Local churches are offering choral recitals and candlelight services. There are holiday craft workshops for kids, and opportunities to unwind, eat well, celebrate together--and even get your gifts wrapped for free!

Scroll down to find out about all this and more.

Have a happy and productive week and...#thinklocalfirst!

You can leave this on the counter at your business to remind you and your customers how they can enter to win! 

Contact us to request one...

207.469.6818
office@bucksportbaychamber.com

It's almost Christmas Season in Downtown Bucksport!

Here's an update from the dedicated elves who make up the Town's Decorating Committee. We're excited to get back into the swing of the holiday season, and are especially glad to be able to involve you too! 
 
Make a Donation
To offset some of the cost of purchasing trees and maintaining lights, barrels, and decorations we're asking for each organization's support of $20. 

Checks can be made payable to Town of Bucksport Decorating Committee, and dropped off at: 
Town Office
ATTN: Decorating Committee
50 Main Street | P.O. Drawer X
Bucksport, Maine 04416
 

Parade of Lights - NEW!! 
New this year we'll celebrate the holiday season with a parade of lights along Main Street in downtown Bucksport. The parade is scheduled for Saturday, December 10 at 5:00 p.m. 

For up-to-date information about the parade, follow the Facebook event: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/204073193368702/
Or, the Town page: www.facebook.com/bucksportme 
 
With questions or comments about the Downtown Decorating, contact: 
 
Chris Grindle
Town of Bucksport
chris.grindle@bucksportmaine.gov
207-949-7500

Also, to learn of other holiday events happening in Downtown Bucksport, follow the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce's community calendar as well as Main Street Bucksport's Facebook page. 

Incorporated in January, 2015 - Awarded 501(c)(3) exempt status by I.R.S., all contributions are deductible.

Board: President - Gaylord A. Wood, Jr, Vice-President, Melissa Doherty, Secretary Garie Blackwell, Treasurer Jody Murphy

The Center occupies a historic building, portions of which were built in the late 1800s, and which became the Victory Grange in 1922, celebrating the end of World War I.

The Community Center primarily serves the residents of North Orland and North Bucksport - with a variety of programs throughout the year; a monthly feature is the Open Mic where the famous Happytown Band is very likely to be heard. During the Winter months, the Fever Relievers provide just that.

The Center is very kid-friendly - programs are being planned for the kids for next summer along with music for the whole family. We are a membership organization and are using membership funds to complete some much needed building repairs. Family membership is just $20/year. 

The Center has put in a bid for a Monday concert by the steel drum orchestra, Flash! in the Pans from Blue Hill for next Summer.

We are planning a Wood Bank to provide firewood for residents who can't afford to buy their own.
We also have a "take one - leave one" lending library in a cubby hole outside the Center.

In 2015, we received a grant from Maine Farmland Trust which we used for raised beds for our vegetable gardens.

In December 2016, we will hold open mic/potluck on Saturday, December 3 at 5pm and a Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, December 17. More details can be found on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/baldmountaincommunitycenter/

The Wednesday On Main (WOM) summer event program, originated in 2015 as part of a community-wide effort to revitalize Bucksport in the wake of the closing of the Verso Paper Mill, was awarded the 2016 DownEast Acadia Regional Tourism Award for Innovation & Creativity at DART's annual meeting November 10.

This program was grant-funded and supported by the Town of Bucksport and local financial institutions for the 2015 season, and in 2016, sponsored in full by Darling's of Bangor, and attendees donate generously at each event.

Wednesday On Main brings a live event to Bucksport's Main Street every Wednesday afternoon from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at various locations along Main Street. At the Alamo Theatre or Waterfront Gazebo, or under a big white tent on Main Street, music, dance, food events, movies and lectures have brought energy and life to the town these past two summers, and event creators are currently working on the 2017 list of performances.  

One of many creative and well-attended programs in Bucksport, Wednesday On Main joins the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce's Bay Festival and the Bucksport Art Festival as reasons to visit the town and its stunning riverfront walkway. 

Strengthening the year-round viability of downtown, 2016 saw the relocation to Main Street of Huckleberries Card & Gift Shop from Brewer, the opening of Verona Wine & Design, a retail wine shop and wine/tapas restaurant, a State Farm Insurance Agency and the Lighthouse Arts Gallery, a major project undertaken by artist Katherine James, offering education, gallery and retail space in a nearly 9,000 square-foot waterfront building. 

Support from the Town of Bucksport, residents and visitors alike have contributed to the success of ongoing projects, and it's paying off. Real estate sales are at an all-time high, and increased activity all over town, including at the Bucksport Marina, which was at capacity all summer, are solid indicators that Bucksport is moving forward. The paper mill site is undergoing demolition, with a projected March 2017 completion date, at which time the property will be available for development.

For more Wednesday On Main information, go to www.bucksportwom.com.

The Bucksport United Methodist Church, 71 Franklin Street Bucksport, will host the Mt. View High school Chamber singers, "Carols in the Round"  December 10th  @  7:00p.m.  The love offering will help fund the groups programs and travel. There will be refreshments and reception following the event. FMI 469-3622. The concert is handicap accessible but please call for parking arrangements.

Now is the perfect time to show our appreciation for you, our customers, and offer some warm wishes for the holidays--no matter which ones you celebrate. 

We are having a fun event on December the 11th here at the Good Kettle to enhance your holiday shopping experience. Come enjoy a glass of wine, while you shop from our selves and local Artisans.

Do you need gift basket made? We will gladly work with you to customize your cheer!

Do you need a helping hand with some of your holiday cooking? Let us know what side dishes, pies or other desserts you would like us to prepare and we can help make things more merry and bright.

   Above all else we want you to relax and enjoy your time with family and friends. Thank you all so much for making our business part of your life.

Sincerely,
the Owners and staff at The Good Kettle
247 US Route 1, Stockton Springs, ME. 04981

Bring in a new pair of men's, women's, teen, or children's socks for the needy to our locations in Bucksport, Ellsworth, and Hermon and stuff them in our Sock-In-A-Box box. We will distribute to The Bangor Homeless Shelter, the Shaw House in Bangor, and The Emmaus Center in Ellsworth. We will distribute the socks the week of December 12 so that they can have warm feet before the snow flies. Please 'like' and share this post with your friends.

Sales every week at Huckleberries in Bucksport!

Welcome to our newest Chamber member, The Winterport Area Business Association. WABA is a nonprofit organization designed to improve the business climate of the Winterport Area, promote networking among its members and encourage a "Shop Local Philosophy!" Join one of their monthly meetings and meet others who are interested in promoting the towns and businesses of Winterport, Frankfort, and Monroe.

Everyone is invited to join the North Bucksport United Methodist Church for a Christmas Eve service. It will be a hymn sing and candlelight service December 24 at 3pm.

www.Lighthousearts.com

Where: The Gatherings Community Center, Surry, Maine 

Dates and Time: Mondays from 10:00 to 11:00am, January 16 to May 1, 2017. 

Surry. Healthy Acadia will offer a "Tai Chi for Health" class series beginning January 16, 2017 in partnership with Healthy Peninsula and The Gatherings. The classes will meet on Mondays from 10:00am to 11:00am at The Gatherings, 1208 Surry Road in Surry. 

 "Tai Chi for Health" offers participants an opportunity to learn how to improve their strength and balance and reduce their fear and risk of falling. The course teaches exercises that promote movement control through the integration of mind and body. "Tai Chi for Health" is an evidenced-based program that, when practiced regularly, helps increase flexibility, muscle strength and coordination, thus reducing the risk and fear of falling. In addition, practicing "Tai Chi for Health" increases confidence, further promoting health and wellbeing.

This free course is supported by a Thriving in Place (TiP) grant, awarded to Healthy Peninsula in partnership with ten local community health organizations, by the Maine Health Access Foundation. "We are thrilled with the popularity of 'Tai Chi for Health'! Over one hundred people participated in classes during TiP's first two years, and we look forward to introducing it to many more community members this year," stated Nina Zeldin, who facilitates the tai chi sessions.

To enroll in this class series, or for more information about "Tai Chi for Health," contact Nina Zeldin at 667-7171, ornina@healthyacadia.org.

Notice something new in town? Derek, Bucksport's newest State Farm Agent is located at 124 Main Street next to Lewis and Malm Architects! Providing Bucksport and surrounding communities insurance and financial services. Give him a call at 207.469.1200 or stop by and welcome him to Bucksport! We're happy to add him to the membership. www.tudelainsurance.com

There will be no Yoga with Naomi classes between December 20th and January 1st.

Attendance at the Tuesday night class in Orland has been shrinking as the nights get colder and longer. If there's enough interest (if 5 people sign up for the next 5-week series), then we'll continue. Otherwise, we'll take a break for a while.

If you'd like to sign up for the series and commit to five classes ($50) on Tuesday nights (6:30-7:30pm at the OCC), get in touch with Naomi Graychase at yoganaomi@gmail.com, 207.370.9589, or via Facebook at facebook.com/yogawithnaomi.

Om shanti! (Peace)