Art of Ellsworth: Maine Craft Weekend returns October 2–5, 2025. Celebrate our city’s creative spirit with four days of local art, craft, music, food, and community.
Get informed and engaged at Meet the Candidates, happening October 14th at The Grand Theatre. Hear from local candidates, ask questions, and learn more about the issues that matter to our community.
Meet the Candidates is an annual, nonpartisan event that provides an educational platform for the voting residents of Ellsworth. All candidates running for a seat on the Ellsworth City Council are encouraged to participate. Events like this raise awareness of local issues and connect community members to participate in our local democracy. Meet the Candidates 2025 is brought to you by the City of Ellsworth and produced in partnership with The Ellsworth American and Heart of Ellsworth.
You can also watch Meet the Candidates live or on your way to the polls! Head to the Heart of Ellsworth YouTube channel to watch the forum live or later.
Join this hands-on workshop to build glowing wire spheres that will light up Merrill Park and downtown for the season!
Guided by Heart of Ellsworth Design Committee members, this event is fun, approachable, and something anyone can do. Together, we’ll learn the basics of chicken wire sculpting, use simple tools, and create beautiful illuminated pieces that become part of a community-wide holiday installation.
Thanks to Versant Power, this festive project is free and open to everyone!
Please Bring: Wire cutters, pliers, and safety gloves.
Join the Ellsworth Elementary Middle School for their 4th Annual Fall Festival! FREE Entry & open to the community. Games, Food Trucks, Crafts & Activities, Scholastic Book Fair and a Craft & Vendor Fair.
On the Stanley Subaru Stage and sponsored by First National Bank. "Grease" is presented by special arragnment with Samuel French, Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company.
Midday Concert - Ellsworth Community Music Institute
Friday, October 10th
1PM-2PM
Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) offers its next Midday Concert @ 1:00 on Friday, October 10 with the Shelter Music Maine Trio:
Katherine Liccardo, violin; Matt Consul, viola and mandolin; Marisa Solomon, cello
Hosted by Ellsworth Public Library in collaboration with the Ellsworth Chess Club.
Registration from 1PM-1:15PM! Celebrate strategy, focus, and fun with us this National Chess Day! Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, this free, friendly community tournament is the perfect way to test your skills, meet fellow chess enthusiasts, and enjoy an afternoon of thoughtful competition. All ages and experience levels are welcome — come for the challenge, stay for the camaraderie. Check out the link for all the details and registration link.
The Rotary Club of Ellsworth will hold their Annual Polio Walk in recognition of World Polio Day on Saturday, October 18th. All walkers will meet at Knowlton Park at 9:30am. The walk will start at 10:00am. We will proceed down State Street to the lower light on Main Street, walk up Main Street to School Street and return to Knowlton Park.
A $20 donation is suggested to participate. Bring your family and friends along to help raise money to eradicate polio. Dogs are also welcome. Funds raised will go toward Rotary International’s End Polio Now efforts.
ECMI The Story of Ferdinand with Halcyon String Quartet
October 25th
3PM-4PM
Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) and the Blue Hill Concert Association offer a special FREE concert for children and children at heart! With narration by Luke Fatora, Halcyon will sweep you up on a musical tour of the string quartet that culminates in a musical performance of Ferdinand combining music, story, and illustration.
Pumpkin Hike Grand Opening & Lighting October 29th
5PM-7PM
Each year Frenchman Bay Conservancy decorates one of our trails with glowing jack o’ lanterns and opens to the public for the Pumpkin Hike! This year we will be hosting the Pumpkin Hike at the Ellsworth Riverwalk, a scenic downtown trail, in partnership with the Ellsworth Public Library, and sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank!
The Pumpkin Hike Grand Opening & Lighting will be held on Wednesday, October 29th, and the pumpkins will remain on display until Sunday, November 2nd.
During Halloween Week, the Riverwalk trail will be lined with excellently carved pumpkins from our community members! Each night the pumpkins will be lit with tea candles, illuminating the trail for all to enjoy. Join us in celebration of the Pumpkin Hike Grand Opening, wear your spooky costumes, vote for your favorite pumpkin and enjoy festive treats provided by Ellsworth Public Library. There will be prizes for the pumpkins that receive the most votes! For more information regarding the Pumpkin Hike Grand Opening & Lighting, please visit the event page!
October marks the 175th Anniversary of the Ellsworth American! Look out for this historic milestone as part of their commemorative special section, publishing October 23rd, featuring a revival of news stories and advertisements through the years.
The City of Ellsworth is undertaking a study to create safer and more accessible streets for everyone in Downtown and along State Street, Water Street, and Route 1. Some of the goals of this study include: addressing traffic, creating a connected network for active transportation (walking and biking), increasing climate resiliency of the transportation system, improving access to the riverfront, and creating safer routes to schools.
This study will help identify improvements that: reduce traffic congestion, improve pedestrian & traffic safety, create connections for pedestrians and cyclists, and enhance the character of historic downtown Ellsworth.
Through a series of community engagement opportunities, the project invites residents, organizations, businesses, and visitors to help shape its long-term vision. Together, the community is reclaiming this urban space for public benefit, ensuring the final design reflects shared values, needs, and creativity.
The Franklin Street Parklet is evolving, and we’re excited about its potential. Our goal is to create a beautiful, inclusive space that everyone can enjoy year-round.
Check out the Farmers Market at 25 Pine Street parking lot of Fogtown Brewing and Artsworth!
News From City Hall
Be in the know about road closures, parking information and more by following updates from City Hall on their website. Attend and/or watch City Council Meetings by following their YouTube channel as well!
Many of you have told us how much downtown Ellsworth means to you, how a vibrant downtown has enriched your life and increased your sense of pride and connection to this place.
