Friends of Congress Square Park

Caroline Cotter & Friends
2017-09-01 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Detroit) | Congress Square Park, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Caroline Cotter is a Maine artist with a captivating soprano voice and award-winning songwriting. With inspiration collected from world travels, her music is the offer of a journey – from an intimate Parisian salon, through the mountains of Colorado, to the coast of Maine, by the side of a bluegrass festival campfire, and into the depths of the human heart. Cotter’s debut album, Dreaming as I Do, an eclectic mix of melodic honesty, reached #5 on the Folk DJ charts in February 2015.
In addition to performing solo, Caroline also performs with Maine-based bluegrass/folk band, The Gather Rounders, as well as 5-piece swing group, C.C. & The Swing Set.

Bayside Trio w. Port Tango Dancers
2017-08-31 18:00 - 20:00
Come enjoy contemporary chamber music by these accomplished musicians!

(This event was postponed due to rain. The original show date was August 18, 2017.)

Bright Star World Dance
2017-08-30 18:00 - 20:00
Bright Star World Dance brings you an evening of Belly Dance and Latin Dance. Come see performances by Rosa Noreen, Joie Grandbois, Dark Follies, Anna & Lazaro of Danza Latina, and the Bright Star belly dance student troupes! Learn some new movements in all different styles from these friendly and welcoming teachers. Tap your toes, shimmy your hips, and immerse yourself in the rhythms of the music!

Films in the Square: LA LA LAND
2017-08-27 19:30
Join us every Sunday evening at dusk for Films in the Square co-presented by Portland Summer Films. Bring a lawn chair, sit back and enjoy classic films in an outdoor venue. June 4th through August 27th.
Co-Presented By:

Sponsored by:

Hurry Down Sunshine
2017-08-26 12:00 - 14:00
Stan Davis and Brian Kavanah play a wide range of acoustic guitar -folk songs, blues, rock, and even originals!

Novel Jazz Septet
2017-08-23 18:00 - 20:00
Novel Jazz is back by popular demand!
“Novel Jazz” is a band that re-interprets the great works of jazz icons, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. For over a decade, they have been mining the rich musical collections of these legends (together they wrote ~3000 compositions, of which most jazz lovers are familiar with only about ~2% of these!). Through regular trips to the Duke Ellington Collection at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. (and more recently, the Strayhorn Collection at the Univ. of Chicago), Novel Jazz locates original scores of their lesser-known/rarely recorded compositions, which they then arrange for the band and bring back to life. It is not uncommon to find their writings, poetry and personal letters mixed in among the music manuscripts in the Smithsonian archives, all of which they weave into the stories of each tune. Novel Jazz relishes bringing this music back to life—but (very important)— they do it with a 21st century spin. They always also mix in their better known standards for balance. They play regularly around New England, in opera houses, theaters and concert halls.

Films in the Square: CHARLOTTE'S WEB (1973)
2017-08-20 19:30

Contra Dance featuring Volution, with Dela Taylor!
2017-08-16 18:00 - 20:00
Portland Intown Contra Dance is up to growing a lively community through weekly zesty, joyful, intergenerational contra dancing to live music. They insist no partner and no experience is needed to have a delightful and connected dance. Dela Taylor will teach each of this evening’s dances, bringing her humor, and fresh, light calling style. She’ll be joined by Volution, a dynamic band that deftly moves from tunes with energy and zest to those with room and gravitas. Adams Carney is on fiddle and sometimes accordion, Helen Newell is on another fiddle, and Nolan Rogers is on cello, playing both tunes that hold places of honor in the New England folk tradition and tunes inspired by European links.

Films in the Square: THE VISITOR
2017-08-13 20:00

Tiger Bomb (Reschedule from June)
2017-08-12 18:00 - 20:00
TIGER BOMB are an all-girl all-original glam inspired group fronted by Lynda Mandolyn (formerly of San Francisco all-girl band, Fabulous Disaster), and Chris Horne (formerly of Portland, ME all-girl band, The Brood). They’ve combined forces for their latest rock & pop explosion – Tiger Bomb! Backed by the dynamic duo of Andrea Ellis on bass & Cindy Allison on drums, this ‘feline frenzy’ is catching on quick here in Portland. Tiger Bomb fuses catchy all-original songs with tight harmonies, ferocious guitars, and a cool high-energy attitude…
Their full-length debut album will be out this summer on Dionysus Records… mastered by Joe Foster (My Bloody Valentine), with cover art by the renowned Lisa Petrucci.
Tiger Bomb are veteran musicians, with very danceable “family friendly” songs, perfect for a Friday night at the par The group has played regular shows at Bayside Bowl; The Space Gallery, H.O.M.E. and other local venues, as well as many out-of-state venues.

Inanna-Sisters In Rhythm w/ special guest Marita Kennedy-Castro
2017-08-11 18:00 - 20:00
Inanna- Sisters in Rhythm makes its first appearance in the park, with a special guest appearance by Marita Kennedy-Castro!

Inanna-Sisters In Rhythm is an all-women’s percussion and vocal ensemble dedicated to cultural diversity, education and healing through the language of music. Blending western vocal harmonies with the polyrhythms or West Africa, the Middle East and Brazil the women of Inanna create a multicultural beyond tradition.

Together for more tan 26 years, the band has recorded six full length albums; been invited to schools to teach drumming and culture to youth; and performed extensively throughout New England and most recently in Florida.

The band takes its name from the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna, who was worshipped more than 4,000 years ago when it is believed that the drummers were predominantly women.

Summer Swing Dance with the Hadacol Bouncers
2017-08-09 18:00 - 20:00
Summer Swing Dance with the Hadacol Bouncers and Portland Swing Project!
The Hadacol Bouncers formed in the summer of 2013 for a Portland, Maine swing dance festival and never looked back. The group is a joint effort by co-band leaders Tom Whitehead (piano) and Peter Dunphy (banjo). Tom has a multi-style background in blues, New Orleans R&B and Bebop piano, and Peter has been playing New Orleans and Chicago style jazz since he was fourteen. When forming the group, Tom and Peter handpicked some of their favorite musicians from the Portland and Portsmouth jazz scene. The Hadacol Bouncers play the music of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Louis Armstrong and more. The music is a fun hybrid of New Orleans Jazz, Chicago-style Jazz, novelty songs and other classics from the great American songbook. Hadacol has a traditional lineup of banjo/tenor guitar, piano, tuba, drums, trombone, soprano sax/clarinet and trumpet/cornet.The music is fresh and bright and great for dancing! .www.hadacolbouncers.com
Portland Swing Project is a local organization with a passion for swing music and dances of the 1920s to today. We teach, dance, perform and provide live and DJ’d swing music spanning a century to local venues. We’re also some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet – we have a bunch of fun so come join us! For information on weekly classes and dances, private lessons and special events, check out www.portlandswingproject.com.

Films in the Square: A MONSTER CALLS
2017-08-06 20:00

MAMM's Ultimate Rock Camp Showcase
2017-08-04 18:00 - 20:00
Are you ready to ROCK, Portland? Students from the Maine Academy of Modern Music’s Ultimate Rock Camp will perform at Congress Square on First Friday on August 4th. Students will play a mix of popular songs and original tunes that they learn and write while at the camp. This two week summer camp also allows students ages 11+up to meet professionals from the music business while on field trips to local radio stations and recording studios. It’s the total rock star treatment!
For more details or to register call (207) 899-3433 or visit www.maineacademyofmodernmusic.org/camps. Beginners are welcome and scholarships are available to those in need of financial aid.
About MAMM:
Song by song, Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) aspires to provide Maine youth with the discipline, freedom, and guidance to appreciate the thrill of making contemporary music, instilling in them the power of self-expression. MAMM is dedicated to building leadership through the musical arts.

Circus Olé and Feast of Fools
2017-08-04 17:00 - 18:00
Come one! Come All! The circus is coming to town! Elephants, lion and tigers, penguins, giraffe, and a dragon oh my! This animal-free circus provides non-stop entertainment while raising awareness about the treatment of live-performing animals! All animals are made of papier maché and are human powered.
Performing artists in aerial silk, stilt walking, hoop dancing, contact juggling and giant puppeteering hail from as far away as Portland, Boston, and from Western Maine. There is sure to be something to dazzle all ages at this animal-cruelty-free circus!

Maine Music + Health Drum Circle
2017-08-02 18:00 - 20:00
Group music making is a great way to build community, practice self care, and spread joy. Maine Music & Health will host a drum & song circle – bring your own percussion or try one of ours, sing along, dance, or just enjoy the rhythm. Any age, any ability. Will be ASL interpreted as well for the deaf/HOH community.

Films in the Square: PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE
2017-07-30 20:15

CE: Fenix Theatre Co. Presents Three Sisters
2017-07-29 19:00 - 21:00
Join Fenix Theatre Co. for one night only in Congress Square Park!
You can also catch a show at their regular venue — Thurs-Sat, July 13th-Aug 5th at 7pm @ the stage at Deering Oaks.
Fenix is very excited to announce that they will be taking a break from Shakespeare for the summer of 2017 and heading to Moscow (or striving to!) with Anton Chekhov’s dramatic masterpiece THREE SISTERS!
Building on their workshop of the play at Bowdoin College last spring, they are thrilled to use the visceral and brilliant translation by Stepan Simek, professor of theater at Lewis and Clark College and collaborator at Portland Experimental Theater Ensemble (Oregon). Professor Simek’s work as a director was honored by the 1996 Drama League of New York with the “Drama League Directing Fellowship,” and his translations of two contemporary Czech plays earned him the 2006 “PEN America Translation Award.”

Robin’s Zodiac Yoga Summer Series with Live Music
2017-07-27 17:30 - 18:45
Flow for the Solstice. Salute the return of summer as Congress Square Arts rolls out the dance floor for astrology based yoga in the park 4 times this season.
June 22nd Solstice & New Moon Yoga with music by Happy Folk
July 27th Robin’s Zodiac Yoga for Leo season with music by Helena Nash
August 24th Robin’s Zodiac Yoga for Virgo season with Sacred Sound & Living Todd Glacy
September 21st New Moon and Autmnal Equinox Yoga with musical guest tba
All classes are on Thursdays at 5:30 pm and free for all!
Keep Portland beautiful & vibrant & enjoy our downtown parks!

The Casco Bay Tummlers
2017-07-26 18:00 - 20:00
The Casco Bay Tummlers, based in Portland, Maine, have been performing klezmer music since 1988! They have released three recordings and were featured performers on the LL Bean Holiday CD. They have a dramatic side, creating and performing the music for the world premiere of “Manifest” at the Portland Stage Company and for a whimsical Belgian documentary, “Mon noM”.
The Tummlers have a unique sound and a stage performance that features all members of the band. Steve Gruverman brings an extensive background in ethnic dance music to his soulful clarinet playing. Carl Dimow has developed a unique klezmer flute style, making the instrument an equal solo voice in the music. John Clark is an incredibly versatile bass player–everything from symphony to surf–perfect for the Tummlers eclectic approach to klezmer. Nancy 3. Hoffman brings a playfulness which audiences love to both her accordion playing and her singing. Peter McLaughlin keeps the traditional role as drummer happening with elements of jazz and improvisation.
The band’s repertoire is versatile, ranging from original music to traditional dances and songs of the Yiddish theater and Jewish ghetto – all with original arrangements.
The Tummlers have toured in Germany where they performed to sold-out houses at the Hackesches Hof Theater in Berlin and at the ninth annual Festival of Jewish Culture in Chemnitz. We have also traveled to Lithuania and performed in Pakroijis, Linkuva, Kaunas and Druskininkai and were the first klezmer band to perform at the Skamba, Skamba Kankliai folk festival in Vilnius. Our most recent tour took us to Slovenia and Italy, where we busked in Venice before performing as one of the featured ensembles at the Festival “Ande, Bali e Cante” in Rovigo.

Films in the Square: THE GOODBYE GIRL
2017-07-23 20:30

Pickwick & Friends Print Fair
2017-07-22 10:00 - 16:00
Join us for the 2nd annual Print Fair co-presented with Portland’s Pickwick Independent Press!
40 Maine Printmakers will be exhibiting, demoing, and selling their work in Congress Square Park. To learn more about this year’s exhibitors visit: https://www.pickwickindependentpress.com/print-fair-2017/.

Choro Louco
2017-07-21 18:00 - 20:00
Choro Louco is back by popular demand!
Brazilian Choro has been around for over a hundred years, but in this country itʼs virtually unknown. David Grisman, Mike Marshall and a handful of others have helped introduce the music and the musicians to a larger audience, but itʼs still largely under the radar of most music listeners…Its beautiful melodies, complex harmonies, and syncopated rhythms combine elements of European folk and classical, ragtime, jazz, Latin, and African music creating a style that is uniquely Brazilian.
Members of Choro Louco come from diverse backgrounds and can be seen in various ensembles locally.
Carl Dimow, flute and guitar, has played jazz, classical, and klezmer music here and abroad with the Casco Bay Tummlers, and numerous other ensembles.
Nicole Rabata, Carl’s former student and now a teacher herself, is best known in celtic music circles, but also plays classical flute with the Colby College orchestra and the Bangor symphony.
Joel Eckhaus comes from an old time/jazz/pop/vaudeville background and has applied his knowledge of the ukulele to the Cavaquinho, Brazil’s version of the uke.
David Newsam. 7-string and 8-string guitars and mandolin, brings decades of experience as a jazz and classical guitarist to his choro playing. David is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music.
Eric La Perna, fabulous percussionist with Okbari and Zapion, brings his great hand percussion skills to the pandeiro, the Brazilian tambourine.

Contra Dance featuring Greg Boardman & Friends, with Caller Maggie Robinson
2017-07-19 18:00 - 20:00
Portland Intown Contra Dance featuring Greg Boardman & Friends, with Caller Maggie Robinson! Portland Intown Contra Dance is up to growing a lively community through weekly zesty, joyful, intergenerational contra dancing to live music. They insist no partner and no experience is needed to have a delightful and connected dance. Maggie Robinson will teach each of this evening’s dances in her casual and warm style. ‘s joined by a trio comprised of Greg Boardman on fiddle, Neil Pearlman on piano and mandolin, and Hadith Bani-Adam on Somali Oud. Surprising influences result in a delightful musical mix of culture, tradition, and innovation.

Films in the Square: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
2017-07-16 20:30

Dance Party for Everyone: Dance Yourself Happy!
2017-07-15 18:00 - 20:00
Come join Ed King, Rosanne Graef and all your friends from Congress Square Park for a whole lotta shakin’ to 50 years of hits, misses and dance crazes. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Lace up your blue suede shoes and high-heeled sneakers and let’s do a little dance!

La Noche Romántica
2017-07-14 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for Salsa dancing with Danza Latina and DJ Onax in Congress Square Park.
At 6 pm we’ll start with a Bachata Lesson, so everyone can participate!
At 6.25 pm enjoy Cuban Salsa, Bachata and Belly dance performances
Starting at 6.40 pm, we all start dancing! The format: 2 Bachatas + Salsa + Merengue/Kizomba
Danza Latina dance studio is a dance company established in Portland in 2015. They offer adults a variety of Latin dance classes, including Salsa, Bachata & Kizomba. DJ Onax is also based in Portland.

Summer Swing Dance with the Soggy Po' Boys
2017-07-12 18:00 - 20:00
Summer Swing Dance with the Soggy Po’ Boys and Portland Swing Project!
Born on a snowy Fat Tuesday night of 2012, the Soggy Po’ Boys have been honing their craft of New Orleans’ music as part of their Tuesday residency in their home town of Dover, New Hampshire. In between local gigs they’ve fit in more than a hundred shows every year, from festivals and concerts to politics-infused burlesque collaborations and street parades, spanning Maine to Georgia. The band is equally at home everywhere it goes, though, and part of the beauty of New Orleans music is that it’s celebrated and appreciated wherever it goes, from the street to the theater. The Soggy Po’ Boys serve their jazz messy, mixing brass-fueled mayhem with spirituals, Meters-style old-school funk, and the Caribbean side of the New Orleans tradition. NHPR describes the band in this way: “If you’ve been to Sonny’s Tavern in Dover, New Hampshire on a Tuesday night, you could be forgiven for feeling like you’ve stepped into a New Orleans jazz club.” www.soggypoboys.com
Portland Swing Project is a local organization with a passion for swing music and dances of the 1920s to today. We teach, dance, perform and provide live and DJ’d swing music spanning a century to local venues. We’re also some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet – we have a bunch of fun so come join us! For information on weekly classes and dances, private lessons and special events, check out www.portlandswingproject.com.

Films in the Square: SUPER 8
2017-07-09 20:30

The Way We Move
2017-07-08 15:00 - 16:00
The Way We Move activity is an interactive flow arts/circus program for children and adults with disabilities, and anyone else who wants to participate. There will be multiple types of props and movement activities for people to try out and play with and trained instructors to help people learn the activities and address any needs they may have. The end of the session involves participants and the instructors showcasing their skills. Come join the fun!
