Calendar of Events

2026 Annual Book Arts Bazaar
2026-04-11 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101
Join us for the 2026 Annual Book Arts Bazaar, a vibrant community celebration dedicated to the fine craft of book arts. This unique gathering showcases the talents of regional book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers, all coming together to share their passion for contemporary book arts.

Visitors have the opportunity to explore a diverse array of handmade books, artisan paper products, and unique prints, making it the perfect place to find thoughtful gifts, spark creativity, and engage in meaningful conversations about the rich traditions and innovations within the field. Whether you are a seasoned artist, an aspiring creator, there’s something for everyone at the Bazaar.

Proudly presented by the Kate Cheney Chappell ‘83 Center for Book Arts at the University of Southern Maine, this event invites the public to connect with artists and learn about the techniques that keep these cherished traditions alive. Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the artistry of books and meet the people who make it happen!

What: 2026 Book Arts BazaarWhen: Saturday April 11, 2026 | 10am – 4pmWhere: McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success35 Bedford St. (2nd Floor) Portland, ME 04101Cost: FREE

Event Details
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off directly in front of the Crewe Center Deering Avenue entrance. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

A St. Jean-Baptiste Day Celebration/La Rencontre
2026-06-24 17:00 - 22:00 | Lewiston, ME, Lewiston, Maine, 04240, United States
The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine and the Franco Center invite you to a celebration of St. Jean-Baptiste Day! Join us at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. Ticket prices include dinner and are $22/adults; $18/seniors; and $12/children under 12. Ticket sales end June 17, which is one week before the event, so get your tickets now! This program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Québec Delegation in Boston, TV5MONDE and Schooner Estates.
This collaboration between the USM Franco-American Collection and Franco Center promises to be an exciting tribute to St. Jean-Baptiste celebrations of days gone by. St. Jean-Baptiste, the patron saint of Québec, inspired large-scale parades, parties, and special religious masses in Lewiston between the late-19th century and the mid-20th century. According to the Sun Journal in 1940, the St. Jean-Baptiste celebration was so large, they needed two separate parades to include all the floats and participants. Traditionally, a local boy with curly, blond hair would be selected to portray St. Jean-Baptiste in the parade–and don’t worry, we’ll have pictures to prove it! If you are one of these St. Jean-Baptistes, we hope you are able to join us this June 24th to be recognized at the event.
The doors will open at 5 p.m., along with the cash bar and conversation in French and English. At 6 p.m., dinner will begin. Music, featuring Robert Sylvain and Steve Muise, will begin at 6:30 p.m.; and Greg Boardman and his son Aidan Boardman will take the stage at 8 p.m. The dinner menu will include Franco-American foods, featuring Pâté chinois! There will also be a vegetarian version of Pâté chinois, and a green salad and rolls. Water, lemonade and coffee drinks are free with your ticket, and sodas and bar drinks available for purchase. Ticket prices are as follows:
Adults: $22
Seniors: $18
Children 12 and under: $12
About the musicians:
Two friends, fiddler Steve Muise and singer Robert Sylvain play music rooted in the traditions of their shared Acadian heritage. Both from musical families, they inherited a treasure trove of catchy maritime fiddle tunes and old French-language folk songs which they bring together with modern sensibilities and original material that speaks to the continuing influence of Franco-American culture in New England. The result is a rhythmically unstoppable, lyrically fantastic blend of musical history and innovation that invites audiences from all backgrounds to revel in authentic Acadian joie de vivre.
Deux amis, le violoneur Steve Muise et le chanteur Robert Sylvain, continuent la musique de leurs ancêtres. Ils représentent une génération d’Acadiens du Maine qui veut honorer nos traditions, le même espoir trouver l’esprit nouveau d’Acadie aux Nouvelle Angleterre. Ils jouent les airs tordus, les complaintes anciennes, et les chansons folklorique et originelles, en Français, Anglais et Franglais. Ils ont joué sur la scène principale du CMA 2014 à Madawaska avec la groupe Boréal Tordu, qui a représenté les Franco-Américains dans le compilation “Des voix s’élèvants” organisé par Zachary Richard pour Le Centre de la francophonie des Amériques.
Greg Boardman performs in the tradition of the downeast fiddler, drawing from a Scotch, Irish and French repertoire. Greg has fiddled for concerts and dances, collected and recorded Maine Indigenous music, and taught for many years. He currently plays as a soloist and with his quartet, Boardman and Sons, and is active as a leader of fiddle workshops involving musicians of all ages, abilities, disciplines and instruments. His workshops involve diverse aspects of local culture and history and are designed to enhance existing programs and inspire new ones.
Aidan Boardman is a life-long musician from Lewiston/Auburn, ME. Before, during, and after earning a Bachelor’s in Music Education at Ithaca College, he has been writing, performing and teaching music (voice, guitar, ukulele, piano) for folks of all ages. Aidan currently resides in Portland, where he teaches general elementary music in the Portland Public Schools. Recordings produced by Aidan can primarily be found under the pseudonyms Anguid, and Dreamt.

For more information or to reserve your seat, contact the Franco Center at 207-689-2000 or www.francocenter.org/shows. If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations, please contact the Franco Center. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.
