Apples were once a mainstay of local farms and local foodways and an integral part of the local landscape.  Farmers once grew hundreds of varieties of apples as part of their diversified farms.  The rapid decline of farming in the region led to the loss of that diversity of apples that once were part of people’s everyday lives.  This talk will explore those lost apples and the lives of the farmers who grew them, exploring their fascinating history.  We will begin with a discussion of the region's French habitants, or settlers, before English settlers arrived and then examine the history of this favored fruit. Blending storytelling and new insights from DNA sampling of local trees, this talk will provide a point of departure into the fascinating world of local heirloom apples and the efforts to save them.

Milk, Acid, and Time: The Basic Cheesemaker's Recipe In-Person

We are excited to host a special (free) family workshop with Crystal Burke. You will have the chance to observe cheese being made right in front of you. There will also be some snacks to go along with the cheese and we will get into some cheesy stories too! We can't wait. Register below to join!*

Crystal Burke has a small dairy goat herd called Hay's End Farm (Surry). She currently makes goat milk soaps and cheeses and so much more. She will be coming to teach a very simple cheese recipe that you can make with almost any milk and explain how the same simple steps can create almost any cheese with just a little modification. Come join with all your questions and curiosity as the bulk of any good cheese recipe is time. We will make a quick farm style soft cheese and discuss ways to both flavor this recipe and what changes would be needed to make almost any cheese a family wants to make.

Accessibility:
The speaker has multiple disabilities herself and among her family that make them susceptible to severe illness. You will need to weat a mask if you want to attend. If you believe that you are sick or have been exposed to an illness, we kindly ask you to cancel your registration. We will have some respirators available. 

This event is specifically for families with kids.However, when you register please keep in mind that there will be hot plates in the room. Our recommendation is to attend with kids ages 5 and up. 

The speaker will be wearing a respirator which will prevent the option of lipreading. While she has some knowledge of ASL, she is not translation capable. 

About Cider + Cheese:
The event is part of the annual Cider + Cheese Festival which celebrates the revival of two traditional foods, hard cider and cheese. We are excited to offer a combination of free and ticketed events, culminating with a tasty Cider & Cheese Bazaar with local food vendors, food trucks, and more. 

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.

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 is FULL!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.

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 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.

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.

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!

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.