5 Things To Do This Weekend, March 24-26: The Rites of Spring. Right?

1. I think we can all agree that this past week’s weather is little more than a cruel joke played by Mother Nature. Well played, ma’am. Well played. Sending us scurrying back into our big winter jackets and blanket forts. You got us there. Looking ahead to this marginally warmer weekend, Friday night in Bangor brings hip hop night at the Central Gallery, the Northside Ramblers at Paddy Murphy’s, vinyl night at Nocturnem Drafthaus, and the Nikki Hunt Band at Sea Dog. Up in Orono, there’s Stesha Cano at Woodman’s, and the Adam Babcock Duo alongside the release of Black Bear’s new Conservation IPA, at Black Bear Brewery. On Saturday, there’s the annual March Dragness drag show at Hollywood Casino, there’s the Tyler Healy Band at the Sea Dog, there’s Tomorrow Morning at Paddy’s, and there’s Indigo at Nocturnem, while up in Orono, it’s another night of Bear Brew Comedy with comics Krazy Jake and Adam Hatch.

The Asthmatic

2. Portland this weekend recovers from a wild and wacky St. Patrick’s Day last weekend, with some cool Friday night shows including Ms. Lisa Fisher and Grand Baton at the State Theatre, bluesman Popa Chubby at One Longfellow Square, Raging Brass Reggae at Bayside Bowl, and the annual Stache Pag at Portland House of Music, a yearly party celebrating mustaches, beards and other creative facial hair. On Saturday, take your pick from Zeme Libre at Portland House of Music, a quadruple bill of local rock from Foam Castles, An Anderson, Johnny Cremains and North Atlantic at Empire, guitarist Johnny A at One Longfellow, and Monarck Lisa, Fuzz Queen, Ms. Fridrich and the Asthmatic at Bayside Bowl. On Sunday, there’s some punk rock with Zex, D-Sagawa and The Worst at Geno’s Rock Club.

3. On the Midcoast, there are three great shows on Friday night, including pop songwriters Matt Rapta and Nick Cincotta at the Camden Opera House, rock band Hilton Park at the Unity College Center for the Performing Arts, and the By The Bay Jazz Trio at Rock City Coffee. On Saturday, there’s Yellow Brick Road, an Elton John tribute act, at Unity College, and in Rockland, the Farnsworth Collective hosts an epic costumed dance party with electronic duo Sofi Tucker, at the former 3Crow storefront in downtown Rockland, benefiting the Farnsworth; it’s 21 plus and tickets are $35.

Maplecrest Lilies at the BDN Maine Garden Show

4. Can you believe it? The BDN Maine Garden Show is here! Three days of gorgeous flowers, nice smelling things, tasty food, great music and cool stuff to buy, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Admission is $8. Also this weekend is Maine Maple Sunday, where sugarhouses all across the state open their doors to people looking for a taste of the first of the season’s sweet, sweet maple syrup. Where do you like to go for the good stuff?

5. Comic book, sci-fi and fantasy fans, get ready — the first-ever Bar Harbor Comic-Con is set for this Saturday at the Atlantic Oceanside in Bar Harbor, featuring live music, artists, authors, gamers, vendors, cosplay and more. It’s a fundraiser for the Park Street Playground Project, too. Admission is by donation. Also this weekend, the live action, big budget “Power Rangers,” movie is out, so 90s kids, get ready to have your childhood heroes be changed and updated in ways you’re not entirely comfortable with (see: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). If you’re reading this post early, there’s a 6 p.m. premiere party on Thursday hosted by BangPop! at Bangor Mall Cinemas.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.