“Rollin Thurlow of Northwoods Canoes presents: History of Maine Canoes,” Cary Memorial Library, Wayne

July 13, 15 and 18, Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday, 11am-4pm, “Living History Tour of the Norlands,” for an enchanted experience and to get inspired about life in 19th-century Maine and Livermore’s celebrated Washburn Family – stop in this summer and take a living history tour. Tour the 1867 Washburn family mansion and farmer’s cottage. Attend school in the one-room school. It’s all in fun! Tour at your own pace, but arrive by 3pm to enjoy the full site. Interpreters, dressed in period clothing, portray a local person, someone you might have met had you visited Norlands in the 1800s. Be a scholar of 1853 in the schoolhouse. The school ma’am will encourage you to practice your penmanship using a quill pen under her watchful eye. Tour the mansion and hear all about the Washburn’s remarkable achievements. Visit the farmer’s cottage and participate in the chores of the day, such as baking, piecing, ironing, or washing, $10, $6/12 and under $25/family rate for two adults with 2-3 children under the age of 18, Washburn-Norlands Living History Museum, 290 Norlands Road, Livermore. FMI: 207-897-4366, www.norlands.org.
July 13, Thursday, 7:30pm, “Bates Dance Festival performance: David Dorfman,” the much-lauded David Dorfman Dance returns with Dorfman’s latest, “Aroundtown,” a kinetic poem exploring the varied and sometimes divided notions of love. Using live original music, text and a fanciful set design, “Aroundtown” explores commitment, community and intimacy in times of strife. A talkback with the artists follows the concert, $12-$25, Schaeffer Theatre, Bates College, 329 College Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207-786-6161, www.batesdancefestival.org.
July 13-15, Thursday-Saturday, 8pm, “Those Crazy Ladies in the House on the Corner,” “The Ladies Room: A Musical Comedy,” What do you do when you have three geriatric sisters as patients, and all they want to do is sit at home and talk (all at the same time) to each other? You move another person in with them. At least that’s what Doc Lomax does when he has a new nurse needing a place to live – a nurse with a secret. Nurse Jean soon has the sisters planning parties, pulling pranks and jogging around town. But, when their nephew shows up with plans to sell the house, things get complicated again, especially with Christmas just around the corner, $22-$35, Lakewood Theater, 76 Theater Road, Madison. FMI: 207-474-7176, www.lakewoodtheater.org.
July 14, Friday, 2pm and 7pm, “Ralph and Averill Lovely,” the only thing better than swing is swing that’s had some of its polish rubbed off, been run through the blues mill, been driven down a country road, and rolled around in the bluegrass. When you’re done, you have a product that fairly well defies all reason and sensibility, but somehow it works. Averill Lovely has been operating in this genre of Hillbilly Swing for a long time, from New England to the Dirty South, from Transylvania to Taos. He has been a blues frontman, a roots reggae frontman, a Dixieland jazz frontman. He has been a singer-songwriter in the insurgent country tradition, influenced by artists from Merle Haggard to Tom Waits to Jimmy Cliff. The result is a new old-time sound with roots that tap into what makes up Americana, free, Araxine Wilkins Sawyer Memorial, 371 Sawyer Road, Greene. FMI: 207-946-5311, sawyer-foundation.com.
July 15, Saturday, 6pm, “Peter and Will Anderson,” “Virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone,” (New York Times). Washington, DC natives and identical twins Peter and Will Anderson are known for their exciting renditions of American Songbook gems, infectious swing and blues, Brazilian Bossa Novas, and fresh original music. Along with their guitarist Alex Wintz, the Andersons will lead a program drawing from the songbooks of their favorite composers including Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Cole Porter. Doors open at 6 PM for a ‘Pie Social’ and Jam Session. Performance begins at 7pm, $15, $10/college and high school students, Farmington Historical Society, North Church, 12 High Street, Farmington. FMI: 207-778-2006, www.mainetoday.com.
July 18, Tuesday, 6:30pm, “History of Maine Canoes,” Rollin Thurlow of Northwoods Canoes will present a program on the history of Maine canoes and will share his research on historic Maine canoe companies. Join us at the library for a colorful evening of cedar canvas canoes, stories of old woods characters, and beautiful scenes of Maine lakes and streams. To quote Rollin, “The ultimate canoeing experience is reserved for those few who paddle the traditional wood and canvas canoe. No other material is so long-lasting and completely restorable after generations of use, or can be constructed with such fine lines, or is so responsive to paddle and pleasing to the eye,” Cary Memorial Library, 17 Old Winthrop Road, Wayne. FMI: 207-685-3612, www.carylibrary.org.
July 18, Tuesday, 7pm, “Going Native: Landscaping with Native Plants,” Did you know that planting native plants is one the best ways we can protect water quality and promote wildlife habit? Heather McCargo of the Wild Seed Project will lead a workshop on how to cultivate these plants on your property. Seeds will be available for purchase. Sponsored by the Belgrade Lakes Association, free, Maine Lakes Resource Center, 137 Main Street, Belgrade. FMI: 207-495-3617, mainelakesresourcecenter.org.