Posts by Hannah Daly
On New Year's Eve, party like a Mainer

Mainers party just a little differently than the rest of the world on New Year’s Eve.

Instead of dropping a ball from a big building in a big city, we drop a wild blueberry from a church bell tower in Kennebunk. Instead of making everyone stay up to the stroke of midnight, we hold some New Year’s celebrations in the afternoon or early evening, so kids and early risers can get to bed on time.

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Regaining Ground: 3 Powerful Examples of Successful Brownfields Projects

On return trips from her old college stomping grounds of Boston, Nancy Martin, business programs manager for the City of Portland, Maine, knows she is home when the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM) comes into view. It is arguably the most prominent venue in a development known as Thompson’s Point, which stands out right off Interstate 295. The peninsula setting symbolizes the natural amenities Maine possesses, while the ground below is a prime example of Portland’s desire to maintain its beauty inside and out.

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Children collaborate on "Portrait of Community" mural

Assembled on a teal cardboard wall is a wide range of children’s artwork: doodles of multiple orange cats, crayon-drawn self-portraits, Acadia National Park depicted in markers, a drawing of a cup of boba tea. While the works vary in style and content, they come together in the mural to create a portrait of the children of the Portland area.

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Statewide Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival kicks off this weekend with theatrical debut

The Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival (BBCBF) kicks off Saturday with a variety of events for families to celebrate Black culture in Maine and beyond. The statewide festival was founded in 2019 and was created to honor the award-winning picture book "Beautiful Blackbird" by Ashley Bryan. This year, the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is turning the book into an interactive theater production for children ages five and under. The play debuts Saturday at the museum, which is also offering $1 admission to the museum and $1 tickets to the show.

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Children's Museum and Theatre art auction returns to benefit Community Fund

The Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine will showcase an array of works by local artists at a 21-plus event complete with food and cocktails, both a live and silent art auction, featuring music and comedy. The proceeds will all go toward its Community Fund, which supports kids and families who face barriers in accessing the facility.

This will be the museum’s second Flying Colors Art Auction Benefit and will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 10.

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Young Maine playwrights invited to submit original scripts for 2024 Youth Play Festival

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine announces an opportunity for budding playwrights aged 17 and under to submit their original plays to the upcoming Youth Play Festival on June 1 and 2, 2024. The festival, which kicks off the 101st children’s theatre season, aims to ignite a passion for theatre and nurture the imaginative talents of young writers.

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Winners Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Maine Awards

Winners have been announced for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Maine Awards! 

The 2023 Regional Awards honor regional productions, touring shows, and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023. This year the BroadwayWorld Regional Awards were bigger and better than ever, including over 100 cities across America, Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

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The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine Debuts Its First Wabanaki-Focused Permanent Exhibit

The new playspace outside the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland, was a long time coming. Ckuwaponahkiyik Atkuhkakonol: Wabanaki Storytelling Through Art and Traditions is the 48-year-old institution’s first permanent exhibit dedicated to Maine’s indigenous people. “We’ve always told stories about this place we call Maine, but there has been a lack of Wabanaki voices,” says education and exhibits director Starr Kelly, who began developing the project soon after joining the museum staff two years ago.

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From glitz and glam to fun for the fam, there’s a New Year’s Eve party for everyone

There are plenty of events to choose from around Maine on Sunday to ring in 2024, from planetarium shows and family-friendly celebrations to dance parties and cocktail soirees.

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland is hosting a New Year’s Eve Indoor Beach Party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be beach-themed play experiences for kids and families, including creating ocean-inspired artwork, making sea star wishing wands and finger puppets.

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11 ways to brighten up Maine’s darkest days

Light your own path, with lanterns. The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland will host Celebrate the Solstice: Self-Guided Lantern Walk events on Thursday and Friday from 1-4 p.m.  Children can create a colorful paper lantern in the museum with a light inside. Then they can walk with it through an outdoor labyrinth path, which will be lit. Admission is $16. For more information, including about discounts, go to kitetails.org/visit.

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