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Greater Portland’s Do-Not-Miss Top 12 Winter List

kicking off Freeport’s Sparkle Celebration. Free horse-drawn wagon rides bring holiday shoppers through Portland’s and Freeport’s streets, and L.L.Bean hosts a six-week smorgasboard of holiday events on its Freeport campus. Night time events dazzle during the off-season, from Portland harbor’s parade of brightly decorated boats to Gardens Aglow’s shimmering landscapes at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Embrace the cold at hotel ice bars serving specialty martinis from luges carved into the ice, while several towns showcase WinterFests and snow sport competitions. Art lovers will find museums and galleries open and easy to navigate during the off-season. Visit the opulent Victoria Mansion from late November to early January when floral designers elegantly trim each room in grand pageantry, and the more modest Wadsworth-Longfellow and Tate Houses also offer Christmas tours. Spring comes early at “Art in Bloom”, Portland Museum of Art’s popular mid-winter exhibit. With easy reservations at James Beard award-winning restaurants, affordable luxury hotels, reasonably priced Broadway shows and national performances, stress- free shopping, and world-class arts and entertainment, the only winter blues you’ll find in Greater Portland is live music at a lounge. For a surprisingly good getaway, let us show you how we do winter!

PORTLAND BEER WEEK / NOV 3-9 Lots of events to immerse yourself in our extensive craft brewing scene. HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING / NOV 29 Start the holiday season with entertainment and merriment in Portland’s Monument Square. MERRY MADNESS / DEC 5 With your official wine glass, head into Portland’s streets for a festive night of shopping. MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS / DEC 13-15, 20-22 Portland Symphony Orchestra’s popular holiday show at Merrill Auditorium. SPARKLE WEEKEND + NORTHERN LIGHTS CELEBRATION / DEC Freeport’s festivals of classic holiday fun keep town merry throughout December. VICTORIA MANSION NEW YEAR’S EVE SOIREE / DEC 31 The Gaslight League party welcoming in Maine’s Bicentennial Year! GARDENS AGLOW / NOV 14 - DEC 31 The largest light show in Maine transforms the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay into a fairyland. WINTERFEST / JAN ‘20 South Portland’s and Scarborough’s family fun days with ice skating, wagon rides, contests, and more. FLAVORS OF FREEPORT / FEB 21-23, ‘20 Local culinary adventure featuring tastings, demonstrations, competitions, dinners. ANNUAL FAT TUESDAY CAJUN COOKING CHALLENGE / FEB 25, ‘20 Local chefs compete for top honors on Mardi Gras Day for best southern comfort food at USM’s Portland campus. RESTAURANT WEEK / MAR 1-12 ‘20 Celebrate the best in Maine dining with specially-priced, multi-course menus.

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ROBERT WITKOWSKI; VISIT FREEPORT; PORTLAND BALLET

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