Dive into a sea of events this weekend that promise fun, adventure, and a touch of greenery!
From the kickoff of Seaweed Week and the eagerly anticipated Seaweed Saturday festivities to the 4/20 holiday celebrations across the city, there’s no shortage of reasons to get out there and enjoy the weekend. Plus, don’t forget to bring your furry friends along for Bark in the Park and unleash your inner superhero at Maine Comic and Toy Con.
Here’s The Weekend Guide for Friday, April 19th – Sunday, April 21st, 2024
Friday the 19th
Seaweed Week 2024 | Portland, Maine and Across Maine| Runs until April 28th
The 6th annual statewide food and drink festival Seaweed Week begins! Celebrating Maine’s kelp harvest, Seaweed Week will feature special events, one-time-only menus and limited-edition items from local bars, restaurants, brewers, bakers and more. Participating parties can partake in seaweed food and drink specials – from kelp burgers to craft cocktails – and unique events like seaweed cooking workshops and farm tours. For more information regarding Seaweed Week – including participating businesses – check out our rundown.
Maine Comic and Toy Con | Cross Insurance Arena | All Weekend
Maine’s premiere pop culture and comic book event, Maine Comic and Toy Con is BACK! Join for three days of celebrity guests, artists, games, pop culture and more! Maine Comic and Toy Con features cosplay, costume contests, video games, celebrity guests, autographs, photo opportunities, guest panels, VIP Experiences, and vendors of toys, comic books, art and other pop culture items! Child tickets are available for ages 5 thru 12. Children 4 and under are free. Tickets.
LaMP | Portland House of Music and Events | 9:00 PM
Experience the magic of LaMP as they make their way to Portland, Maine, after their formation in Burlington, Vermont. At their upcoming performance, the trio of musical virtuosos—Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger, and Ray Paczkowski—will showcase their electrifying sound. With Lawton’s unshakeable backbeat, Paczkowski’s swirling organ, and Metzger’s acrobatic melodies on telecaster, LaMP delivers a performance brimming with energy and soul. Witness the synergy between these seasoned musicians as they bring their eponymous debut EP to life onstage, showcasing seven tracks that crackle with technical prowess and deep-pocket punch. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the growing crowd that recognizes LaMP as a musical force to be reckoned with on the East Coast. Tickets.
Bark in the Park | Hadlock Field | 6:00 PM
Join the Portland Sea Dogs for a tail-wagging good time at the ballpark! Bring your furry companions along for an unforgettable experience. Both dogs and their humans will need tickets to the game, so make sure to grab seats in the general admission section to enjoy the designated Bark in the Park area. The evening will kick off with a special entrance and a pre-game parade starting at 5:00 PM. One paw-some event! Tickets.
Live Music with Mainely Reggae | Maine Craft Distilling | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Get ready to groove at the Mainely Reggae concert series kick-off event, hosted by Maine Craft Distilling! This free event is open to the public and will feature an epic lineup from 6 PM to 10 PM. Enjoy the reggae vibes with performances by superstar Perfect Giddimani, backed by members of Maine’s own Royal Hammer. Plus, don’t miss the EP release by Green Lion Crew featuring The Movement. Keeping the reggae dance party alive will be DJ Bobby Steelz.
Saturday the 20th
High Spirits & Good Buds | Henry’s Public House| 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Get ready to elevate your 4/20 celebration at High Spirits & Good Buds, a collaboration event at Henry’s Public House with Fire on Fore! This vibrant bash brings together the best of both worlds with a lineup of tech house DJs guaranteed to keep the energy high all night long. Let the good vibes flow as you savor delicious food and drinks from Henry’s, perfectly paired with your favorite strains. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to indulge in great music, tasty bites, and good company as you celebrate this special holiday!
THEM Burlesque Presents: High Society 2 | Empire Comedy Club | 6:00 PM Doors
Rosie Havoc & THEM Burlesque present a 4/20 Burlesque, Drag, Comedy & Music Extravaganza! Slip into a haze and come out to celebrate every stoner’s favorite holiday with some perennially stoned socialites! It’s reefer madness! This burlesque and drag show is all about the Devil’s lettuce. Doors open at 6 PM with a cannabis themed market filled with goodies from local vendors and businesses. Sipping beverages will be provided by WYNK Seltzer + THC plus we will be raffling off some cases and other goodies! The action packed, star-studded show follows at 8 PM. Stick around for a chill hang with THEM Burlesque as they gogo, flow, and pole at 10:30 PM! Plus! Bingo and other mini games! Tickets.
Seaweed Saturday | Gulf of Maine Research Institute | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Dive into seaweed with food, films, art, science and vendors at this free all-day expo! Celebrate seaweed with friends, family, and farmers! This day-long event will offer public seaweed demos, films, art, interactive tables, and a marketplace. Activities at Seaweed Saturday will highlight seaweed in art, food, and science, featuring dozens of local seaweed farms, businesses, and organizations. Maine Sea Grant will offer hands-on seaweed identification workshops and demos. Local artists will exhibit their seaweed-inspired works. In the marketplace, seaweed farms and businesses will showcase their seaweed products to taste or take home. The Maine Outdoor Film Festival will also host film screenings throughout the day featuring seaweed stories and the outdoors. Because theater seating is limited, they ask that you pre-register. Seaweed Saturday is free for all ages.
Portland Farmers’ Outdoor Market Opening Day | Deering Oaks Park | 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Come out and celebrate the return of the Portland Farmers Market to Deering Oaks Park for their outdoor market opening day! Browse through an array of fresh produce, artisanal goods, and locally crafted products while soaking up the sunshine and community spirit. From farm-fresh vegetables to homemade items, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at this beloved local market. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to support local farmers and artisans while enjoying the beauty of spring.
Portland’s Earth Day Celebration | Edward Payson Park | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
The City of Portland is hosting a free, family-friendly Earth Day Celebration in Payson Park! City departments are teaming up with local green organizations to host a festival of fun: learn about composting with friends at Garbage to Garden, spin a trivia wheel with the Portland Public Health team, and catch a storytime session with Park Ranger Liz! Big trucks galore – see a real City recycling truck and big green trucks from the City Forestry Team! Climb inside an electric Greater Portland METRO bus! Test ride e-bikes from Bicycle Coalition of Maine and local bike shops & try out electric lawn equipment demos with our Parks and Recreation team! There will be music, food trucks, facepaint, balloon animal making, and outdoor activities for the whole family. They encourage you to bike, walk, or carpool, if you can! Rain date is set for Sunday, April 21st.
4/20 SmokeOut with Keith Briggs | The Portland Zoo | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Join for a wild 4/20 SmokeOut at The Portland Zoo in Portland’s Bayside district, featuring Keith Briggs from Bandwich and Samuel Grant Whitman from Hambone! Get ready for a high-energy afternoon filled with music, good vibes, great eats (Oga Suya serving up Nigerian BBQ on-site) and special guests. It’s the ultimate 4/20 celebration you won’t want to miss.
Portland Plog Pluck | Austin Street Brewery – Fox Street | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Please join the Runaways Run Club and Austin Street Brewery for the 7th Annual Portland Plog Pluck, a city street clean up project! If you’ve never heard of plogging, it’s “plucking” trash while “jogging” = plogging! If you’ve never plogged, it’s a great way to get out into the community and make a visible difference. They’ve collected over 1,500 pounds of trash to date in partnership with the City of Portland and local businesses! They’ll provide the bags, gloves and trash collecting supplies, you provide the positive vibes and the legs. Starts at 11 AM and ends around 2 PM with socializing afterwards.
Sunday the 21st
Loving Japanese Knotweed with ReWild Maine | E | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica or Fallopia japonica) is known as one of the most frustrating invasive species in the world. Frequently planted along riverbanks as a means of controlling erosion, it is often favored by pollinators, yet quickly overruns landscapes and smothers native plant species. Knotweed also makes a delicious, healthy and versatile vegetable, similar to rhubarb. We can help to manage the overgrowth of this powerful invasive by eating it! Learn to manage, harvest, gather, process, and eat Japanese knotweed. ReWild will cover identification, removal, gathering, processing, cooking over an open fire, and future storage. Tickets.
Celia Woodsmith | Maine Craft Distilling | 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Celia Woodsmith is a GRAMMY Nominated performer, vocalist, percussionist, and songwriter is playing live at Maine Craft Distilling. With a style that can be described as “one of a kind: gritty, muscular, folksy and intimate sometimes all at once” (Bluegrass Situation) she has been a fixture of the New England Roots Music scene since 2005.
Robbie Fulks and Patty Larkin | One Longfellow Square| 8:00 PM
Get ready for an unforgettable evening of musical mastery as Robbie Fulks and Patty Larkin take the stage at One Longfellow Square! Robbie Fulks returns to his bluegrass roots with his latest release, “Bluegrass Vacation,” featuring a stellar lineup of musicians and heartfelt original songs covering a range of themes from small-town blues to the enduring power of music in family bonds. Meanwhile, Patty Larkin mesmerizes with her soulful vocals, innovative guitar work, and poetic lyrics that illuminate the depths of the human experience. Don’t miss this chance to experience two extraordinary artists in one magical performance. Tickets.
For more events head to our Events Calendar here.