Friends of Congress Square Park

Chess in the Park!
2021-08-28 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Congress Square Park, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Come play chess! All equipment will be available on-site. Free and open to the public.

Tender Table
2021-08-28 15:00 - 18:00
Tender Table invites all to a celebration of Black and Brown joy and community featuring local food and drinks by Dream Sweets, Onggi, Penny’s BBQ Chicken, Siblings, Riverside Farm, Yardie Ting; food-themed poetry and storytelling by April Fournier, Nyamuon “Moon” Nguany Machar, Samaa Abdurraqib, Sarah Williams, Signature MiMi; music by Viva; performance by Dance Activism; an arts corner by Love Lab Studio; a reading corner by Indigo Arts Alliance.
This event is free and open to the public of all ages. Food and merchandise will be available for purchase.
Tender Table celebrates Black and Brown community by connecting and honoring our identities, traditions, joy, resilience, and fight for collective liberation through storytelling and food.
Tender Table Food & Poetry Fair is sponsored by Friends of Congress Square Park, the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, Portland Food Co-Op, and SPACE Gallery, in partnership with the Lunder Institute for American Art.

Caravan Artist Market
2021-08-29 12:00 - 17:00
Come by the Park to explore Caravan Artist Market, featuring a wide variety of locally made art and products!

One Maine One Heart
2021-08-29 18:00 - 20:00
One Maine One Heart is a great antipode of community members who have come together to form a choir that reflects the true fabric of Maine’s residents: Black Trans women, Drag, Cisgender men and women, and all others have been and continue to be welcomed in celebration. We’ll also be partnering with a coalition of police chiefs to serve up a BBQ for our homeless brothers and sisters.

Crafts in the Park
2021-08-31 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!

Intentional Listening Session
2021-08-31 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.

International Overdose Awareness Day
2021-08-31 14:00 - 16:00
Presented by the Portland Department of Public Health.
Remember the people. Acknowledge the grief. End the stigma.

SPACE Presents: Angel Bat Dawid
2021-09-01 18:00 - 20:00
SPACE Gallery presents Angel Bat Dawid! Free and open to the public.

Blurb Club
2021-09-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2021-09-16 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.

Music in the Square: Viva and the Reinforcements
2021-09-03 18:00 - 20:00
Come enjoy the return of Viva and the Reinforcements to Congress Square Park! Free and open to the public.

Portland Swing Project feat. Hadacol Bouncers
2021-09-04 17:00 - 19:00
Join Portland Swing Project for live music and swing dancing in the Square! This month, Hadacol Bouncers will perform. Masks are strongly encouraged at these close-contact events.
Portland Swing Project spreads the appreciation of swing music and dance through weekly classes and events for all levels of experience. We teach, dance, perform and provide live and DJ’d music to venues throughout Maine. Absolute beginners welcome, no partner needed.
“The Hadacol Bouncers formed in the summer of 2013 for a Portland, Maine Swing Dance festival and have never looked back. A Chicago and New Orleans-syle dance band, they have continued their close association with the dance crowd and are always looking to play for dancers. 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. Peter has been playing New Orleans and Chicago-style jazz since he was fourteen. For the Hadacol Bouncers, Tom and Peter handpicked some of their favorite musicians from the Portland and Portsmouth jazz scene. Like any band of this size, there are several players who rotate in and out, but the following are the established core.”

Film Screening: Maine Street USA
2021-09-05 19:00 - 21:30
A two-night showcase of short films from right here in Maine! These documentary shorts will showcase slices of life across Maine during COVID’s cold winter months. Free and open to the public. Bring a camping chair!

Longfellow Books Presents: Book Launch of The Isolation Artist by Bob Keyes
2021-09-07 18:00 - 19:00
Join Longfellow Books at Congress Square Park for the launch of The Isolation Artist: Scandal, Deception, and the Last Days of Robert Indiana by Bob Keyes on Tuesday, September 7 at 6:00pm. Keyes will be joined in conversation by Monica Wood. This is an in-person event that will be held in Congress Square Park at the intersection of Congress and High Streets.
About the Book:
When reclusive, millionaire artist Robert Indiana died in 2018, he left behind dark rumors and scandal, as well as an estate embroiled in lawsuits and facing accusations of fraud. Here is the true story of the artist’s final days, the aftermath, the deceptive world that surrounded him, and the inner workings of art as very big business.
With unparalleled access to the key players in Indiana’s life, journalist and author Bob Keyes tells a fast-paced and riveting story that provides a rare inside look into the life of an artist as well as the often-unscrupulous world of high-end art. The reader is taken inside the world of art dealers, law firms, and an array of local characters in Maine whose lives intersected with the internationally revered artist living in an old Odd Fellows Hall on Vinalhaven Island.
The Isolation Artist is an extraordinary window into the life and death of a singular and contradictory American artist—one whose work touched countless millions through everything from postage stamps to political campaigns to museums—even as he lived and died in isolation, with a lack of love, the loss of hope, and lots and lots of money.

Music in the Square: Micromasse
2021-09-10 18:00 - 20:00
Come out and welcome back Micromasse to Congress Square Park! Free and open to all.

Hip Hop in the Park
2021-09-13 18:00 - 20:00, 2021-09-27 17:00 - 19:00
Hip Hop in the Park is back! Presented by Monday of the Minds. Free and open to the public.

Park(ing) Day
2021-09-17 10:00 - 15:00
Parking Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. Established in 2005, it is held the third Friday of September.
Friends of Congress Square Park will be turning an adjacent parking space on Congress Street into a temporary “parklet” with information about the organization and upcoming changes to the intersection. Come say hi! Our parklet is sponsored by Spin and Better Block.

Collaborative Art for the People
2021-09-17 11:00 - 15:00
COMMUNITY EVENT PRESENTED BY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MAINE

Drop by Congress Square Park on September 17th between 11 and 3 to join our collaborative art project to urge the Senate to “Finish the Job” by passing the For the People Act quickly and to demand that they let nothing, including the filibuster, prevent them from getting the job done. Add your piece to our artboard; we’ll provide the supplies!

About the For the People Act: The For the People Act (S1) would protect our freedom to vote, get big money out of politics, ensure fair districts, and help create a democracy that works for all of us.

Print Bookstore Presents: A Picture Book Reading
2021-09-17 16:00 - 17:00
Join Print Bookstore in Congress Square Park for a picture book event for kids with author Samara Doyon! Free and open to all.

Congress Square Market
2021-09-19 11:00 - 15:00
Shop in the Square! Explore local shops, makers, artists, and more from 11am to 3pm. Dog-friendly!

T'ai Chi
2021-09-20 10:00 - 11:00, 2021-09-22 09:30 - 10:30, 2021-09-27 10:00 - 11:00, 2021-09-29 09:30 - 10:30
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.

PMA Films Presents: "Time"
2021-09-22 18:15 - 21:00
Join us for a free outdoor screening of Garrett Bradley’s Oscar-nominated documentary Time, presented in Congress Square Park Wednesday, September 15 at 7 p.m. An introduction and reflections on the film presented by Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition begins at 6:30 p.m.
Fox Rich is a fighter. The entrepreneur, abolitionist and mother of six boys has spent the last two decades campaigning for the release of her husband, Rob G. Rich, who is serving a 60-year sentence for a robbery they both committed in the early 90s in a moment of desperation. Combining the video diaries Fox has recorded for Rob over the years with intimate glimpses of her present-day life, director Garrett Bradley paints a mesmerizing portrait of the resilience and radical love necessary to prevail over the endless separations of the country’s prison-industrial complex.

Music in the Square: Maine Middle Eastern Ensemble
2021-09-24 18:00 - 20:00
Welcome Maine Middle Eastern Ensemble to Congress Square Park! Maine Middle Eastern Ensemble performs folk, classical and Sufi music from the Turkish, Arabic and Armenian traditions. Led by oud player Eric LaPerna, the group also features violinist Michael Gallant, guitarist Jeremey Zela, percussionist Doug Andrews and upright bass player Duane Edwards, as well as other talented musicians from Maine’s Middle Eastern music community. Free and open to all.

Salsa Night with Primo Cubano & PM Salsa
2021-09-25 17:00 - 20:00
Come to Congress Square Park from 5-8pm for a free evening of hopping music and salsa dance (lessons included!). Masks are strongly encouraged at these close-contact events.
PM Salsa has been teaching for over 15 years. Come at 5pm to learn basic moves and enjoy an evening of social dance with music by Primo Cubano!
Primo Cubano will play traditional Cuban dance music called “SON,” which dates back to the turn of the 20th Century. Son is the most popular style to come out of Cuba and is the primary contributor to the blend of Latin styles today known as Salsa. It was first a music of the country people and eventually migrated to Havana, where it was urbanized and began to draw a wider audience.
Primo Cubano interprets the classic Son Cubano with affinity, appreciation and inspiration bringing this vibrant music to life for audiences in Maine and beyond.

A Long Breath Live Performance
2021-09-26 14:00 - 15:30
A long form, minimalist sound-based performance that engages with the ethereal qualities of A Long Breath, a sound installation featuring several wind harps installed in Congress Square Park.

National Silent Movie Day: City Lights
2021-09-29 18:30 - 20:00
Celebrating National Silent Movie Day, a free 16mm screening of Charlie Chaplin’s CITY LIGHTS, presented in Congress Square Park with Portland Museum of Art, projecting a 16mm print of the film. Wednesday, September 29th at 6:30pm.

Charles Chaplin was deep into production of his silent CITY LIGHTS when Hollywood was overwhelmed by the talkie revolution. After months of anguished contemplation, Chaplin decided to finish the film as it began–in silence, save for a musical score and an occasional sound effect. Once again cast as the Little Tramp, Chaplin makes the acquaintance of a blind flower girl, who through a series of coincidences has gotten the impression that the shabby tramp is a millionaire. A second storyline begins when the tramp rescues a genuine millionaire from committing suicide. When drunk, the millionaire expansively treats the tramp as a friend and equal; when sober, he doesn’t even recognize him. The two plots come together when the tramp attempts to raise enough money for the blind girl to have an eye operation. Highlights include an extended boxing sequence pitting scrawny Chaplin against muscle-bound Hank Mann, and the poignant final scene in which the now-sighted flower girl sees her impoverished benefactor for the first time. Chaplin’s decision to release the silent CITY LIGHTS three years into the talkie era was partially vindicated when more than one critic singled out this “comedy in pantomime” as the best picture of 1931.
