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Arts, Culture & Learning
There is something magical about the mountains,
the lakes, the trees, the fresh air, the open space. This environment helps to
nurture a special feeling that has been coveted by cultural and educational
leaders for nearly two centuries here in the western mountains of Maine. As a result, the Bethel area is now rich in
educational organizations and institutions offering learning opportunities for
all ages. Many of our institutions
attract a worldwide clientele that add diversity unusual for rural Maine. 
We invite you to peruse the contents of this website as we introduce you to the world-class arts, cultural and learning opportunities available here!
Upcoming Events in Arts, Culture & Learning
Summer Season Mason House Period Room Tours
07/01 - 08/31
Summer season guided tours of the Mason House period rooms begin (Tuesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 PM, until Labor Day); tours may be arranged during the remainder of the year by calling 207-824-2908.
Beethoven's Ghost
07/23
The Sebago-Lake Music Festival presents a concert for the young of heart and mind.
Bob Marley
07/24
High energy comedy and off beat observations of everyday life from one of the hottest and most sought after stand-up comedians in the country.
Fred Garbo's Inflatable Theater Co.
07/25
A fast-paced, energetic, universally engaging, and theatrically clever multi-faceted exercise in pure entertainment that deftly bounces between grand silliness and living sculpture. Extraordinary family fun!
Three Simultaneous Yard Sales -- Church Fundraiser
07/26
Saturday, July 26, 2008, 8:30am - noon (before Music Fest at Historical Society).
Butch Thompson
07/26
A traditional New Orleans jazz master, a pianist whose command of the music of Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Scott Joplin, and other giants of the field is unsurpassed.
First Annual W. S. Ripley Band Festival
07/26
Several bands—including the Carter Mountain Brass Band from the lake district of New Hampshire; the Newmont Band of the upper Connecticut River valley of Vermont and New Hampshire; the Centennial Brass Band of Portland, Maine; the Mahoosuc Band of Bethel, Maine; and the Yankee Brass Band—will perform during this celebration of 19th century brass band music.
Leland Faulkner's World of Wonder
07/30
Theatre. Magic. Shadow. Wonder. Laugh. Imagine. Enjoy the Journey
Summer Season Mason House Period Room Tours
08/01 - 08/31
Summer season guided tours of the Dr. Moses Mason House period rooms (Tuesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 PM, until Labor Day); tours may be arranged during the remainder of the year by calling 207-824-2908.
Dave Mallett
08/02
Life in an out of the way place carries universal import, and people everywhere seem to understand what David Mallett's songs are about.
Sudbury Canada Days
08/08 - 08/10
The Society's annual heritage festival will include the Hall Lecture (Friday evening, August 8th, at 7:30 PM), 18th century re-enactors, old-time crafts, an art show, historical films, period room tours, a children's parade and games, badminton and croquet tournaments, a log drivers' bean supper, an open house at the Lower Sunday River Schoolhouse, and an old-fashioned hymn sing at the Middle Intervale Meetinghouse.
The Winiker Quartet with Tony Deblois
08/10
Featuring jazz savant pianist, Tony Deblois, Boston’s famous “House Band” embarks on an eclectic journey through the many styles of jazz including traditional, swing, bebop, jazzy takes on Broadway classics, world music, and even some original compositions.
The Wiyos
08/19
New Time Fun with Old Time Music. Vaudevillian Ragtime Blues, Hillbilly Swing and Old Time Country
Boreal Tordu
08/26
Acadian folk, Cajun swing, maritime ballads, crooked fiddle tunes and foot-stomping French dance music.
The Maine Mountain Heritage Traveling Exhibit
09/09 - 09/26
Created by the Maine Mountain Heritage Network, this exhibit presents eighteen stories and associated images that were submitted by local organizations from across the Maine Mountain Heritage Area (Franklin, Oxford, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties and nearby towns). Story subjects include natural history (moose and riverways), community origins (early immigration and community life), and local economies (logging and slate mining). The exhibit is intended to raise awareness and deepen knowledge of the history and natural history of the Maine Mountains.
Bethel Historical Society Annual Meeting and Lecture
09/11
6:30 PM potluck supper followed by a brief meeting and program by Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., Director, Maine Historic Preservation Commission and State Historian, entitled "Historic Maine Presidential and Senatorial Election Campaigns, as Recalled by the Political Memorabilia of the Time"
Conference: "The Grange in Maine"
09/12 - 09/13
In conjunction with the Society's newest exhibit, a two-day conference focusing on the history and influence of the Grange in Maine will take place on September 12th and 13th.
11th Annual Harvest Fest & Chowdah Cook-off
09/20
A fun family festival with lots of exciting fall events!
Lecture: "Marketing Maine Apples," by Ben B. Conant
10/09
Ben Conant is Curator of the Paris Cape Historical Society; 7:30 PM, Mason House Exhibit Hall
The Best of America by Horseback
10/10 - 10/12
October 10, 11 & 12, 2008 - Friday evening; Saturday and Sunday all day.
Lecture: "Androscoggin River Water Quality: Past, Present and Future," by Barry Mower
11/13
Barry Mower works for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection; 7:30 PM, Mason House Exhibit Hall
Lecture: "Down-Mountain and Cross-Country: 140 Years of Skiing in Maine," by Scott Andrews
11/20
In the first in a series of Fireside Chats presented by the Ski Museum of Maine, Scott Andrews, a writer and researcher with the Ski Museum, will survey the entire history of Maine skiing, from its beginnings with Swedish immigrants in Aroostook County in 1870 to the present day.
Christmas with the Masons
12/04
Music and refreshments in the Mason House period rooms, decorated in traditional nineteenth century style and illuminated by candles—a once-a-year event!
11th Annual "New Year's Bethel" Celebration
12/31
An affordable, chemical-free festival featuring a variety of live entertainment at selected sites within historic Bethel Hill village.