Don’t miss exciting upcoming events hosted by Heart of Ellsworth in Downtown Ellsworth. Add concerts, workshops, and more to your calendar and share them with friends! Interested in hearing about community events and news? Sign up for our Community Newsletter or follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Unlocking Creative Potential: New Offerings from the Maine Arts Commission
Join us for an engaging and informative event with the staff of The Maine Arts Commission as they visit Ellsworth to unveil their latest initiatives. Hosted by Heart of Ellsworth, Commission staff will highlight their new Creative Communities Grant, a unique funding opportunity designed to support and enhance local cultural projects, and introduce Assets for Artists, a program offering free professional development resources for artists and cultural leaders.
This is a fantastic chance for municipal and community leaders, nonprofit cultural leaders, artists, culture makers, and arts advocates to connect with the Commission’s team, learn about these exciting new programs, and explore how they can benefit your work and community. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and build connections.
FMI contact cara@heartofellsworth.org or martha.piscuskas@maine.gov.
MAKERSPACE RIBBON-CUTTING & OPEN STUDIOS
Join us for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of our new makerspace in Downtown Ellsworth! This exciting new space will feature an exhibition gallery, artist studios, offices, and coworking spaces, providing a vibrant environment for creativity and collaboration in our community. The ribbon-cutting will occur at 5:00 PM, followed by a chance to explore the building and learn more about this exciting new space. The first show will be “The Life of the River,” an art exhibition by the local high school students from Ellsworth High School. This event was mas possible by a generous sponsorship by Rudman Winchell.
This event is hosted by Heart of Ellsworth, with support from the City of Ellsworth and the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. A huge thank you to Rudman Winchell for sponsoring Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend.
Visit https://www.heartofellsworth.org/artofellsworth for the full schedule of events.
THE LIFE OF THE RIVER - STUDENT ART EXHIBITION
Heart of Ellsworth is thrilled to celebrate the opening of our new exhibition gallery and makerspace at 16 State Street as part of Art of Ellsworth, celebrating Maine Craft Weekend.
Our first show will be "The Life of the River," a stunning art exhibition featuring works by talented Ellsworth High School students. The show will open on Friday, October 4th at 5:00 PM, following the ribbon-cutting for the new makerspace at 16 State Street. Refreshments will be available.
Support and celebrate youth artists and creativity in downtown Ellsworth!
Stop in to explore the space and see the exhibit at any of the following times:
Friday, October 4th - 5:00 PM - 8:00
Saturday, October 5th, 10:00 am - 2:00 PM
Saturday, October 12th, 10:00 am - 2:00 PM
Saturday, October 19th, 10:00 am - 2:00 PM
This event is hosted by Heart of Ellsworth, with support from the City of Ellsworth, Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce, and Ellsworth High School. A huge thank you to Rudman Winchell for sponsoring Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend.
Visit https://www.heartofellsworth.org/artofellsworth for the full schedule of events.
Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend
Learn more about Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend happening in Downtown Ellsworth, Maine on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6, 2024.
Public Art Workshop: Creating String-Light Spheres
Join Amy Reisman for a community workshop where participants will learn to create beautiful spherical sculptures using chicken wire and string lights. These sculptures will be featured in a community art installation in downtown Ellsworth’s Merrill Park for the 2024 holiday season. During the workshop, you'll be guided through the basics of chicken wire sculpting using simple tools and materials. Whether you're an experienced DIY enthusiast or a complete beginner, this workshop welcomes everyone eager to contribute to our community art project. Let's come together to spread holiday cheer through creativity and community spirit!
Registration: To reserve your workshop spot, CLICK HERE.
Materials Provided :
Chicken wire
String lights (LED recommended for energy efficiency)
Zip ties or twist ties
Please Bring:
Wire cutters
Pliers
Safety gloves
This event is hosted by Heart of Ellsworth, with support from the City of Ellsworth and the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. A huge thank you to Rudman Winchell for sponsoring Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend.
Visit https://www.heartofellsworth.org/artofellsworth for the full schedule of events.
Meet the Candidates 2024
Meet the Candidates is a FREE, public, and annual event that gathers Ellsworth’s City Council candidates and engaged community members to discuss local issues in advance of each November election. This event is a great opportunity for candidates and locals alike to network with fellow voters. residents and business owners, candidates, and current council members, Members of the public can submit questions for the candidates to answer on stage and tune in via the live stream. For more information, visit our website.
🍎+🧀: Cider Making Demonstration
Explore Cider Making at Fogtown Brewing Company
Join Heart of Ellsworth and Fogtown Brewing Co. for a cider-making demonstration as we select, mill & press apples gathered from local orchards and foraged from the Maine Coast. We'll taste fresh heritage cider apples, and discuss how their complex characteristics contribute to the cider-making process. You’ll learn some of the history of the classic varietals, with their intriguing bitterness, tannins, and mysterious aromatics! We’ll talk about the various yeast and other microbes involved in fermentation, practical tips for finding and selecting apples, pressing, fermenting, aging, and bottling. Finally, we'll transfer this golden elixir into select oak barrels to ferment and age for next year's bottling.
As the pressing demo winds down, head to the Fogtown bar, where Fogtown will open some bottles from their cellar so you can purchase their new releases by the glass! And enjoy their cider-apple wood-fired pizza special.
For $60 you can take home 500ml of our freshly-pressed cider in a swivel-top bottle to drink fresh or ferment at home! Plus, get two general admission tickets to the Cider & Cheese Bazaar on Saturday, November 9th.
Spots are limited to 25 people.
For more cider + cheese events, visit our 2024 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival homepage.
🍎+🧀: Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival
Learn more about the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival taking place in Downtown Ellsworth starting Friday, November 8th, and ending Sunday, November 10, 2024.
🍎+🧀: Apple Talk + Reception with Todd Little Siebold
Learn from local apple legend, Todd Little Siebold, in the opening event of the 2024 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. More details coming soon!
🍎+🧀: Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival Bazaar
Now seeking volunteers for the bazaar!
Discover the finest local ciders and cheeses at our vibrant market bazaar outside downtown Ellsworth. This market will offer a delightful experience for people of all ages. Sample and purchase local craft cheese, ciders, and other specialty food products. Grab lunch from a local food truck. Try your luck at getting some high-valued prizes at the raffle auction. Support local businesses and savor some of our region's best flavors!
TICKETS ON SALE OCTOBER 1ST
VIP TICKETS
VIPs gain early entry to the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival bazaar. Be the first to meet the purveyors, sample, and shop! Doors open for VIP ticket holders at 11:30 AM for a full hour of exclusive early access. VIPs also receive a commemorative tasting glass & tote bag. VIP tickets priced at $30.
General Admission
GA tickets cost just $10 to shop from Maine’s best cideries and cheesemakers. The bazaar is open to GA ticket holders from 12:30 to 4:30 PM.
Learn more about this year’s festival. Head to our Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival homepage.
🍎+🧀: Fermented Apples Workshop with Jesse Steiger
Learn all about fermented apples with Jesse Steiger at The Conscious Cafe at the Steamy Buddha during the 2024 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. More details coming soon!
Maine Outdoor Film Festival
This is an all ages event (under 21 must be accompanied by adult). Suggested donation of $5 to $10 to support Heart of Ellsworth. Check out the night’s film program below or visit the Maine Outdoor Film Festival website to learn more!
Scheduled Program:
LOST, GOING EAST – 30.42 minutes – by Charlotte Simons, Gen Liu – from New York – Short synopsis: A man jettisons his life in New Hampshire to run across America and find his own way to live.
300 MILES MELTING – 24.4 minutes – by Ansel Dickey – from Vermont – Short synopsis: Climate change is our planet’s number one threat. And one of its biggest targets is being overlooked: New England. We set out to make a film that paints this picture in a real and informative way by traveling Vermont’s 300-mile Catamount Trail on skis and learning from brilliant minds along the way.
WINTER’S EVE – 9 minutes – by Max Lowe – from Not Specified – Short synopsis: While many of us associate the winter with darkness, restraint, and lifelessness, polar bears see the opposite. It is a time of vitality and vigor, and the anticipation of hunting and mating can be seen and felt when visiting them as they gaze upon the unfrozen ocean, waiting for it to freeze. Unfortunately, due to global warming, the arctic ice is melting, and the winter is setting on later and later is remarkably shorter, causing an incredible strain on the polar bear population.
NATURE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY – 12 minutes – by Jordyn Romero – from United States – Short synopsis: The story of five women who boldly embark on a ten day trek with total strangers to conquer the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc. Their goal? To heal their past traumas, together. An uplifting tale of reliance, female friendship and the incredible power of using nature and community to heal and forge a brighter future.
CRACK BABY – 14.45 minutes – by Mario Heller – from Switzerland – Short synopsis: On 15 February 1993 at the Breitwangflue above Kandersteg in Switzerland, Xaver Bongard and Michael Gruber made the first ascent of Crack Baby. A year later, Bongard died in a BASE jumping accident. In this film Siegrist and Gruber return to pay homage to Bongard.
RIDE TO SLIDE – 5.9 minutes – by Greg Cairns – from United States – Short synopsis: A skier takes on a solo multi-week bikepacking and ski mountaineering journey. With a simple change of perspective, it turns out our home range is all we need.
DEATH OF THE ETERNALS – 6.57 minutes – by Jane Geisler – from Louisiana, WORLD PREMIERE – Short synopsis: Using archival film and contemporary digital footage, “Death of the Eternals” places bald cypress felled in the 1920s in conversation with descendants threatened by climate change and continued logging practices. Unfolding in reverse, this experimental horror speaks to the violence perpetrated on the land then and now in the name of capitalism.
SEVEN PHASES OF MADNESS – 6.78 minutes – by Zacharie Turgeon – from Quebec – Short synopsis: Welcome aboard the rollercoaster that is Mathos’ twisted mind while experiencing yet another journey on a gravel bike. Mad or not mad? Yours to judge.
Volunteer Clean-up Day
(Rain date is August 8th.) Help Us Prepare for Ellsworth's Maine Downtown Center Site Visit
On Aug. 15, Maine Downtown Center will be visiting Downtown Ellsworth as part of our Main Street America designation application process. We submitted our application in early June. If selected, Ellsworth will become the 11th Main Street community in Maine and the only Main Street community in Hancock, Washington, and Penobscot counties. This designation would put Ellsworth on the map as having an economically vibrant and sustainable downtown with a proven track record of community engagement.
The application review team will visit downtown and, in preparation for the site visit, we’re hosting a Volunteer Clean-up Day on Aug. 6th from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. We invite you to join our Design Committee to help beautify downtown by weeding and cleaning up Main Street and other downtown locations.
Different tasks will be available, such as weeding, picking up trash, watering, and more! Please be prepared to work in the sun, and bring water, sun protection, gardening gloves, and weeding tools.
Sign up to volunteer to help here.
Free Summer Concert in the parklet feat. The Hot Suppers
Join Heart of Ellsworth and WERU Community Radio for a night of music with THE HOT SUPPERS, a six-piece, Americana dance-band showcasing a mix of original and vintage blues, country, and rock & roll. The band's joyfully powerful sound is marked by huge vocal arrangements, sweet instrumental moments and propulsive rhythms. The Hot Suppers are dynamic, harmonic, rhythmic and electric! See who’s going and invite your friends! Check out the Facebook Event Page.
Ellsworth Pride Fest
Ellsworth PrideFest 2024 will occur on Sunday, June 9th, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Knowlton Park. This is a FREE, annual, family-friendly event for people who embrace diversity and love. See below for our planned festivities. Click the link above to see a full schedule of events.
Jane's Walk - Life & Death in Ellsworth
GrowSmart Maine and Ellsworth Historical Society are partnering to take participants on a walk through downtown Ellsworth highlighting the ways building use, lifestyle, and culture have evolved with urbanization and modernization of our small city. We will meet at the Old Burial Ground on State Street behind the Congregational Church and end at Fogtown Brewing on Pine Street.
Jane's Walk - Riverside Renewal: Forest Bathing Next to the Union River with Shep Erhart
Reconnect to nature and your five senses with a slow morning walk through the woods along the river. Meet at 20 State Street at 10:00 AM. Check out our Jane’s Walk page for more details. Riverside Renewal spots are limited to create a peaceful experience for attendees. RSVP today!
Historic Preservation Workshop Series: Making Old Places New Again
While old buildings have literally stood the test of time, many require alterations and improvements to meet contemporary needs (and code!). This session will provide an overview of straightforward rehabilitation activities like repointing brick walls and restoring windows, as well as the integration of new systems to meet economic and climate resilience goals.
Promotions Committee Info Session
Heart of Ellsworth is gearing up for our event season, and we are looking for talented volunteers to join our Promotions Committee! The Promotions Committee gathers monthly to coordinate community events that attract ideas, innovation, and people to our Downtown District and beyond. If this committee sounds interesting, please join us for a no-strings-attached info session on April 18th from 4-5 pm and fill out the interest form below. It only takes 2 minutes to complete the interest form and get started.
Historic Preservation Workshop Series: Funding your Preservation Project
Whether you are a small business owner, nonprofit organization, or real estate developer, rehabilitating your historic building requires a sustainable use, a workable business plan, and financial resources to do the job right. Join us to learn about historic rehabilitation tax credits, capital improvement grant programs, and other strategies for a successful preservation project.