Joe loves a good movie, especially one with a compelling lead character, so he's intrigued by the upcoming Bluestocking Film Series, the only film event in the world to require female protagonists. The event celebrates and promotes talented, emerging filmmakers who take the creative risk of placing female protagonists front and center and introduces Maine audiences to those who are bound to influence the future of filmed entertainment. The 2014 Bluestocking event will take place on July 17-18 at the Space Gallery in Portland. Find more about the event here, and buy tickets here. Joe loves to see this type of creativity in his hometown and hopes the event is a great success!

What's your favorite sight off the coast of Portland? There are so many gems in Casco Bay, it may be tough to pick. One of Joe's favorites is Fort Gorges, a US military fort that was built in the Civil War era. Joe has always appreciated the historic beauty of the fort, which is why he's spreading the word today about the Friends of Fort Gorges, a non-profit whose mission is to restore Fort Gorges and to make it safe and accessible to future generations. The group believes in the Fort's historical significance, as well as its educational and cultural potential. Learn more about this organization at their website, and next time you look out towards the sea, be sure to think of this organization and their work to preserve this part of Portland's history.

Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

One of Joe's favorite features of his home state is the endless miles of coastline- it makes Maine uniquely friendly to all types of water activities, from surfing to fishing and everything in between. While Joe himself is a landlubber, one organization that he appreciates is SailMaine, a community sailing center based on the Portland waterfront. SailMaine's mission is to provide affordable access to the water through community sailing and educational programming.

This Friday, July 17th, is SailMaine's Tall Ships Community Sailing Ball. Join them from 6 to 10 PM aboard the Tall Ship El Galeón for an evening of entertainment and camaraderie featuring the music of the Rhythm Kings and an open bar. Proceeds to benefit SailMaine and Tall Ships Portland. Find more about this organization here, and more about the event here.

Anchors aweigh, Portland!

Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

We can all use a little "me" time now and again- some time to take a break and reflect on our lives and ourselves. Joe prefers walks on the beach, but if you're a yoga fan, he's got just the place for you. The Maine YogaFest (MYF) is a two-day festival held at the East End Community School in Portland, Maine from July 10-12, 2015. The mission of MYF is to create a wellness event for the Maine community to come together, celebrate the healing powers of yoga, and encourage a healthy, peaceful, and compassionate way of living. By raising awareness of the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga, MYF hopes to strengthen the yoga movement and culture in our beautiful state. As an added bonus, one of Joe's favorite local organizations, Preble Street, is involved as well- in addition to donating $5 to the Teen Center from each festival pass sold, the Maine YogaFest team volunteers at the Teen Center throughout the year, offering weekly yoga classes to teens facing the challenges of hunger and homelessness. Find more about the YogaFest here, and buy tickets here. 

Namaste, Portland.

Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

As a lifelong Portlander, Joe has always been fond of the city's green spaces. Back in the 50's, nobody biked around town faster than little Joey! Today, there's an organization who works to maintain and improve such spaces. Portland Trails is a local nonprofit whose mission is to transform Greater Portland into a healthier community for people-powered transportation, conservation, and recreation by creating and maintaining a network of trails and green spaces that connect people with places. Tomorrow, June 25th, is Portland Trails' annual GORP party. With a theme of "throwback to simpler times", this party is sure to be a good time, and all proceeds from GORP support Portland Trails and the trails and transportation that you love. For more information about this organization, click here, and to learn more about the event tomorrow night, click here. Happy trails, Portland!

Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

If you're a regular viewer of this blog, you know that Joe is a big fan of the Portland Stage Company. A true jewel of Portland, Portland Stage provides us not only with compelling productions, but also with the PortFringe Theater Festival. Launched in 2012 as a five-day, cutting-edge theater festival with 40 acts ranging from serious to silly and everything in between, PortFringe is a non-juried fringe theater festival that supports new, edgy, and experimental performance in our fine city. This year's festival runs from June 20th to June 28th. To learn more about the festival, including the calendar of events, click here. Joe hopes you consider attending one of the productions, and says break a leg to those putting them on!

Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

Among the many tiles in the mosaic of Portland is our active LGBT community. This week is a celebration of the strides they have made, both from a legal and social perspective. Pride Portland! is a celebration of Portland's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied community. The organization's goal is to bring people together to celebrate the achievements of the LGBTQA movement, remember its history, and raise awareness of the work that still needs to be done. Find more about this organization, including a schedule of upcoming events, at its website. Joe hopes the events are a great success!

Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photography here and here.