Taking Portland Ovations Presents (POP!) annual auction to a larger space, the Portland Company waterfront warehouse, allowed plenty of room for mingling — as well as dancing, tumbling and shimmying up poles.

Given that POP! benefits Ovations Offstage arts outreach to area students, event organizers invited young performers from Merriconeag Waldorf Circus Artists, P.A.T.H.S Arts Academy Dancers, and 317 Main Street Music Center Ensemble.

“And it certainly energized the crowd,” event organizer Eileen Phelan observed.

Upwards of 400 people — a record-breaking crowd — mingled, sampled hors d’oeuvres from more than a dozen area restaurants, bid on high-end silent auction items and caught some pop-up performances Tuesday. The party atmosphere was alive even outside the venue as Pan Fried Steel, a community-based steel drum band from Yarmouth, greeted guests with island sounds on their way in.

Michael Odokara-Okigbo, the exuberant lead singer of the Dartmouth Aires on NBC’s third season of the “The Sing Off,” was in town from Los Angeles to perform for a hometown crowd that included his mom, Shalom Odokara, and his former vocal coach, Leela Koilpillai.

“I’ve heard several people say that this was the place to be tonight in Portland,” said Aimee Petrin, executive director of Portland Ovations. “And the response to the young performers was gratifying as well.”

The atmosphere was, as planned, much like an indoor street fair — but with better food. Case in point: David’s salmon and roasted corn cakes. Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe’s ham and Swiss beignets. The Good Table’s apple pie salad in which baby greens are dressed up with local apples, cheddar cheese, toasted walnuts, and cider vinaigrette. And from Freeport, Azure Cafe’s sweet lemon marinated lamb with applewood-smoked tomato and mint — all on a toothpick!

The 105 silent auction items included a variety of theme bags and everything from Red Sox tickets to a custom suit, as well as, not surprisingly, tickets to Portland Ovations performances.

“We’re looking for whatever strikes our fancy,” said Brian Vaughan of Cape Elizabeth.

What struck the fancy of Mary Hastings-O’Donnell of Yarmouth was a road bike for her husband for Christmas. “I hope I can get it in my car,” she said.

It was a big night for POP!, with approximately $40,000 raised between ticket sales and the silent auction.

The funds raised will fund Ovations Offstage arts educational and community-based programs such as the School-Time Performance Series, in-school artist workshops, master classes with visiting artists, and pre-performance lectures. The organization serves more than 5,000 students and educators each year.

Portland Ovations is a not-for-profit performing arts organization that connects our community with highly acclaimed, innovative, and masterful artists from around the world. Performances coming up in just the next couple of weeks include Glen Campbell, Royal Drummers of Burundi, Treasured Stories of Eric Carle, classical pianists Soyeon Kate Lee and Ran Dank, and the Broadway national tour of “West Side Story.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at:

amyedits@aol.com