We have compiled an extended weekend guide for the holiday week. Live music, live music, and more live music, the Monument Square tree lighting, as well as holiday shows and game nights. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 24th
Sparks the Rescue: Reunion Show | 8:00 PM | Aura | Tickets
What do you get when you blend infectious melodies and pop-infused technical guitar riffs with high-energy and solid musicianship? You get Sparks The Rescue, a five-piece pop rock band from Portland, Maine that will win you over with their originality, passion, and dedication to constantly make rockin’ songs.
Thanksgiving Pop-Up Drag Show | 8:15 PM | Blackstones
Blackstones will be hosting a pop-up show on the eve of Thanksgiving starring your hostess and House Mother Miss Danielle Dior with Ophelia Johnson, and featuring special guests Clamz! Kasino and Incognita. The show will benefit the Frannie Peabody Center in Portland.
Home alone | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Moonlight Cinema | Tickets
Back by popular demand, Thompson’s Point is excited to bring you the return of Moonlight Cinema! Join us in the Brick South Beer Garden at Thompson’s Point where we will have a full bar, light concessions and optional add-ons to your general admission tickets, such as propane fueled fire-pits and high tops tables with bar stools! You are welcome to bring in your own food options, however, please refrain from bringing any outside alcoholic beverages. Showtimes Begin at dusk. This event is a leave your pets at home experience due to the abundance of children and the addition of the fire-pits.
Irish Night | 7:30 PM | Blue
Caitlin and Will are hosting a session at Blue in place of the usual concert, starting nice and early. We hear that exposure to tunes is adjacent to aerobic activity, which is all the excuse you need to get out of the house in advance of our national day of eating. If you play Irish music, bring an instrument; if you don’t, come along anyways!
The Gobble Wobble | 9:30 PM | The Bar
It’s that time of the year when we celebrate on Turkey Eve with a night of dancing and drinks! Join us at The Bar and Bites on Exchange Street. Hot Radio Maine DJ’s Ryan Deelon and Jay-C will help you get your Twerky on! GO-GO by TEALL!
Thursday, November 25th
Happy Thanksgiving | All Day | Portland, Maine
We have compiled a list of open restaurants that have dine-in options for singles, couples and families. We hope you all have an incredible holiday! Our complete list of open businesses and dine-in options is here > Thanksgiving Dine-in Options
Friday, November 26th
Tree Lighting | 4:00 PM | Monument Square | Live-Stream
The holiday season has officially arrived with the arrival of the Monument Square Christmas Tree! Join the community as everyone gathers to see the lighting of the tree take place, a holiday tradition, bring your friends and family, and some hot coco as well. If you can’t make it in person, there’s a 24 hour live-stream of the event as well!
The Polar Express: Train Ride | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Portland Ocean Gateway
This train ride will be the largest annual event for 2021 at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum (MNGRR). The rolling history museum’s Christmas train has become a holiday tradition drawing over 19,000 passengers! Come enjoy a fun filled train ride, with singing, dancing, the story of the Polar Express and of course Santa himself. Hot Chocolate will also be available as you arrive back at the station.
The Nutcracker | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Merrill Auditorium
This family holiday tradition is Northern New England’s largest and most spectacular Nutcracker. The Nutcracker features the traditional story of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince with glorious sets and dazzling costumes
Portland Stripped | 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Sun Tiki Studios | Tickets
Sun Tiki Studios will host four of Portland Maine’s most prolific bandleaders as they come together to play stripped down, intimate versions of their original material.
Model Airplanes Funksgiving | 8:00 PM | Portland House of Music | Tickets
Portland, ME based 7-piece Funkalicious Soul Explosion that doesn’t give you a choice but to dance. Try not to have a good time when you see them, try it, they dare you.
Saturday, November 27th
Small Business Saturday | All Day | Portland, Maine
This is one of our favorite days of the year! It encourages consumers to support local businesses by shopping small, redirecting business to local shops and stores instead of giving money to places like Wal-Mart and department stores. Portland is known for small businesses of all shapes and sizes.
DownEast Winter Expo | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Portland Expo
You will find Winter items: Ski and Snowboard jackets, bindings and helmets. X-Country and downhill skis, poles and boots. Gear bags, snow shoes, ice skates, gloves, googles, and much more at great prices.
Tusk | 9:00 PM | Aura | Tickets
Tusk is the number one Tribute to Fleetwood Mac in the world, bar none. No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note for note renditions that no other Fleetwood Mac tribute on the touring scene today can come close to duplicating.
Beatles Night | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | State Theatre | Tickets
Spencer and the Walrus is a consortium of Portland, ME based musicians who come together through a shared love of Beatles music, including solo material. All members are active recording and touring artists who were all recently featured in a Rolling Stone article which highlighted Portland’s ambitious music scene.
Dave Bregoli & Vitamin J | 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM | Citrus
Founder of Trivium Records, BUMP @ Flask Lounge and the DRIFT After Hours And Art events in Portland ME, Dave started DJing in the New England underground scene in 1999, producing music in 2016 and is well-versed in many styles (House, Techno, Minimal, Breaks, Bass etc). Daves focus is to bring a genre-bending, high-energy yet deep, grooving and heartfelt experience to the party. Think Hendrix. Not Clapton.
Sunday, November 28th
3 Chambers Tour: Raekwon x Ghostface x GZA | 8:00 PM | Aura | Tickets
Raekwon brought it back to lyrical, dope rap. He released an album that spoke to teens, twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, and beyond. Without compromising, the Chef made an edgy Hip Hop record that refused to bastardize the catalog he laid down 15 years ago
Makers Market at the Point | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Thompson’s Point
The Thompson’s Point Maker’s Market is a community based event developed to support and promote Maine and New England makers, craftspeople, artists, artisans and farms. It is free to attend, and encourages people from all over to come together, shop local and champion small businesses.
Game Night | 7:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Fore Play
Game Night at Foreplay Sports Pub. We have tons of new board/card games plus all the Foreplay classics like pool, darts, bubble hockey, foosball, buck hunter, etc. Every time you win a game you can spin our prize wheel and win a prize! You can enter our free nightly large prize raffle for a chance to win items like coolers, mini grills, and tickets to concerts and sporting events! Drawing is at 11pm and you must be present to win.
Sports Card and Memorabilia Show | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Stevens Ave Community Center
The Maine Card Connect Portland Card Show returns for its second showing! 25+ vendors/ collectors looking to buy/sell/trade and talk about the hobby of Sports cards and Memorabilia with YOU!
More event listings within Portland, Maine: CLICK HERE
