Friends of Congress Square Park

T'ai Chi
2021-07-14 09:30 - 10:30, 2021-07-19 10:00 - 11:00, 2021-07-21 09:30 - 10:30, 2021-07-26 10:00 - 11:00, 2021-07-28 09:30 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | Congress Square Park, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Free Tai Chi Chih/Qigong classes will be taught in Congress Square Park May through September. All classes will occur twice weekly — on Mondays from 9:30 until 10:30 am and Wednesdays from 10 until 11 am, led by
Sara Leonard.

Old pros and those who have just started practice, as well as curious bystanders of all ages welcome!
Always FREE to the public.

*What’s Tai Chi?*
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that, today, is practiced as a graceful form of exercise. It involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.
A noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching, each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.
Tai chi is low impact and puts minimal stress on muscles and joints, making it generally safe for all ages and fitness levels. In fact, because tai chi is a low-impact exercise, it may be especially suitable if you’re an older adult who otherwise may not exercise.

Music in the Square: Opera on Tap
2021-07-14 18:30 - 20:00
Opera in the Square! Join us for a performance by Maine’s own Opera on Tap. Free and open to the public!

Opera on Tap
2021-07-14 18:30 - 20:00
Opera in Congress Square Park! Experience both like never before. Free and open to all!
Food truck on-site: Crepe Elizabeth

Double Creature Feature: Snapper & World Premiere of Eyes from the Pines
2021-07-16 20:00 - 22:00
Does Bigfoot live in Maine? A brand-new documentary seeks to answer that question. Check out the premiere! The evening will be a double creature feature with Snapper showing first.

Longfellow Books Presents: Draw-Off!
2021-07-17 09:30 - 11:00
Join Longfellow Books for a draw-off event! Kid-friendly performance. Free and open to all.

Chess in the Park!
2021-07-17 11:00 - 14:00, 2021-07-24 11:00 - 14:00, 2021-07-31 11:00 - 14:00, 2021-08-07 11:00 - 14:00
Come play chess! All equipment will be available on-site. Free and open to the public.

Congress Square Market
2021-07-18 11:00 - 15:00
Shop in the Square! Explore local shops, makers, artists, and more from 11am to 3pm. Dog-friendly!

SPACE Presents: Dope is Death
2021-07-18 19:00 - 22:00
“Dope is Death” is the story of how Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, along with fellow Black Panthers and the Young Lords, combined community health with radical politics to create the first acupuncture detoxification program in America in 1973 — a visionary project eventually deemed too dangerous to exist in America.
The film will be preceded by a panel discussion with local harm reduction, recovery, and community advocates and organizers, co-presented by the Church of Safe Injection.

Crafts in the Park
2021-07-20 09:30 - 11:00, 2021-07-27 09:30 - 11:00, 2021-08-03 09:30 - 11:00, 2021-08-10 09:30 - 11:00
Get out of the house, meet neighbors and chat — all while keeping your hands busy (or not!). You can knit, crochet, draw, paint, make jewelry, sew, or any craft where you can carry your tools. And yes, come even if you are not working on a project.

The event is weekly on Tuesdays at 9:30am and cancelled in inclement weather.

Attend part or all one event, all events, or anywhere in between. All are welcome here!

Blurb Club
2021-07-22 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-08-05 12:00 - 13:00
Come hear some great book recommendations and share your own! Plus, The Pink Waffle food truck will be on-site. No obligation to share; the shy are welcome here. Rain location: Mechanics’ Hall.

Shakespeare and Shenanigans presents The Taming of the Shrew
2021-07-23 18:30 - 20:00
Come enjoy a totally fresh take on a classic Shakespeare play! Presented by Shakespeare and Shenanigans. Free and open to all — even those totally new to Shakespeare!

Music in the Square: JanaeSound
2021-07-25 18:00 - 20:00
Portland’s own JanaeSound plays in Congress Square Park! Opening band TBD. Free and open to all. Crepe Elizabeth food truck will also be on-site!
JanaeSound (BMI) harnesses an unforgettable voice that is known to stir the soul. The powerhouse rock singer hails from St. Louis where she began cultivating her love for music at the tender age of 9 through the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Known for her laser focus and unshakeable drive, JanaeSound was unsurprisingly tapped to open for FloRida for NOW 96.3 NOW Night Out. Currently based in Portland, Maine, JanaeSound has also performed at the Heart Soul & Substance Festival, Sunaana Winter Music Festival, Bitter End (NYC), Pianos (NYC), Delancey (NYC), Nuyorican Poets Cafe (NYC), AllRoads Music Festival, Harvest Moon Festival, Federal Frenzy (OH), The Mint (LA), Hotel Café (LA, BMI Showcase), House of Blues (Foundation room, Chicago), Continental Club (TX). Janaesound has appeared in Maine Biz, Maine Today, Bangor Daily News, Old Port Magazine, Portland Magazine, The Kotzschmar organ. Her music is in rotation at WMPG, WHOM WCYY, WBLM , WCLZ, WHSN

Hip Hop in the Park
2021-07-26 17:00 - 19:00
Hip Hop in the Park is back! Presented by Monday of the Minds. Free and open to the public.

Film Screening: The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
2021-07-30 20:00 - 21:30
Witness a rare screening of a documentary highlighting the strange and interesting ways humans (including me and you!) use small public spaces like Congress Square Park. In partnership with the Maine Association of Planners. Free and open to the public.

East End Vend
2021-08-06 14:00 - 18:00
East End Vend brings makers, artists, and farmers to Congress Square Park! Come shop!
Learn more at https://www.eastendvend.com/

Intentional Listening Session
2021-08-10 12:30 - 13:15
Join artist, educator, and play facilitator Genevieve Victoria Casale Johnson for a 45 minute intentional listening practice in Congress Square Park. This collective exercise leads participants through a practice of observing and documenting the variety of sounds in the park using creative methods. Participants are encouraged to document their experience with words, images, textures, and materials. Please feel free to bring along any materials you like to work with.

Intentional Listening Practices are part of Sounds of Congress Square Park, an exploratory investigation of sound in public space to encourage individual and collective mindfulness that will culminate in an archive of experiences.

More about Sounds of Congress Square Park: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the public will spend this summer reintroducing themselves to public life. Stay at home orders, quarantining, closure of many businesses and indoor public spaces means outdoor public spaces are both in high demand and potentially threatening to certain groups of people. How and where do people reintroduce themselves to these spaces? Sounds of Congress Square park offers individuals an opportunity to re-engage in a public space slowly and deliberately. The cumulative results of this mindfulness practice will become an archive of experiences of being in the park.

Patrick Keefe Reading
2021-08-10 19:00 - 20:00
Print Bookstore and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance presents Patrick Keefe! Join us to hear Patrick read from his latest book, Empire of Pain.

SPACE Presents: Popeye
2021-08-11 19:00 - 22:00
Film preceded by a special performance by Jimmy Dority and Friends playing the music of Harry Nilsson, Van Dyke Parks, and more.
Come to Congress Sq. Park for a special 40th Anniversary Restoration screening of Robert Altman’s one-of-a-kind big budget musical oddity. This is Robin Williams’ big screen debut. Shelley Duvall starred in Popeye after completing production of The Shining, and yes the films came out the same year as each other, in 1980. The production is famous for going wildly over-budget as the Popeye team built a town in Malta from scratch to create the set for Sweethaven- the set still stands and has become a tourist attraction. Of the film’s many strange rewards, perhaps most enduring are the songs constructed by Harry Nilsson and Van Dyke Parks. Robert Altman struggled to find funding for his work throughout the 1980’s as a result of Popeye’s mixed reception, but the film has endured and deservedly become somewhat of a cult-classic. If nothing else Popeye is an unforgettable time-stamp and convergence of talents, with elaborate set pieces, scene-chewing performances and an oddly gentle touch from one of cinema’s great directors. The Old Port wishes it was Sweethaven. Film starts at 8pm.
Popeye (free screening in Congress Sq Park) with Jimmy Dority and Friends
