Hip Hop in the Park
2024-08-19 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-09-23 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Congress Square Park, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Local hip-hop talent presented by Monday of the Minds!

Maine Hip Hop Summit
2024-08-31 12:00 - 18:00
A huge celebration of hip-hop music and culture featuring music, art-making demonstrations, and more!

Concert & BBQ For Peace
2024-09-07 17:00 - 20:00
Presented by Joshua Hughes & Friends — free BBQ food! Free concert! Come enjoy!

Pirate Sea Shanty Singalong featuring The Shank Painters
2024-09-19 17:00 - 18:00
Celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day by singing some sea shanties with local Pirate band legends The Shank Painters!
Family-friendly and open to all!

Talk Like A Pirate Day w/ The Shank Painters
2024-09-19 17:00 - 18:00
Sing some sea shanties with The Shank Painters! Costumes and kids encouraged!

Salsa in the Square with Primo Cubano and PM Salsa
2024-09-21 17:30 - 20:00
Come dance! A salsa lesson will be provided at 5:30pm by PM Salsa, followed by a performance from Primo Cubano.

Swing Dancing feat. The Hadacol Bouncers
2024-09-27 18:00 - 20:00
Swing dance with some New Orleans jazz! Featuring The Hadacol Bouncers!

Portland Hear: Gather Hear feat. Miki Sawada
2024-09-28 14:00 - 15:00
Join us in welcoming classical pianist Miki Sawada to the Park! This event is presented by Portland Ovations.

S'mores Night
2025-01-09 16:00 - 18:00
S’mores Nights are back!
Join us in the park every Thursday from 4-6pm for free s’mores! Gather around the fire pits, get cozy, and spend time with your community. Most nights we’ll have a guest vendor selling delicious hot beverages!
We’ll also have frequent special guests and activities! This week, we’re pleased to welcome local pirate band The Shank Painters!
A suggested donation of $5+ is greatly appreciated, and helps Friends of Congress Square Park keep this little urban space vibrant and active year-round. Donations may be made in person or online: http://congresssquarepark.org/donation
Let’s get cozy!

S'mores Night
2025-02-13 16:00 - 18:00
S’mores Nights are back!
Join us in the park every Thursday from 4-6pm for free s’mores! Gather around the fire pits, get cozy, and spend time with your community. Most nights we’ll have a guest vendor selling delicious hot beverages!
We’ll also have frequent special guests and activities! This week, we’re pleased to host a Valentine’s mini-market with singing from Pine State Pitches!
A suggested donation of $5+ is greatly appreciated, and helps Friends of Congress Square Park keep this little urban space vibrant and active year-round. Donations may be made in person or online: http://congresssquarepark.org/donation
Let’s get cozy!

Season Kickoff!
2025-05-02 18:00 - 19:00
Celebrate the beginning of our 2025 season of free public programming!
Featuring the Ideal Maine Social Aid & Sanctuary Band and treats for sale from Gunnar’s Icelandic Hot Dogs.

Taiko Maine Dojo
2025-05-31 18:00 - 19:30
We’re so excited to welcome back our friends from Taiko Maine Dojo as we wrap up AAPI Heritage Month! Taiko Maine Dojo is a community taiko drumming group from right here in Portland.

See you in the Square!

REW Book Drive
2025-06-01 18:30 - 19:30
In partnership with our neighbors Friends & Family, we’re hosting Reading at the End of the World Library (REW Library)! REW Library aims to help families and schools access banned books and materials subject to censorship. And they need your help building their library of resources!

We’re throwing a BOOK DRIVE and DRAG PERFORMANCE to help seed REW Library with books and materials and to say NO to censorship in all forms.

Bring a banned or censored book to Friends & Family on Sunday, June 1 and get $5 off your meal AND enjoy performances in Congress Square Park by local drag performers Carmilla Velour and Lou Zér. Not sure what books are censored? Check out this great list. You may be able to find some of these books at our neighbors YES Books, Green Hand Books, or at other online or brick & mortar independent booksellers.

First Friday feat. Monday of the Minds & Friends
2025-06-06 17:30 - 19:30
Join our pals Monday of the Minds for some hip hop on First Friday, along with some special guests including Rosie Borden and a cultural African dance performance from local youth!

Swing Dancing feat. The Ragtime Destroyers
2025-06-11 18:00 - 19:30
Come swing dance to jazz tunes of the 20s, 30s, and 40s!

Music in the Square: Old Time Group
2025-06-26 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-09-04 18:00 - 19:30
Enjoy Americana tunes from yesteryear with the Old Time Group!

OLS Presents: Soggy Po Boys
2025-07-03 18:00 - 20:00
Part of our Square to Square concert series with our friends at One Longfellow Square! Rain location: OLS
The Soggy Po Boys, native to New England, have quickly become an institution. They are spreading the good news of New Orleans music across the northeast and beyond, playing at concert halls and street corners; music festivals and burlesque festivals; bars and libraries; wherever the party requires. 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 Po Boys formed in 2012 to shake the walls of a local club on a Fat Tuesday but have honed their sound and become more than a Mardi Gras centerpiece. Exploring the vast musical traditions of New Orleans and expanding their repertoire to look beyond NOLA jazz, the band includes traditional Caribbean tunes (it’s been said that New Orleans is the northernmost city in the Caribbean), as well as Meters funk, soul, and brass band / street beat music.
There are a myriad of traditions that flow into New Orleans culture just as there are tributaries that feed the Mississippi, and the Po Boys are eager to explore what makes the music of New Orleans so damn special. You’ll hear the heavy influence of the New Orleans sound across the band and in the stories told by their original tunes. In line with the scope of its sound, the outfit is eight people and thrives on the interplay and group dynamics that bring this music to life.

OLS Presents: Primo Cubano
2025-07-10 17:30 - 20:00
Part of our Square to Square concert series with our friends at One Longfellow Square! Rain location: OLS
Music starts at 6; dome early for a salsa lesson by PM Salsa!
Primo Cubano, which translates into Cuban Cousins, has been practicing and performing traditional Cuban music for the past 16 years in Maine. In June of 2023, they were invited to perform at the 2024 Havana Jazz Festival. A friend of the band, Greg Martens, a local producer and promotor, extended the invitation and was a prime component for bringing Primo Cubano to Cuba for the first time.
Trumpet player Marc Chillemi, quickly began organizing the trip with Greg, to bring 7 musicians from the group. In addition, Greg invited another local artist, Darby Sabin from Farmington. An all-star band was put together for Darby by Greg, which included such artists as George Porter Jr, one of the founders of the New Orleans funk band The Meters, and drummer and percussionist Wally Ingram, from Sheryl Crow’s band of the 90s.
By October of 2023, Primo Cubano singer Eric Winter joined Marc to help organize the trip. Eric has been to Cuba several times to study with some of Havana’s greatest musicians. Eric scheduled a week of lessons and rehearsal sessions with percussionist Rolando Salgado Palacio, from the Afro-Cuban Allstars. Primo Cubano rented a rehearsal studio in the artist district called, Verdado.
The band was scheduled at two venues, and by the third day Primo Cubano was asked to perform at some of the local restaurants and bars throughout the city. The most memorable experience was when many of the local musicians and festival organizers commented; “Primo Cubano is the first group from the United States to perform their music” – Son Cubano, the national music of Cuba. Not only was this an unimaginable experience, it was the long-life dream of conga player, Lenny Hatch.
Primo Cubano was invited to return to Cuba to perform at the 40th Annual Havana Jazz Festival in January of 2025. This experience has inspired the group to keep learning and practicing this music they love and have shared with salsa dancers and music lovers throughout New England for over a decade.

OLS Presents: Connor Garvey
2025-07-17 18:00 - 20:00
Part of our Square to Square concert series with our friends at One Longfellow Square! Rain location: OLS

Connor Garvey is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Portland, Maine, known for his warm stage presence, poetic lyrics, and compelling storytelling. His performances leave audiences feeling uplifted and inspired, blending optimism with thoughtful self-awareness.
Garvey’s latest album, Another End of the Year, showcases his growth as a songwriter, exploring personal and universal themes with lyrical depth and emotional resonance. Praised as “top-tier material” by The Maine Edge and “his most powerful record yet” by Glide Magazine, the album reflects a maturity shaped by life experience.
His songwriting and dynamic live shows have earned him top honors at Kerrville New Folk, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, and other major festivals, as well as praise from Americana Highways and Americana UK. Whether on stage or in your headphones, Garvey’s music connects deeply—becoming part of the moments that matter most.

OLS Presents: Haggard and Cashed
2025-07-31 18:00 - 20:00
Part of our Square to Square concert series with our friends at One Longfellow Square! Rain location: OLS

Haggard and Cashed is a seven-piece country and western swing band based in Maine, known for their triple-fiddle arrangements and honky-tonk flair. Led by singer and fiddler Erica Brown, the group features some of New England’s finest musicians, including guitarist and vocalist Matt Shipman. Their sound blends classic country and western swing, delivering high-energy performances that celebrate traditional American roots music.
The band has performed at various venues and festivals across Maine, such as the Seagrass Festival in Portland and the Music Festival at Maine Craft Distilling. Their repertoire includes covers of classic country songs, like “Miles and Miles of Texas,” showcasing their commitment to the genre’s rich history.

Graphic Melee Presents: Stereo Dreams
2025-08-08 17:00 - 20:00
A music producer showcase!

OLS Presents: Breakin Strings
2025-08-21 18:00 - 20:00
Part of our Square to Square concert series with our friends at One Longfellow Square! Rain location: OLS
Breakin’ Strings is a New England-based bluegrass band, started 18 years ago. After a 10 year hiatus, they are back and better than ever. Led by Cliff Gelina, and backed by some of New England’s finest musicians, featuring Cody Howe, Sam Acus, Amanda Gelina, Steve Petterson, and David Bevins. They have a hard-driving bluegrass sound that brings people to their feet. They will also blow you away with their strong ballads and tight harmonies. The musicianship in this group will keep you dancing with a smile on your face. This versatile group brings a great show you won’t want to miss. Breakin’ Strings had their debut album released in September of 2022 which was recorded in (Studio A) at the legendary Blackbird Studios in Nashville, TN. They also performed at the 2022 IBMA Ramble Showcase. BREAKIN’ STRINGS released Their most recent single in 2023 called “Stones”. Breakin’ Strings will be recording more original tunes this year, working on their new Album, “Home Grown”.

OLS Presents: Blues Prophets
2025-08-28 18:00 - 20:00
Part of our Square to Square concert series with our friends at One Longfellow Square! Rain location: OLS
The Blues Prophets began as The New England Blues Prophets rehearsing in the basement of a house in Fairfield, Maine in 1976. Live music was everywhere in those years. Still, to the bands surprise, patrons embraced a band that played the blues and nothing else.
The Blues Prophets introduced many local patrons to the music. Doug Wainoris, guitar/vocals. DW Gill, harmonica/vocals. Jeffrey Davison, drums/vocals. Jamie Isaacson, piano. Jack Tukey, bass guitar. The band traveled to the blues bars of Chicago, played many stages in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Boston, and throughout Maine/New England, honing their craft and becoming an institution. During their travels the boys met and jammed with living legends of the day such as James Cotton, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Professor Longhair, Jimmy Johnson and Bonnie Raitt.

Local Music Fest!
2025-09-06 15:30 - 19:30
Enjoy multiple local bands and artists in one afternoon!

Music in the Square: Landaya
2025-09-13 18:00 - 19:30
Part of DRUM: A Global Music Series.

Master drummer and djembefola, Sayon Camara, hailing from Guinea, West Africa, joins forces with multi-instrumentalists Dave Kobrenski and Grant Ellerbeck for a spellbinding performance of Malinké music. Known collectively as Landaya, this powerhouse trio draws from the traditions of Sayon’s village, weaving intricate rhythms on the djembé and dunun drums with ancient melodies. Kobrenski and Ellerbeck accompany Sayon’s joyous singing on instruments like the Fula flute, kamale ngoni (10-string harp), and bolon (4-string bass harp). The performance is further enhanced by Sayon’s storytelling, providing rich cultural context for the music.

True to the experience of a festival in Sayon’s village, the nature of Landaya’s performance literally engages the audience in participation of call and response singing in Malinke language and dance movement for all who choose it, as well as some who normally may not but can’t resist the joyousness of the music. To enhance the performance Sayon will be playing in traditional costume, an art of movement in itself.

Tender Table Night Market
2025-09-14 17:00 - 21:00
FoCSP is very pleased to welcome back Tender Table for another lovely night market full of food, art, and music by local BIPOC community members.
More details TBD!
Rain date: Sept 21

Music in the Square: the Burnurwurbskek Singers
2025-09-19 18:00 - 19:00
Part of DRUM: A Global Music Series.

Comprised of men representing many of Maine’s Wabanaki people (including the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Mic Mac tribes), the members of the Burnurwurbskek Singers have been singing and drumming together for almost 25 years. They perform traditional northeast Native American woodland songs that date back to time immemorial, as well as more contemporary, intertribal songs. These songs have been passed down in their rich oral tradition from generation to generation – from fathers, grandfathers and uncles to brothers, cousins and sons. The Singers have performed at many national events for Native American organizations and at smaller regional gatherings up and down the US East Coast and Canada. Core members of the group are Ron Bear, his two sons Nick Bear and Cree Neptune Bear, and Nyle Sockbeson. The group is also often accompanied by traditional Native American dances, performed by Ron’s daughter Selena Neptune Bear and others. The Burnurwurbskek Singers are honored to continue to share their Native American drumming, singing and dances with Indian Country and others.

Music in the Square: Taiko Maine Dojo
2025-10-03 18:00 - 19:30
The third and final performance in our DRUM global music series, we’re so excited to welcome back Taiko Maine Dojo for October First Friday!
