A New Way to Find What's Happening in Ellsworth
Launching Jan. 15th
The City of Ellsworth and Heart of Ellsworth are launching a
new Community Events Calendar!
The calendar brings together events from across Ellsworth into an easy-to-use place on both organization's websites. From family-friendly activities and nonprofit fundraisers to downtown happenings and local events, if it’s going on in Ellsworth, you’ll be able to find it.
WHY THIS MATTERS
After a year of conversations with local nonprofits and community partners, one message was clear: Ellsworth needed a shared, citywide calendar. This new tool helps reduce duplication, boost participation, and shine a brighter light on the organizations and experiences that make our community thrive.
HOW IT WORKS
Yodel automatically pulls public Facebook Events and events listed on organization websites. Manual submissions are also available directly on the calendar, and listings are monitored and managed to keep things accurate and up to date.
CALLING ALL EVENT HOSTS
Local organizations, businesses, and nonprofits are encouraged to create public Facebook Events, or keep their website calendars current. Doing so helps ensure events show up on the new community events calendar and reach more people.
Main Street America & American Express Shop Small Grant Support
Mid December we sent out an email to our Business Pulse Newsletter subscribers with all the information and links needed to get started on this grant application! This major funding opportunity is available through Jan. 16th and we are here to help!
If you or someone you may know are interested, read more here:
Serendib closed its doors on December 20 after ten years in downtown Ellsworth. As we move into the new year, we’re grateful for the meals, the memories, and the role it played in shaping our community. They will be deeply missed!
Leadership Hancock County
The Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the 2026 Leadership Hancock County program. This six-month course brings together emerging and established leaders for monthly sessions focused on civic engagement, regional issues, and leadership development across Hancock County.
To apply or learn more, visit ellsworthchamber.org/initiatives or contact Katelin Workman at katelin@ellsworthchamber.org.
Duration: 6 months (one class per month) · Cost: $875
Program sponsor: Stanley Subaru
151 High Street, Suite 6, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Preservation Win for The Ellsworth Historical Society!
Our friends and partners at the Ellsworth Historical Society have been awarded $185,770 in preservation funding to support critical repairs at the Old Hancock County Sheriff’s Home and Jail, including restoration of historic woodworking along the cellblock and exterior walls.
This investment reflects more than bricks and mortar. As an accredited Main Street America community, Ellsworth has access to national resources and competitive funding opportunities that help make projects like this possible while strengthening long term downtown vitality.
In partnership with the City of Ellsworth, this award highlights the real impact of Main Street work and the power of collaboration to preserve local history and build a resilient downtown for generations to come.
Bangor Federal Credit Union Card Transfer Program
Are you ready to break free from your high-interest rate credit card? Transfer your balance to a Bangor Federal Credit Union Visa credit card today!
When it comes to choosing the right card for you, there's what feels like hundreds of options. But there's one common thread - under the flashy rewards and slick advertising sit interest rates in the high teens or low twenties! Here at Bangor Federal, we cut through the crowd offering two Visa credit cards that feature local, in-house servicing, no annual fees, and interest rates at nearly half the rate of the competition.
Transfer your balance to a Bangor Federal Visa credit card between January 1, 2026 and March, 31 2026 and receive a 4.99% introductory APR through March of 2027 on Our Best Rate and Our Best Rewards credit card options.
Contact the Lending team today by calling us at 947-0374, or visiting any of our branches in Bangor, Brewer, or Ellsworth.
Invest in Your Customer Service with Workshops!
In today’s competitive marketplace, customer service isn’t a nice to have, it’s the difference between a one time visit and a loyal following. This four session workshop dives into the art and impact of great service, from body language and communication to problem solving and going the extra mile. Designed for anyone who interacts with customers, this series offers practical tools, real world strategies, and plenty of perspective on how small moments create lasting impressions. Consider it an investment in your people, your reputation, and your bottom line.
An exhibition that reveals the early creative foundations of well-known contemporary artists. These rarely seen works show the experiments, risks, and discoveries that shaped each artist’s path, from Tom Curry’s first painting of Chatto Island to Lise Bécu’s expressive wood sculpture “Woman With Lamb.” Together, the pieces invite visitors to revisit the power of early ideas and overlooked beginnings.
Savoring Stillness: The Art of Mindful Eating in Ayurveda
Tuesday, January 6th
5PM - 6PM
This free, virtual program will explore how presence, awareness, and gratitude can transform eating into a daily meditation and a meaningful act of self-care. The session will be led by Erik Jackson, an accredited Ayurvedic Health Counselor trained at the Kripalu School of Ayurveda.
Weekly Events at FogTown Brewing Company
This Winter
Wednesday Night @ 6PM: Open Mic Night w/ Nathan Grant - Offering a full backline and encourage all types of performance, from singer/songwriters, to poetry readers, even bass solos! Come play some solo stuff or join a jam!
Thursday Night @ 5:30PM: Sign up for Trivia Night w/ Teacher Maren for a range of trivia topics across all ranges of media and human experience. Win prizes and honor!
Friday Night: Live Music, featuring local and touring bands on the indoor Taproom Stage. Never any cover charge, always something interesting!
Post-Holiday Shows On the Stanley Subaru stage Saturday & Sunday. Maine’s Own Comedian Bob Marley makes his return to the Stanley Subaru Stage at The Grand in Ellsworth January 10, 2026 – A Grand Tradition!
165 Main Street $39.50 Reserved Seating FMI:Website
Talent Tornado Open Mic Night at Black Moon Public House
Thursday,
January 15th & 29th
6PM
Black Moon continues to light up winter nights with live music three evenings a week, alongside favorites like Ladies Night and Teacher Appreciation. This January, owner Pat Corson is adding two open mic nights to the lineup!
It is the kind of night where anything can happen. Performers might share soulful ballads, bold experiments, awkward confessions, or moments of pure comedic failure. The result is an unpredictable evening of community fueled fun and the chance to discover surprising local talent. Anyone is welcome to step up, take the mic, and give it a go. It is a low stakes, high reward experience designed for trying something new in front of a supportive and lively audience.
Chef/Owner Daron Goldstein highlights a cookbook of his choice, pulling recipes straight from the pages and bringing them to life. This experience is presented as a multi-course tasting menu, hosted in our bar area to create a more intimate and interactive evening. Throughout the night, you’ll hear directly from Chef Daron about the recipes, the cookbook, and the inspiration behind the menu—why this book matters, and how it translates to the plate. We look forward to welcoming you for another thoughtful, delicious night at Provender.
This is a ticketed event, with optional beverage pairings available for an additional cost: Wine pairings, Cocktail pairings, Zero-proof pairings
Are you curious about how the Ellsworth Public Library is guided and what’s coming next? Community members are welcome to join the public Library Board of Trustees’ meetings on the third Wednesday of the month at the library. Learn more about projects like the building renovation, fundraising efforts, or town funding requests. You can also join the meetings online:
The City of Ellsworth and the Union River Center for Innovation (URCI) invite the community to Rooted: Ellsworth’s Place in the Food System, a half day forum exploring Ellsworth’s role in the regional food system.
The event will take place at The Moore Community Center and will bring together residents, food producers, processors, distributors, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and other stakeholders from across the Downeast region. Through facilitated discussion and hands on working sessions, participants will explore how food moves from field to fork and back again while identifying ways to strengthen local economies, improve access and equity, and support sustainable environmental outcomes.
Ellsworth Community Music Institute (ECMI) offers its Midday Concert @ 1:00 on Friday, January 30, with The DaPonte String Quartet. The concert is free to the public and held at the Moore Community Center Theater.
First Science Saturday of the year will take place, focusing on animals in winter. Take a walk at Woodlawn and begin to explore how Maine wildlife survives the harsh winter. Maine Master Naturalist, Sally Jones will help you look for animal signs and clues, and together we will discuss three survival tactics: migration, hibernation, and resistance.
This is a family friendly event and children must be accompanied by an adult. Please leave your dogs at home. We will be outside for the entire program, so be prepared for the weather.
Space is limited. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on our website:
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.
