The Weekender, June 1-3: Walking the walk this wicked warm weekend

The Grillin’ Brazilian food truck

Friday night in Bangor brings the June Downtown Bangor Art Walk, featuring a plethora of cool things to see, including the opening of “In Celebration of Lady Liberty,” featuring 13 Maine artists’ interpretation of the Statue of Liberty, open all month at 11 Central. There’s also the still-new exhibits at the University of Maine Museum of Art, including Maine sculptor Steve Bartlett’s fascinating constructions and Eric Lindveit’s three-dimensional paperworks. That evening, beloved Maine rockers the Mallett Brothers Band and Joel Thetford are at the Bangor Arts Exchange, Bill Barnes Jazz is at Nocturnem Drafthaus, and it’s night one of two nights of dueling pianos at the Downunder Club at Seasons. On Saturday, the Beats and Eats Festival is on the Bangor Waterfront from noon to 5 p.m., featuring six different food trucks and live music from the Adam Ezra Band. That evening, Nice Life, They Called Me Legion and Buddusky are at the Bangor Arts Exchange, songwriter Lindsay Mower at Nocturnem, and there’s standup comedy at Bangor Beer Company. On Sunday, Kidz Bop arrives at the Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, sure to delight all the six-year-olds in your life (and horrify the 36-year-olds).

BDN file photo of Portland Art Walk by Troy Bennett

It’s also First Friday Art Walk night in Portland, with the weather predicted to be pleasant, except mass crowds. Later that evening, there’s comedy at Empire, there’s the excellent indie rock band Hop Along with guests Bat Fangs at Port City Music Hall, there’s Acadia, Savor and the American Classic at Portland House of Music, a dance party at Bayside Bowl with DJ Mosart 212, and Maine metal with Holy Filth and Barishi at Geno’s. On Saturday, the David Wax Museum and Radio Jarocho are at Port City, Tatsuya Nakatani’s Gong Orchestra is at the Space Gallery, there’s a night of Afrobeat and dancehall at Empire, there’s songwriters Hanneke Cassel, Mike Block and Keith Murphy at One Longfellow, punk rock bands Nuclear Bootz, Ogre and Boat Dares at Bayside Bowl, metal bands Lacuna, Gothic Croutons and I Suppose You Know Karate at Geno’s, and Snaex, C. Joines and Jagtime Millionaire at the Apohadion. On Sunday, Typhoon and the Fourth Wall play at Port City, and the legendary B-52s are at Aura.

This weekend brings the second annual Belfast Ukulele Festival, with performances set for Friday night at Searsport Shores Campground, and Saturday at Steamboat Landing in Belfast. Also on Friday night, there’s the monthly Belfast Contradance at 8 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, and there’s yet another art walk, this time in Rockland, with afterparties including Lindsay Mower at Rock City Coffee, and a dance party with DJ Milkweed at Fog Bar. On Saturday, the Soulbenders play a dance party at the Crosby Center in Belfast, to benefit Nibezun, roots band Spruce Top Holler is at Rock City Coffee, and Nikki Hunt Band is at Thresher’s Brewing in Searsmont.

BDN file photo by Aislinn Sarnacki

Saturday is National Trails Day, celebrating public trails across the nation; in Maine, take advantage of some fun hikes and runs like the Rail Trail 5K, set for 9 p.m. on the Belfast Waterfront, and a 9 a.m. run at the LC Bates Museum Trails in Hinckley. The museum itself also hosts a really nifty exhibit of multimedia art about birds, open all summer. In Bangor, there’s a Lady Slipper Walk at 10 a.m. Saturday, sponsored by the Bangor Land Trust; you can see all sorts of beautiful wildflowers at Walden Parke Preserve, starting at the Tamarack Trail kiosk.

On TV, there are three premieres to get excited about: the first half of season four (the last season! boo hoo!) of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” on Netflix; family business drama “Succession” on HBO, and “Pose,” the fabulous new series from Ryan Murphy (“American Horror Story,” “Glee”).

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.