The sun-filled warm days are starting to become the norm, and my allergies will tell you that the budding trees mean summer is around the corner. It’s been so busy for many with short staffing, new hires, student proms, college graduations and seasonal re-openings, that Memorial Day weekend may have snuck up on you, but here we are.

There is a ton going on in the area, and no one would fault you for having lost track of some upcoming events and activities. Therefore, this week I want to highlight some events I haven’t spoken about, and give you a few updates on events we have discussed.

Here are five business updates you need heading into Memorial Day Weekend:

CHAMBER AFTER HOURS MAY 25

I’ve written a few times this year about this being the time to start re-engaging with our community events. Zoom has made video conferencing and isolation easier than ever, but we must fight making it our norm. There is so much we can all still gain from in-person networking and our Chamber After Hours are shining examples of that.

We kicked off the 2022 Chamber After Hours series in February at Sea Dog, then hosted another in April at Darling’s Brunswick Ford and people really enjoyed reconnecting in person. There was laughter, and genuine connections made between new business leaders and our chamber members. These events are really a great time, and you should consider attending them.

Our next Chamber After Hours is tonight (Wednesday, May 25, 5-7 p.m.) at Brunswick Landing Ventures, 74 Neptune Drive in Brunswick. The event is co-hosted by RE/MAX Riverside and of course Brunswick Landing Ventures, with a non-profit spotlight on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick. If you have never been before, it’s really easy- you show up, put your business card in for a door prize drawing and mingle. Cash bar and complimentary appetizers provided by Pepper’s Landing.

You don’t need to RSVP, and you don’t need to be a chamber member- but you do need a business card to prove you are a businessperson in our region. The doors open at 5 p.m. and at 6 p.m. we have announcements and door prize giveaways, then networking continues until 7 p.m. For details check out midcoastmaine.com

MILES FOR MILLS 5K, SUNDAY, MAY 29, 9 A.M.

I featured this event last week, but it bears repeating as we will have over 1,000 runners in town early Sunday morning prepping for the 9 a.m. start time. Again, the best places to watch the race and support the runners, are at the Brunswick Parks and Rec Center (which will be the start/finish line) and anywhere near the Brunswick Naval Museum, Wild Oats, and Flight Deck Brewing. There will be designated parking lots for the race so just follow the signs, and if you arrive after 9 a.m. look for runners crossing Admiral Fitch Drive as you approach the ball fields. FMI visit MillsforMiane.org

RIBBON CUTTING AT MIDCOAST YOUTH CENTER, JUNE 1

One of the great success stories in our region is the community building and youth support that has grown organically out of the Midcoast Youth Center (formerly Midcoast Community Alliance). Jamie Dorr and a large group of community supporters have developed the Bath Skate park into a thriving youth center and their work continues with recent program expansions and building upgrades. Stop by for their open house on June 1 from 4-6 p.m. including a ribbon-cutting of some of the new spaces.

GOT WORK? WE CAN PROMOTE YOUR JOB TO LOCAL STUDENTS

Two weeks ago we featured this story but it definitely bears repeating. If you have high school student job openings you need to send them to Careers@midcoastmaine.com, so that our local students can find out about them. Our Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber has teamed up with Brunswick High School, Morse High School and Mt. Ararat High School administrators to provide direct promotion of your jobs to high school students.

It’s really quite simple, just send the position details, hours, wage, youngest age you will hire, and details such as do they need transportation or do they need special training, to the e-mail address above. The message auto-forwards to the schools and their Extended Learning Opportunities coordinators post the jobs to students. Please make sure your job is in a final presentable form because the coordinators will likely cut and paste whatever you send. If you have questions e-mail me at Cory@midcoastmaine.com

UPCOMING EVENTS THROUGH MID-JUNE

Brunswick Topsham Memorial Day Parade, Monday, May 30, 9 a.m.
The full schedule of events can be found at www.memorialdaycommittee.org but look for Maine Street traffic and 201 traffic to be halted around 8 a.m. and the parade begins at 9 a.m. in Topsham heading across the bridge to Brunswick, ending with ceremonies on the Brunswick Mall at 11 a.m.

27th Annual Brunswick Bike Rodeo and Family Safety Day, June 4, 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Brunswick Parks and Recreation (220 Neptune Drive in Brunswick)
This free event features helmet giveaways, a bike rodeo safety course, bike giveaways and more. This event has numerous local partner organizations donating and volunteering time and is one of the biggest events of its kind in the region.

Maine State Music Theatre Opens Season, June 8
MSMT is back for a full 2022 season, and the patrons and businesses couldn’t be more excited. They are launching the season with a beloved classic, with “The Sound of Music” running June 8-25. They have an incredible season of four main stage shows, three concerts and three young performers shows. Find all of the details at msmt.org

2nd Friday Brunswick, June 10, 4-7 p.m.
The Brunswick Downtown Association’s summer arts & entertainment series begins on June 10 in downtown Brunswick. These events feature two dozen artists participating either in local businesses or on the streets along with several musical performers. These happen every second Friday from June through September.

Cory King is the executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber.