland. $5. 871-7188. “The Good Mother” (1988), 6 p.m.

Oscar Nominated Shorts — Encore, Frontier Cafe, Cinema & Gallery, Brunswick. www.explorefrontier.com. Animated, 2 and 6 p.m.; live action, 4 and 8 p.m. 

SUNDAY

Kids Classics at Dreamland Theater, movies for children, Winter Street Center, Bath. $5/donation. www.sagadahocpreservation.org. “The Love Bug” (1969), 2 p.m. 

WEDNESDAY

Teens through Time, film series with teen-cenric viewpoint, Portland Public Library. Free. 871-1700. 1960s: “Riot on Sunset Strip” (1967), 4:30 p.m. 

BOOKS/AUTHORS

TODAY

Keystone Reading Series, monthly series featuring fiction from local author Kevin St. Jarre and readings from novelist and playwright Mike Kimball, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Portland. Free/donation. localsproutscooperative.com. 8 to 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

Gail Donovan, Portland writer, releases her children’s novel, “What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker?” with a live bug zoo, bug games, goodie bags, a reading and a book signing for ages 5 to 12, Portland Public Library. Free. portlandlibrary.com. 1 to 4 p.m. 

SUNDAY

James Richardson, author of “Standing on Two Feet,” book signing, Borders Books and Music, South Portland. Free. 775-6110. 1 p.m. 

TUESDAY

Meg Wolff, author of “Life in Balance,” book signing, Lois’ Natural Marketplace, Scarborough. Free. 885-0602. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jeanne Fiorini, local author and tarot practitioner speaks and signs copies of her book “Tarot Spreads and Layouts/A User’s Manual for Beginning and Intermediate Readers,” Border’s Books and Music, South Portland. Free. 775-6110. 7 p.m.

Jeff Foltz, author of “Birkebeiner,” book talk and signing, Rockland Public Library. Free. rocklandlibrary.org. 6:30 p.m.

Susan Conley, author of “The Foremost Good Fortune,” book talk and signing, Cancer Community Center, South Portland. Free. Call for reservations; seating is limited. 774-2200. 6 to 7 p.m.

Shirin Bridges, award-winning children’s author of “The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses,” book talk and signing, University of Southern Maine (Bookstore), Portland. usm.maine.edu. 5 to 7 p.m.

“Hand, Voice & Vision: Thirty Years of Artists’ Books from Women’s Studio Workshop,” University of Southern Maine (Kate Cheney Chappell Center for Book Arts), Portland. Free. 228-8014. Tuesday and Wednesday. 

WEDNESDAY

Brown Bag Lecture with Caitlin Shetterly, author of “Made for You and Me: Going West, Going Broke, Finding Home,” Portland Public Library. Free; bring own lunch. 871-1710. Noon to 1 p.m. 

PRO SPORTS

Portland Pirates, AHL hockey team, Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland. $11 to $17. 207-828-4665. www.portlandpirates.com. Vs. Providence, 7 p.m. Saturday; vs. Manchester, 4 p.m. Sunday.

Maine Red Claws, NBA Development League basketball game, Portland Exposition Building. $5 to $30. 210-6655. Vs. Fort Wayne, 5 p.m. Sunday. 

PARTICIPANT DANCE

FRIDAY

Ballroom dancing, Maplewood Dance Center, Portland. 878-0584. 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Wednesday; 7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Contradance, Bates College (Chase Hall), Lewiston. $6. www.bates.edu. Beginner program at 7:30 p.m.; dance at 8 p.m. 

SATURDAY

Contradance, Wescustogo Grange, North Yarmouth. $10; $7 for students and seniors. 233-4325. Potluck at 7 p.m.; beginners dance session at 7:30 p.m.; family dance at 6 p.m.; dance with band Matching Orange at 8 p.m.

St. Patrick’s Day Dance, dance to music of the ’50s,’60s and ’70s with DJ Dick Fredette, Nasson Community Center, Springvale. $10. 324-5657. 8 to 11 p.m. 

SUNDAY

Irish Ceili dance, live music, all ages, Ri Ra Irish Pub, Portland. Free. 232-7786. Early afternoon following downtown Portland St. Patrick’s Parade.