December 2023

DECEMBER News from Heart of Ellsworth

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News from Main Street

Design Committee Lights Up Downtown

The Heart of Ellsworth Design Committee and community members volunteered more than 134 hours to bring festive cheer and sparkling lights to Main St., Merrill Park, and, for the first time ever, the Union River Bridge. This year's holiday lights and decorations are made possible with lead sponsorship support from First National Wealth Management.

The Design Committee hung 35 balsam wreaths along Main St. The handcrafted wreaths were generously donated by Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine. We also hired Wallace Events to wrap eight downtown light posts.

The committee has been planning and preparing for the downtown lighting for weeks. Recognizing that many light posts didn’t have a working outlet at the top, we hired an electrician to fix outlets and ensure several posts along Main St. could be decorated and wrapped with lights.

During the Art of Ellsworth event in October, Amy Reisman, chair of the Design Committee, taught a craft workshop where participants learned how to create lighted spheres using chicken wire and string lights. Creations from the workshop were installed as a stunning holiday light display in Merrill Park, which will be lit up each night. Three additional light sculptures were donated to the Ellsworth Public Library to decorate their front lawn.

Head downtown to check out the holiday lights if you haven't seen them already!

Learn more about our volunteer committees

Photos by Phyllis Young

Cheers to the 2023 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year's Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. We had a wonderful time learning about Maine's historic apple industry, learning about (and experiencing) delicious local hard ciders and cheeses, meeting the artisans behind these products, tasting apple and cheese specials at downtown shops and eateries, listening to Bondeko, and getting some hands-on experience with apple pressing and cheese making.

Couldn't make it this year or already missing the fun? Come back and try new flavors, makers, cheeses + ciders next year at the 2024 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival!

Special thanks to our generous sponsors who made this event possible: Franklin Savings Bank, Down East Magazine, Desert Harvest, WERU Community Radio, Ellsworth Public Library, DownEast Acadia Regional Tourism, John Edwards Market, Rooster Brother, and On the Horizon Bakery.

Learn more about the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival

Help Us Do Even More in Downtown

Each year, Heart of Ellsworth works to bring fun events, valuable business resources and community-building programs to Downtown Ellsworth. Donations from community members like you help us to complete our mission, year after year. If you'd like to support our efforts, there's still time to make your 2023 tax-deductible donation. Click here to make a one-time or recurring contribution.

Check out some of the things we've brought to Ellsworth this year:

The Downtown Grants Program
The Award-Winning Manifesting Main Downtown Asset Mapping Project
Makerspace Feasibility Study Report
Ellsworth Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project
Jane's Walk
PRIDE Fest
Ellsworth FarmDrop
Return of Trees on Main Street
Participation in the 2023 Citizens' Institute on Rural Design
New Business Benefits Page & Brochure
Free Downtown Concerts
Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend
Meet the Candidates
Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival
Downtown Holiday Lights

Want to help? Donate here.

Our Wish List

In addition to monetary gifts, Heart of Ellsworth is in need of specific items to help us complete our work every day to make great things happen in Downtown Ellsworth. Here are some items currently on our Wish List:

Office Supplies
Reams of paper
Color Printer
Shared radio spots on WERU and/or MPBN
Printing Services
Newspaper Ads (particularly Ellsworth American)

If you are interested in donating any of the above items, please contact cara@heartofellsworth.org.

43rd Annual Christmas Parade - Christmas in Ellsworth

Saturday, Dec. 2: 4 p.m.

Head downtown to join the festivities of this year's parade with the theme "Christmas Around the World," and don't miss Santa at The Grand after the parade at 5:30 p.m.! Other great holiday events are happening all month long, check out the Christmas in Ellsworth website for a full schedule.

Knowlton Park/State St./School St./Main St.

FREE
FMI: Website

Alice by Heart - Ellsworth High School Theatre of the Mad Jesters

Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8 & 9: 7 p.m.
Dec. 3: 2 p.m.

Watch the talented students of Ellsworth High School perform this musical written by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. The musical takes place in London during World War II where children, taking shelter underground from bombs, put on a performance of "Alice in Wonderland."

$15 for adults/$10 for students and seniors (for audiences ages 13+)
Tickets: Website

Holiday Open House & Acadia Handbell Choir - Ellsworth Public Library

Wednesday, Dec. 6: 6-7 p.m. (Open House), 7 p.m. (Acadia Handbell Choir)

Visit the library for their first Open House to enjoy cookies, cocoa and mingling, then stay for the annual performance by the Acadia Handbell Choir. Check the library calendar for more information as well as other wonderful holiday events in December.

Main floor of the library
20 State St.
Ellsworth

FREE
FMI: Website

NeuroMuscular Balancing for Performance, Pain Relief, and Wellness - Key Exercises, with Josh Warren - Healthy Acadia

Thursday, Dec. 7: 5 p.m.

Learn fundamental exercises for everyday optimal wellness, including four essential stretches and two key strengtheners that can help balance the pelvis and the body to improve performance, alleviate pain, and enhance everyday wellness.

For more information and/or to receive a complimentary NeuroMuscular Balancing E-manual, feel free to email Josh@NeuroMuscularBalancing.com.

Online via Zoom

FREE
FMI + Register: Website

Midday Concert @ 1:00 - Ellsworth Community Music Institute

Friday, Dec. 8: 1 p.m.

Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) offers its next Midday Concert with Duo, Joshua Gurwitz (vocal) and Deiran Manning (piano). The Duo will perform the Schwanengesang (Swan Song), a collection of 14 songs written by Franz Schubert.

Moore Community Center Theater
125 State St.

FREE
FMI: Website

Ellsworth City Council Meeting

Monday, Dec. 18: 6 p.m.

You can tune in and participate in Ellsworth City Council meetings through various online methods. Please visit the City Council webpage for meeting notices and participation instructions.

1 City Hall Plaza + Online
Ellsworth

FREE
FMI: Website

Vacation Matinee: The Little Mermaid - The Grand

Dec. 26-29: 1-3:30 p.m.

Looking for something to do with the kids while school's out? Bring them to The Grand for a showing of the live-action Disney's The Little Mermaid. Enjoy the songs, the stars and the warmth inside The Grand!

165 Main St.
Ellsworth

$1 General Admission
FMI: Website

Drive-thru & Walk-thru Holiday Lights - Woodlawn

Various dates throughout December

Enjoy the festive holiday light display from your car or stretch your legs and walk the story trail loop that has been transformed into a holiday light trail.

19 Black House Dr.
Ellsworth

$10 per family suggested donation for walk-thru Holiday Light Trail
FMI: Website

HEART OF ELLSWORTH IN THE NEWS

Check out recent mentions of Heart of Ellsworth in the local news:

Heart of Ellsworth study earns two awards
The Ellsworth American

DOWNTOWN NEWS

It's hard to say goodbye

After 7 years in Downtown Ellsworth, Sugar Mags is closing their doors on Dec. 22. They have provided great fun and delicious candy sweets to downtown residents and visitors alike. Sugar Mags has also been an active member of the Main Street community, winning a Heart of Ellsworth Downtown Grant and a Backing Small Businesses grant from Main Street America and American Express.

We wish you all the best on your journey and next ventures!

Be sure to stop in to say goodbye and enjoy all the amazing offerings at Sugar Mags before Dec. 22!

DOWNTOWN NEWS

Come join our downtown business community!

There are a number of commercial spaces for sale in Downtown Ellsworth right now, check out what's on the market:

29 Main St. (Rooster Brother)
95 Main St. (Toko)
107 Main St. (Dream Catcher)
108 Main St. (Downeast Wellness)
8 South St. (Union River Lobster Pot)
21 Water St. (Coastal Interiors)

We'd love to have you join our downtown! We're here if you need any help with starting or expanding your business. Check out our resources on the Business Benefits page.

So many of you have told us how much downtown Ellsworth means to you, how a vibrant downtown has enriched your life or increased your sense of pride and connection to place.

Perhaps you participated in one of our events, stopped to take in the Water Street Mural or downtown wayfinding map, enjoyed the free outdoor summer concert in the parklet, received one of our downtown grants, enjoyed a cider + cheese bag, took part in our tasting event, or pressed apples as part of the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. Maybe you or your child took part in our asset mapping event, Manifesting Main or hiked the refurbished trail behind the library or tuned in for Meet the Candidates forum or just simply enjoyed the flowers and holiday lights on Main Street. However you interfaced with Heart of Ellsworth this past year we hope you will take a moment to support us this year.

With your help, we can increase the number of people who have access to a vibrant and thriving downtown community!

Thank you for your support of Heart of Ellsworth!

Heart of Ellsworth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

DONATE HERE