It’s a mixed bag of events this week! From food pop-ups to silent auctions, beer garden takeovers, cougar proms (more on that later), salsa night, and more, Portland has come to play this weekend!
Here’s the Weekend Guide for Friday, May 20th – Sunday, May 22nd, 2022!
Friday the 20th
Quanto Basta Pop-Up | Onggi Ferments + Food | 4:00 PM
Let pizza season commence! Quanto Basta is excited to kick off the 2022 season outside of Onggi’s new space on Washington Avenue. To top it off, Dear Dairy Ice Cream will be there to satisfy your sweet tooth. Ferments+Pizza+Ice Cream!? What could be better!? The fun starts at 4 PM and runs until sellout!
Curbside Queens Beer Garden Takeouver | Goodfire Brewing Co. | 5:30 PM
Public Event Alert! Maine’s #1 traveling drag show, The Curbside Queens, is rolling up to Goodfire Brewing Company! Come enjoy fantastic beer and a show from the fabulous queens.
Salsa Night | Stroudwater Distillery. | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
An evening of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, & Kizomba! Tickets include class from 7PM – 8PM with a Latin dance party after! Cocktails and food are available all night. $10 cover after 9PM to join the dance party. Tickets for class here.
Deep Thoughts Comedy Show | Free Street| 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Maine House of Comedy at Free Street Restaurant and Bar presents Deep Thoughts standup comedy show produced by Maine comedian Danny Jordan! Featuring a showcase of New England comedians alongside national headliners. Tickets here.
Cougars Prowl the Prom | Geno’s Rock Club | 7:30 PM – 12:00 AM
Geno’s Rock Club is going back to the prom and they are on the prowl! If you’ve never been to the prom this event is especially for you. If you’re a cougar who wants a new prom dress, this prom is especially for you too. The burlesque show featuring a live band kicks off this fabulous evening of dangerous cougar Fatales. Be ready to ask that cutie to dance to the hits of your high school years. And don’t forget to document your evening with an awkward prom photo in the cougar selfie booth. Bring a prom dress to donate to The Maine Event Prom Project, a charity that brings gently used or new gowns to low-income and rural areas. Tickets here. Proof of covid vaccination is required to attend.
Saturday the 21st
4-Year Anniversary Party | Definitive Brewing Co. | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
It’s Definitive Brewing Co.’s party and they can cry if they want to! For their 4th anniversary, Definitive will have several beer releases lined up for the celebration, as well as tasty eats all day long from visiting food trucks/trailers PB& ME and Tacos Del Seoul. Live music performances will be happening by three different bands starting at 11:30am and running until 8pm. Pop on by for a day of good beer and great fun.
Hambone | The Porthole | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Live music at The Porthole begins! Kicking it all off is Hambone! These guys have shared the stage collectively with members of Phish, James Brown, The Meters, The Motet, Allman Brothers Band and many more. Don’t miss out on this stripped-down funk party.
Coyote Island EP Release w/ Skosh & Assasi | Portland House of Music| 7:00 PM Doors – 8:00 PM Show
Psychdelic-indie-folk- pop band, Coyote Island, headlines their debut EP release party at Portland House of Music. Syrian hip-hop artist, Assasi, and funk band Skosh open up the night. Tickets here.
Bash at The Bay | Portland Skatepark/ Dougherty Field | 11:00 AM -3:00 PM
The first stop of the Maine Skateboard Association‘s 2022 contest series! A Skate Jam & Contest at Portland Skatepark, with a $5 entry fee and three divisions: 12 and under, 13 to 17, and 18 and over. Top skaters from each division will skate for first, second and third place with cash and product prizes for each division. Winner of the Best Trick Contest on the Bissell Brothers/Highroller Lobster Co. Launch Ramp gets a cash prize!
Jesse McCartney | State Theatre | 6:30 PM Doors – 8:00 PM Show
Maintaining a career marked by platinum success, performances for two U.S. presidents, sold-out shows worldwide, a quarter-of-a-billion streams, and dozens of film and television appearances, Jesse McCartney opens up more than ever on his 2021 fifth full-length album, New Stage. The New York-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, artist, and actor deconstructs his signature style with no-frills instrumentation, eloquent songcraft, and heightened lyrical vulnerability. Tickets here.
Bash at The Bay After Party | Highroller Lobster Co.| 3:00 PM
Highroller Lobster Co. will be hosting the official afterparty for Maine Skateboard Association‘s Bash at The Bay tournament. They will be bringing back the famous “DO A KICKFLIP GET A KICKFLIP” contest with MSA board member Seth Vigue’s signature ale, they’ll have some skate demos, live painting from friends Ryan Adams & Spenser Macleod, and a full Short Throw Brewing & Bissell Brothers tap takeover, including their collab with Short Throw!
Sunday the 22nd
Portland Poets Society: Poetry Reading on The Prom | Eastern Promenade | 3:00 PM
Portlands Poet Society is back (weather permitting) for their monthly summer reading series, ‘Poetry on the Prom’. This is where it all started just two short years ago! First come, first serve, open mic.
NOWisNOW | Portland Lobster Co. | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
NOWisNOW is an energetic power trio formed in 2001 by singer/songwriter Mitch Alden in Portland. The band maintains an ambitious schedule of over 200 dates annually and delivers a steady repertoire of high-energy alternative rock covers and originals.
Coffee Run with Runaways Run Club | Chadwick B&B | 8:00 AM
Head out for a 5 mile / choose-your-own-distance group run and then come back to the Chadwick B&B for coffee and socializing. The B&B proprietors will have a pre-made breakfast option (TBD day of, granola, muffin, or similar) available for purchase after the run.
Covid protocols: Please have a mask available optional for use during indoor socializing after the run. If you’re not feeling well, don’t come. You must be vaccinated to run with the group.
Community Cares Game Day | Hadlock Field | 12:00 PM
Batter up! After two long years, The Opportunity Alliance is thrilled to announce that their annual partnership event with the Portland Sea Dogs is back with a twist! This year, they are heading to Hadlock Field to celebrate some of TOA’s community initiatives that support Maine youth and families. Events to include: a pregame on-field ceremony recognizing some key partners and community members, an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch of classic ballpark fare, opportunities to meet and get autographs from Slugger, and more! A silent auction will take place throughout the event with a multitude of specialty items up for bid. All event attendees will be provided tickets to stay for the game. Tickets here.
Fried Chicken & Fizzy Wine Brunch | Crispy Gai | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Crispy Gai is thrilled to have wine expert Courtney O’Neill pouring carefully selected bubbles by the glass. Special Crispy Brunch Sunday with Bluet Bubbles. Don’t miss it!
For more events, head to our full Events Calendar here.