| Date |
Event |
Details |
Saturday
May 4 |
W.I.L.D. CENTER & Zoological Park of NE |
NEW! Join these wildlife experts & professional educators with their living menagerie of exotic wildlife related to our very own Maine Wildlife Park residents! See and photograph wildlife like a Serval Cat, Crested Porcupine, Arctic Fox, Indigo Snake, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Giant Bullfrog or Egyptian Fruit Bat; all while learning how they are connected to Maine’s resident wildlife. www.WILDCenterNE.org Sponsored by Main Line Fence |
Saturday
May 11 |
ANCIENT ART OF FALCONRY & INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRD DAY |
Join Maine Master Falconer Larry Barnes to learn about the ancient art of falconry. Celebrate one of the most important and spectacular events in the Americas - bird migration. Bring your cameras for some great close-ups of Larry’s 2 beautiful hunting falcons - a peregrine & a hybrid! www.birdday.org |
Saturday & Sunday
May 18 & 19 |
SONS OF NORWAY |
NEW! Scandinavian climate, wildlife & conservation practices are similar to Maine’s. Come & learn about Scandinavian culture from folks in full native dress; & see demonstrations of traditional activities like carving, rosemaling, weaving & Viking life. Sample delicious Scandinavian foods like polser, in lompe, lefse & krumbkaka. Many ‘make & take’ activities for children & adults, like building Troll, or ‘nisse’ houses! |
Saturday - Monday
May 25-27 |
FRIENDS OF THE MAINE WILDLIFE PARK ANNUAL PLANT SALE |
The Friends volunteer group helps out the wildlife park in so many ways; learn more about their ongoing projects & enjoy great bargains on spring plants with annual & perennial flowers, vegetables & floral baskets grown in their own greenhouse! Plants will be available all day each day. www.wildlifeparkfriends.org |
Saturday
June 1 |
DRY MILLS FISH HATCHERY DISPLAY BUILDING DEDICATION
& PARKWIDE OPEN HOUSE |
NEW! Join us in celebrating the finished construction of a new round pond & show fish pool; and the opening of a new associated educational building with display tanks at the Dry Mills Hatchery! A dedication will be at 11:30am; and there will be a variety of other ‘fishy’ displays & demonstrations from 11am-2pm. FREE ADMISSION to the entire wildlife park today only! |
Saturday
June 8 |
LEARN ABOUT LOBSTERS ON WORLD OCEANS DAY |
Join Captain Tom & crew from the Portland lobster boat Lucky Catch. See how that tasty treat gets from the bottom of the ocean to your dinner plate. Hear about lobster life, habitats & conservation efforts; learn about hard shells, shedders, short, culls & keepers; lots of live lobsters plus many other cool sea critters! www.luckycatch.com and worldoceansday.org |
Saturday
June 15 |
MAD SCIENCE FIRE & ICE SHOW
11:00am - 12noon |
NEW! Get ready for some sizzlin’ excitement with safe & scientific fun with fire & ice! Witness experiments like the Big Burp, Sizzling Scissors & famous Mad Science Shower! Live, interactive & compelling experiences that make learning a blast! A must-see for the kids! www.madscience.org/maine Sponsored by Us & Company Computers & Gray Physical Therapy |
Thursday
June 20 |
MID SUMMER’S NIGHT SNACK 6:30-8:30pm |
NEW! A brand new event featuring local specialty foods as a fund-raiser for a new Canada Lynx exhibit. Pre-purchase tickets to visit the park on an ‘almost solstice/almost full moon’ evening & sample snacks & specialties from local stores, farms & restaurants. Chipman Farms, Cole Farms, Cyndi’s Dockside, Friends of the Wildlife Park, Harvest Hill Farm, New Gloucester Village Store, Pineland Farms Creamery, Poland Spring Water & Sabbathday Shaker Village will be stationed at tables around the park providing samples of their specialty foods. Non refundable advance tickets are $12.50 & may be purchased only at the wildlife park admissions gatehouse. Tickets day of event are $15. Rain or Shine! For more information about the food and schedule, download Table/Tour Poster. |
Saturday
June 22 |
OUTDOOR SAFETY & SURVIVAL SKILLS |
NEW! Join MDIFW Recreational Safety Instructors to learn about safety & survival in the outdoors. See demonstrations of fire building/starting; survival shelter construction, map & compass & must-have equipment you should always carry with you! www.maine.gov/ifw/education/safety |
Saturday
June 29 |
MAINE FOREST SERVICE |
Join a local District Forest Ranger with a demonstration & display of the tools of his trade. Forest Rangers protect our forests from fires, insects, disease and misuse. A special photo opportunity for the kids from 12 noon to 12:30pm, when Smokey the Bear will arrive to meet his fans. Bring your cameras for photos of Smokey with your children! www.maine.gov/doc/mfs |
Saturday
July 6 |
ARCHERY WITH BRYANT POND 4-H SHOOTING SPORTS |
Certified archery instructors will have equipment & targets to try your hand at this great family sport. Archery builds self confidence, self discipline, responsibility & leadership while promoting youth development & life skills. umaine.edu/bryantpond/ |
Tuesday - Sunday
July 9 - 14 |
THE FINAL CHARGE |
A massive, museum quality display showing two huge Bull Moose with locked antlers, created by taxidermist Mark Dufresne of Nature’s Reflections Taxidermy in Gray. Most often exhibited at the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport, this amazing display is on loan to us for our visitors to view & photograph up close! www.llbean.com |
Saturday
July 13 |
TRAILS END & AVIAN TAXIDERMY |
Taxidermy is a method of reproducing a life-like, 3-dimensional rendition of a mammal, bird or fish for permanent display. Come & see a variety of examples of this delicate art with local taxidermists Dana Soucier & Tom Berube representing the Maine Association of Taxidermists. Dana will demonstrate the process of mounting a mammal & Tom will demonstrate how to mount waterfowl, both from start to finish. www.trailsendtaxidermystudio.com and www.tomsavian.com |
Saturday & Sunday
July 20 & 21 |
THE ANCIENT ONES |
This group of re enactors, in full period dress, will set up a real Living History Camp from the late 1700s - 1800s They will put up a canvas tent & have demonstrations going on all day long, including fire starting, cooking, trading, tomahawk throwing, flint knapping, flintlock muskets, weaving, & the like. Come to see what day-to-day life really looked like 200 years ago! All day Saturday; Sunday morning ‘til noon www.theancientonesofmaine.com |
Saturday
July 27
|
NIGHT VISIT with NORTHERN STARS PLANETARIUM
6:30-9:00PM |
NEW! The universe is traveling to the wildlife park! An inflatable star theater will be set up inside our Fox gazebo where a star projector, slides, video & special effects will introduce kids to astronomy & space science. About 25 people at a time will be able to participate; 4 consecutive shows will run. Before or after the show, walk around the park learning more about astronomy. www.northern-stars.com Sponsored by Cole Farms Restaurant |
Saturday
August 3 |
MAINE AUTHORS DAY |
NEW! Meet Maine authors who write about Maine’s woods, waters & wildlife. John Ford, Stephen Pinkham, Liza Gardener Walsh, Susan Williams Beckhorn, Tom Merriam, Katie Clark, R.G. Bernier & Fran Hodgkin, many of whom are award-winning writers, will have their adult &/or children’s books on hand for purchase & autographing - all at a 10% discount! Other art, prints, maps & note cards created by these talented authors also available at 10% off! Special activities for kids, like building Fairy Houses! Select offers in the Nature Store! |
Saturday & Sunday
August 10 & 11 |
ATTEAN MEMORIAL POW WOW |
Tribal representatives from Maine, New England & around the country will be at the park for two full days with native dancers, drummers, craft vendors, singers & traditional food booths. This year, don’t miss the NEW activities, food, music & Grand Entry presented each day. An exciting opportunity to learn more about Native American culture & heritage. (All day, rain or shine). |
Saturday
August 17 |
CHAINSAW WILDLIFE ARTISTS |
Join Maine CHAINSAW CARVERS Ron Carlson, Tim Pickett & Dan Burns as they use chainsaws to create eagles, bears & more. Watch a block of wood become a work of art. A variety of carvings will be on exhibit & for sale. Bring your cameras & your earplugs! |
Saturday
August 24 |
LIFE OF THE HONEYBEE |
Learn about the industrious life of the honey bee, & the role of the beekeeper. Parts of the bee hive & beekeeping equipment will be on display; & experienced bee keepers will be available to answer your questions. A variety of delicious native Maine honey & other natural products from the hive will be on sale. www.mainebeekeepers.org |
Saturday
August 31 |
LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE WITH SKILLIN’S GREENHOUSES |
Expert native landscaping staff will be on hand with a wide selection of native shrubs, small trees & other plants that are hardy & attractive, while providing food & shelter for our birds & other wildlife. Fall is a great time to plant, & these quality plants are on sale & ready to install into your yard or landscape. www.skillins.com |
Saturday
September 7 |
RICK CHARETTE CONCERT |
As a singer & songwriter, Rick Charette has been capturing the hearts & spirits of young & old alike with his delightful & inspiring children’s songs. His performances blend original contemporary pop music & lyrics with imaginative activities that generate all kinds of audience participation. Many songs performed will be about Maine’s wild animals! Rick will sign autographs & sell CDs after the show. Concert Show Time is 11am-12noon; rain or shine: www.rickcharette.com Sponsored by: Cook’s Hardware & Harvest Hill Farms |
Sunday
September 8 |
NATIONAL GRANDPARENT’S DAY |
National Grandparents Day is the first Sunday after Labor Day and was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. Free admission for Grandparents accompanied by their grandchildren; regular entrance fees for all other family members. |
Saturday
September 28 |
NORTH WOODS LAW DAY |
NEW! Meet the Maine Game Wardens of the popular Animal Planet TV show ‘North Woods Law’. At least 8 of this season’s wardens, some with their canines, will be on hand to sign autographs and have their photos taken with their fans. (9:30am-11:30am; 12:30pm-2:30pm) animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/north-woods-law |
Friday & Saturday Nights!
October 18 & 19 |
HALLOWEENFEST
6:00-9:00PM |
Celebrate Halloween in 2 nights of fun with the Park’s native wildlife! Park staff & volunteers will stop at nothing to give you & your family NEW scares & fun! Don’t miss NEW Halloween displays, Haunted Hay Rides, Games, Contests, Huge Door Prizes & more! Wear your costumes! Regular Admission Fees. (Call office FMI 657-4977 if raining) Nature Store & Snack Shack will be open for spooky snacks & souvenirs! |
Monday
November 11 |
VETERANS DAY/CLOSING DAY FOR THE PARK |
Free admission for U.S. Military personnel, Veterans & their immediate family members on our last day of the season. |
Our 2 picnic shelters and Outdoor Classroom may be reserved for parties, special occasions, family gatherings and more!
Special Wildlife programs and tours available.
Consider volunteering at the wildlife park. There are opportunities for gatehouse attendants, tour guides, gardeners and Snack Shack clerks.
For more information, please call (207) 657-4977, ext. 0. |
