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This Week’s Mix: Art, Music, Dinner, Democracy

Bowdoinhammer - Week of November 17th to the 23rd

Author

Rodney Kloberdans
November 17, 2025

Happy Monday, Bowdoinhammer

Correction: The Thanksgiving Farmers’ Market will be on SATURDAY, November 22nd. Not Friday, as mentioned in the “Happening Soon” section of the previous edition. Thank you, Seth Berry, for pointing that out. Please forgive my error.

Location of the Thanksgiving Market, the newly renovated Town Hall (photo by Tessa Kingsley)

Don’t tell Tessa this, you guys, but I’m not perfect. I will get stuff wrong, and when I do, I hope that you feel comfortable telling me. My intention is to get the correct information out to the community.

Don’t worry about my ego.

I used to be a cable guy, so I might not have any left.

Bowdoinham Select Board Meeting Summary- November 10, 2025

The Select Board meeting welcomed newly elected member Shelley Hooper and confirmed Joanne Joy and Mark Favreau as Chair and Vice Chair. The Board approved minutes from October 28, authorized winter maintenance on Pratt Road for the 2025-2026 winter season, adopted the Treasurer's Disbursement Policy, appointed Marc Babcock to the Finance Advisory Committee, and greenlit the purchase of a first-response vehicle using EMS grant funds. They also renewed the lease for the "yellow building," discussed Sidewalk Project options for Main Street (they like option 1, which keeps the sidewalk on the north side of road from Center Street to Post Road), and heard updates from the Town Manager on Town Hall's upcoming reopening, holiday office hours, ongoing infrastructure projects, and vandalism at the Waterfront Park bathrooms. Future Select Board meetings will be held on November 25, December 9, and December 23. 

(These are NOT official minutes, just a summary from my notes. I encourage you to watch the whole meeting and follow along with the official agenda.)

Music, Merriment, and a Little Local Magic

Bowdoinham's got rhythm this month, and next!
First, Triton rolls into Merrymeeting Hall on Saturday, November 22nd, bringing their mesmerizing mix of Breton dance tunes, Scottish hornpipes, and Old World storytelling. It's part of the Merrymeeting Music House Concert series. The kind of show that makes you forget you're sitting in a small-town hall and not a European folk festival.

RSVP here to save your spot: Triton RSVP Form.
Optional potluck at 5:30 PM, music at 7:00 PM, and a $20 suggested donation that goes straight to the artists.

And then, just when you think Merrymeeting Hall can't get any livelier...
Saturday, December 13th, is when Merrymeeting Music hosts the annual Bowdoinham's Got Talent! An open mic night for the ages. From poets to pickers, and maybe folks who can juggle kittens (we assume there's a waiver), it's a night of pure joy and community creativity.

RSVP here to save your spot: Audience RSVP Form.
Potluck at 5:30 PM, showtime at 7:00 PM.
Free to attend, with a $10+ suggested donation benefiting Bowdoinham Community School's arts programming.
Nominate yourself or a neighbor here: Talent RSVP Form.

Two nights, one stage, and a whole lot of Bowdoinham heart.

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Keeping Bowdoinham connected takes time, Love, and a bunch of caffeine. ☕

If you find the Bowdoinhammer useful, fun, or simply neighborly, consider buying a virtual coffee to help sustain the effort: buymeacoffee.com/bowdoinhammer.

Thanks for reading!

Bowdoinham in the News

The Gills’ small family farm is bracing for federal rules that could erase their entire hemp operation overnight, even though they never produced the intoxicating products that triggered the crackdown. Coverage from the Maine Morning Star  and Common Dreams shows a growing chorus of Maine and national voices arguing that the restrictions, passed as part of the shutdown deal, would ban nearly everything currently sold and push responsible producers like the Gills to the brink.

New from Bowdoinham Community Connections:

We know that a simple check-in can mean a lot. That's why our volunteers are now offering friendly phone calls to your loved ones - a quick chat to make sure they're doing okay and to remind them they're not alone.

If you have a family member, friend, or neighbor in Bowdoinham who could use a regular check-in, give us a call at (207) 666-3101 or email [email protected] to learn more.

Because sometimes connection starts with "Hello."

Happening This Week:

MONDAY, November 17th

. . .

TUESDAY, November 18th

  • Recycling Drop-off, Public Works Facility (121 Pond Rd.), NOON - 6:00 PM.

  • Merryreading Book Store OPEN, Merrymeeting Hall Basement (27 Main St.), 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM.

  • Merrymeeting Dance Alinement FREE Line Dancing Lessons, Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St.), 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM. FMI: [email protected]

. . .

WEDNESDAY, November 19th

  • Bridge, Bowdoinham Fire Station (57 Post Rd.), 9:30 AM - NOON. 

  • The Clothes Closet, The house behind the church (7 School St.), 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM. FREE clothes for those in need. All are welcome.

  • Bowdoinham Food Pantry OPEN, Bowdoinham Food Pantry (9 Main St.), 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. 

  • Open Pottery Studio, Merrymeeting Arts Center Studio (9 Main St.), 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. $10 suggested donation. The maximum capacity is 10 pottery enthusiasts.

. . .

THURSDAY, November 20th

  • Trash Pick-up Day. You can buy the $3 trash tags at the Town Office and Public Works Facility. Pick-up times vary. 

  • Intermediate Yoga Class with Ann Flannery, second floor of Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St.) 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM. Designed for those with some yoga experience, but modifications are always offered. $15 payable by cash, check, or Venmo. FMI: [email protected] or (207) 751-9589.

  • Recycling Drop-off, Public Works Facility (121 Pond Rd.), 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

  • Cribbage, Bowdoinham Fire Station (57 Post Rd.), 9:30 AM - NOON. 

  • Loose Ladies Book Club, Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St.), 1:00 PM. They’ll discuss the book “Memorial Days: a Memoir” by Geraldine Brooks. Get your copy at Bowdoinham Public Library (207) 666-8405, or your favorite local bookseller.

  • Merryreading Book Store OPEN, Merrymeeting Hall Basement (27 Main St.), 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM.

  • Planning Board Meeting, Kendall Room, John C. Coombs Municipal Building (13 School St.), 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM. Townhall Streams link. For a list of other town meetings, visit the town's calendar.

. . .

FRIDAY, November 21st

  • Bowdoinham Community Connections Office hours, Bowdoinham Fire Station (57 Post Rd.), NOON - 2:00 PM. Pop in to see what the BCC is about! Know someone who needs assistance? Click here. Bowdoinham Community Connections is a project of the Governor’s Cabinet on Aging.

. . .

SATURDAY, November 22nd

  • Thanksgiving Farmers' Market, Old Town Hall (11 School St.), 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  One last time they’ll be slinging fresh veggies from Blue Bell Farm, bread from Counterpoint, sweet treats from Pleasant Pond Orchard, teas and lotions from Bumbleweed, dried flower wreaths from the Rooted Pig, tincture blends from The Northern Muse, and more!  It will be great to see everyone before the winter hibernation.

  • Recycling Drop-off, Public Works Facility (121 Pond Rd.), 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

  • Visit/Volunteer/Donate/Shop at the Bowdoinham Gift Shop, Recycling Barn (243 Post Rd.), 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Clean and FREE curated household items, clothes, and toys are available. Donations are accepted inside during these hours, when volunteers are present to store them properly; please note that the building is under electronic surveillance, and leaving materials outside at any other time is considered littering. Returnable beverage containers may be dropped off in the window near the road at any time.

  • Open Pottery Studio, Merrymeeting Arts Center Studio (9 Main St.), 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. $10 Suggested donation. The maximum capacity is 10 pottery enthusiasts.

  • Merryreading Book Store OPEN, Merrymeeting Hall Basement (27 Main St.), 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

  • Trees and Wood-burned Art: The Love of Trees, Merrymeeting Arts Center Gallery (9 Main St.), 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. An Exhibition by Evelyn Dean.

  • Merrymeeting Music House Concerts presents: Triton, Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St.), Potluck (optional) 5:30 PM. Showtime 7:00 PM. There will be a $20 suggested cash donation (100% goes to the artist). Please RSVP. If you would like a heads-up before their other concerts, sign up for their newsletter.

. . .

SUNDAY, November 23rd

  • Sunday Service, Bowdoinham Second Baptist (1 Church St.), 9:30 AM.

  • Sunday School/Service, Bowdoinham Church of the Nazarene (7 School St.), 10:00 AM, Service 11:00 AM. 

  • Nazarene Church's Annual Thanksgiving Dinner, Old Town Hall (11 School St.), 12:15 PM - 2:00 PM. Everyone welcome.

  • Snowflake Making Workshop, Merrymeeting Arts Center Studio (9 Main St.), 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Get into the holiday spirit with the Merrymeeting Arts Center's snowflake-making event. All ages are welcome, and donations are appreciated as we craft something special for the Bowdoinham Holiday Festival!

  • Community Swim at the LeRoy Greason Pool (35 Watson Dr., Brunswick), 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM. Free to residents of Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell, and Topsham. Pre-registration required.

Events may change or be canceled without notice.

Holiday Wrapping with a Heart

The Bowdoinham Gift Shop crew will be wrapping gifts in the Kendall Room on Saturday, December 6th, from 10 AM to 2 PM, offering free help to anyone whose December is getting away from them. 

The Gift Shop itself is a community treasure: a place where donated items are sorted, cleaned up, and given away at no cost, thanks to a small army of volunteers. 

It runs on goodwill, but it still takes money to keep the lights on and the operation moving. That's where this fundraiser comes in. 

While the wrapping is free, every donated dollar helps the volunteers keep this all-free, all-the-time resource available for Bowdoinham. 

Folks can drop off their gifts, browse the library, or swing over to the Guild of Artisans Show (across the parking lot) while the volunteers work their magic.

Tell them the Bowdoinhammer set you. 😉

Happening Soon:

🥧 Bowdoinham's Annual Pie Sale is back, and this year it's being hosted by the Bowdoinham Church of the Nazarene! Proceeds will be shared between the Fire Department and the Church's Compassionate Ministries Fund. The sale happens at the Fire Department on Tuesday, November 25th, starting at 8:00 AM and running until 7:00 PM (or until the pies run out!). Pie makers, this is your moment to shine! Donations of pies, ingredients, or even a little volunteer time are needed to make the sale a success. To get involved, contact Natausha Naylor at (207) 751-4014 (call or text) or email [email protected]. Donations of ingredients can be dropped off or picked up by arrangement. Details on pie drop-offs will be announced soon. It's a Bowdoinham tradition worth keeping around-so bake, buy, and be part of it!

.   .   .

🎄 Looking to deck your halls and do some good? Stop by the Bowdoinham Gift Shop Christmas Fundraiser at the Recycling Barn (243 Post Rd.), happening Saturday, November 29th and Saturday, December 6th, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Thanks to a generous donation, there'll be over 100 ceramic Christmas village houses plus trains, ornaments, and holiday décor for sale! There will even be a small bake sale to sweeten the day. Proceeds help support the shop's community work. It's cash only, so don't forget your wallet and your cheer!

.   .   .

🎁  Get ready to check off your holiday shopping list while enjoying Bowdoinham's best, as the annual Holiday Festival runs from December 5th through December 7th. This multi-day celebration fills the town with unique artisan sales, including the Merrymeeting Arts Center Craft Fair and the Bowdoinham Guild of Artisans Show, featuring fiber arts, woodworking, and more. Beyond the shopping, folks can experience a quieter charm at the Nazarene Church's Victorian Christmas Open House, catch a special appearance by Santa at the Fire Station, or watch live blacksmithing demonstrations. Mark your calendar for these three days of fun, festive markets, and community activities.

You now have all the information you need to have the best Bowdoinham week yet!

Go forth and be good to yourself.

Love,

Rodney

❤️

Inside the Town Hall (Photo by Tessa Kingsley)