Bangor’s Christmas tree. Photo by Emily Burnham.
Municipalities from north to south, east to west are holding their holiday kickoffs this weekend. Here in Bangor, the Festival of Lights parade makes it way through downtown Bangor starting at 4:30 p.m., immediately followed by the tree lighting in West Market Square. In Belfast, Santa, carols and hot cocoa will be followed by a tree lighting at 5 p.m. in Post Office Square. In Boothbay Harbor, there are festivities all day and a tree lighting at 4 p.m. by the Boothbay Public Library. And in Kennebunkport, the annual Christmas Prelude event kicks off with a day full of family-friendly events, including the tree lighting at 5:30 p.m. in the Lower Village.
On the more nightlife-centric side of things, in Bangor on Friday night, rockers Hayley Jane and the Primates take the stage at the Bangor Arts Exchange, while songwriter Troy Youngblood is at Nocturnem Drafthaus, rockers Little Rodeo are at the Sea Dog, and Bangor bluesman Eric Green is at Bangor Beer Company. On Saturday, Celtic ensemble Coig is at the Bangor Arts Exchange, Sam Chase and Yuri Trusty perform at Nocturnem, the Uncrowned Kings play at the Downunder Club at Seasons, and up in Orono, Zesty and Livid Orange play at Woodman’s, and there’s the monthly contradance at the Keith Anderson Community Center.
In Portland on Friday, local indie rockers Lisa/Liza, Kafari and Bad History Month are at the Space Gallery, rockers the Shakes, the Boneheads and Patchen are at Portland House of Music, metal bands Drivetrain, Sygnal to Noise and Twin Grizzly are at Empire, Ward Hayden and the Outsiders play at One Longfellow Square, and New England bands Keep Flying, Real Talk, Real Gone and The Long Year are at Geno’s. On Saturday, The Wallflowers and Jason Spooner are at the State Theatre, there’s an ugly sweater dance party at Port City Music Hall, the Soul Clap dance party returns to the Space Gallery, and there’s a Kiss tribute show at Aura. For local shows, Raging Brass plays at Portland House of Music, songwriter Max Garcia Conover and Western Den are at Empire, there’s a triple bill of songwriters featuring John Whelan, Low Lily and Katie McNally at One Longfellow Square, and Shabti, Excavator and Exclave are at Geno’s.
Opening in movie theaters across the state is the new horror flick “The Possession of Hannah Grace,” while on TV, the new season of the animated series “F Is For Family” premieres on Netflix, and, looking head, the highly anticipated second season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” premieres on Wednesday on Amazon Prime.