Maine Festival of American Music

Join the Shakers in the 1794 Meeting House for three evening concerts with The Portland String Quartet, celebrating American music from its classical and ethnic roots to living composers.

On Wednesday, June 25, 7 p.m., The Portland String Quartet performs masterpieces by American composers Fritz Kreisler and Ernest Bloch. On Thursday, June 26, 7 p.m., composer and singer Kevin Siegfried leads The Portsmouth Singers in a diverse program of his stunningly beautiful arrangements of Shaker songs. Brother Arnold Hadd, Sabbathday Lake Shaker and historian, will add insights and historical context about Shaker music and life. On Saturday, June 28, 7 p.m., The Portland String Quartet with guest oboist Kathleen McNerney will perform works by Mozart and composer Stephen Gryc, who is a professor at Hartt School of Music.

Reservations are required. Ticket prices per concert are adults $25, seniors $20, under 21 free. Shaker Village is located at 707 Shaker Road, off Route 26, New Gloucester. To make reservations, call 926-4597, email usshakers@aol.com, or buy tickets online at www.shaker.lib.me.us.

Annual Strawberry Festival

The 39th annual New Gloucester Strawberry Festival will be held on Thursday, June 26, from 6-8 p.m., at the Vestry Community Room of the First Congregational Church, 19 Gloucester Hill Road. The basic ingredients used will be New Gloucester-based, including the berries, homemade biscuits and Hodgman’s frozen custard.

Live music will be provided by the Berry, Berry Good Band. The festival and a baked goods table will be sponsored by the members and friends of the New Gloucester Historical Society. A scale model of the proposed New Gloucester Veterans Monument will be on display.

Bird Watching

Trained naturalist and birdwatcher Carol Beyna will lead groups to the fascinating habitats of the Shaker Bog from 8-10 a.m., Saturday, June 28. Learn to beckon chickadees, nuthatches and other small birds. Possible sightings also include pileated woodpeckers, loons, ducks, Canada geese, American bald eagle, hawks, and the Shaker bog’s resident community of sandhill cranes.

This program is designed for families, young and old, and promises a fun and memorable experience in the Maine woods. Dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear for a two-hour, moderate trail walk in the woods. Bring your camera, binoculars and bottled water.

The tour size is limited to 12, and reservations are required. Fees are $5 for adults and $2 for children. Shaker Village is located at 707 Shaker Road, off Route 26, New Gloucester. To sign up, call 926-4597 or email usshakers@aol.com.

Church Photo Search

The First Congregational-Christian Church of New Gloucester is preparing for a yearlong celebration of its 250th anniversary in 2015, and organizers need your help. Do you have photos of weddings, graduations, or other events held at the church from years past that you would be willing to share?

Please email them to history@ngucc.org, along with any names, stories, or other information you have. If you cannot email your photos, call the church office at 926-3260 to make arrangements to have your photos scanned. Organizers will be building a slide show presentation to be shown at their anniversary events.

Making Hay

Open Gates Equine Rescue’s bake sale and bottle drive was a huge success. The organizers wish to thank their bakers and those who purchased all of the baked goods – barely a crumb was left over. A special thank-you to Ames Farm Center in North Yarmouth for allowing Open Gates to once again hold their bake sale at their store. The farm center crew proved to be a big help and a lot of fun. Open Gates raised enough funds to purchase 70 bales of hay, plus a little extra for grain.

From left, Holden, 3, Chris, and Maddy Caruso, 6, of North Yarmouth, are awaiting their hay wagon ride at the May 31 annual grand opening of The Family Farmyard. The farmyard at Pineland Farms will be open daily Memorial Day to Columbus Day for $5 per person. Buy tickets at The Market and Welcome Center, 15 Farm View Drive, New Gloucester. For more information, contact Cathryn Anderson, 240-9355 or canderson@pinelandfarms.org. John Plapis, Gray-New Gloucester Lions Club president, presents Erin Haley, of New Gloucester, with a certificate for $100 worth of fuel oil donated by Fielding’s Oil. Haley, a longtime donor, was the lucky winner at the Lions’ annual blood drive on May 19. The drive was very successful, collecting 66 pints of life-saving blood.